Protecting Your Machinery with Industrial Equipment Painting

Why Your Facility Needs Professional Machinery Painting

Regardless of the size of your company, purchasing any kind of industrial equipment is a large investment. However, your responsibility doesn’t stop after its purchase. Keeping your equipment in good shape is important both for your budget and the productivity of your facility.

Read on to learn how machinery painting is a simple and necessary step to protect your industrial equipment.

What is Machinery Painting? 

Machinery painting is a professional service that applies different types of industrial coatings to your equipment for its longevity. These paints are specifically engineered to be protective of whatever material is beneath. The type of coating could be:

• Direct-to-metal finishes (DTMs) – This anti-corrosive paint is applied directly to the metal without a primer needed. If preparation isn’t possible, this type of coating is regularly chosen.
• Epoxy – This is a thick material used to protect against abrasion, turbulence, corrosive fluids, and extreme temperatures. It’s non-toxic and chemical resistant, making it a popular choice for steel, metal, concrete, and more.
• Urethane – These coatings can come in a wide variety of colors and have excellent UV protection properties and durability. They’re widely used in OEM operations and can be customized for VOC compliance.
• LINE-X paint – This is a spray-on paint that’s commonly used on truck bed liners and other vehicle parts and can also be applied to exposed steel beams. It’s capable of hiding or highlighting certain structural elements of a building.

Before the paint is applied, make sure your equipment is prepared. Your equipment will be steel blasted, sandblasted, or descaled depending on its condition. Rust will be removed, and a primer will be applied to prevent rust in the future.

Industrial coatings can be applied to a wide variety of equipment and materials, such as exposed steel and concrete. They can be applied to:

• Construction equipment
• Machine tools
• Pumps
• Compressors
• Farm equipment
• Oil and gas pipelines
• Exposed steel beams

Appearance

The most obvious necessity of machinery painting is the improvement of your equipment’s appearance. Aged-looking equipment doesn’t speak well about your facility. It can give the impression of neglect or poor working practices.

A new coat of paint instantly improves the visuals of your facility. You can also choose colors that reflect your company’s color scheme. This boost in appearance helps morale and improves your client’s impression of the company.

In fact, manufacturing contracts can be awarded based on the appearance of your facility. Potential clients will feel more confident in awarding you a contract after they tour a facility that is clean, safe, and capably run.

Weather Resistance 

Special painting services have the ability to protect equipment from moisture damage. This includes tarnishing, acid rain, salt air corrosion, and rust. With UV blockers your equipment won’t fade in the sun as quickly. The paint is less likely to crack or peel.

Depending on your facility’s location, you may experience more inclement weather. For instance, the industrial equipment in Florida has to contend with high humidity levels, excessive heat, rainwater, salty air, and direct sunlight.

Thermal Protecting

Industrial equipment often produces or works in facilities with elevated temperatures. Without heat-resistant paint coatings, your equipment can corrode due to temperature variations.

Extended Life

All of these protective coatings help the overall life of your machinery. You’ll have equipment that can last longer than it’s typical two to three years, maximizing your return on investment. Paint coatings that are reapplied can further extend the lifecycle of your machinery.

Corrosion problems are one of the main issues throughout many industries and can affect materials such as rubber, plastics, composites, brick, and concrete. Although painting will cost you initially, the extended life of your equipment is a worthwhile investment.

Productivity

Consistently maintaining your equipment helps your bottom line as well as your productivity. The chance of unexpected equipment failure and the extended downtime that comes with it is significantly less.

Equipment cleaning and maintenance will also take less time.

Easy Maintenance

Consistent maintenance should be part of your facility’s regular workflow. If you wait to paint your equipment on an “as-needed” basis, it will be harder to apply the coatings, and they’ll be less effective.

Painting your equipment with a consistent program makes maintenance much easier. Dirt and grime aren’t able to penetrate the equipment’s surface.

Resale Value

You won’t keep the same industrial equipment forever. Perhaps your company is scaling, restructuring its business model, or you need a new kind of machinery. Painting your equipment ensures that selling your equipment will be a quick and profitable process.

Equipment that appears new and well cared for will sell for more than corroded, dirty equipment. It will also sell faster.

Maintaining Your Paint

Once you have your equipment painted, there are a few things you can do to ensure it lasts as long as possible:

1. Keep a clean environment
2. Stay acid-neutral
3. Avoid temperature extremes
4. Regularly inspect equipment
5. Document your maintenance standards

A Well-Maintained Facility

By now you should realize that machinery painting is a necessary step of your industrial equipment maintenance. It’s a simple way to safeguard against serious maintenance issues, increases the productivity of your facility, and creates a better-looking working environment.

Ready to work with an insured, versatile, and experienced company for your industrial painting needs? Custom Coatings Inc. is one of the top industrial painting companies in the Southeast region. Call 828-326-0953 today to schedule an appointment or consultation!