Industrial painting is a general term for application and painting techniques by means of advanced coating of various metal elements in heavy and light industrial plants for protection against corrosion damage and for extending the service life of the structure or element to be coated.
Unlike decorative painting, the foremost purpose of industrial painting is to provide long-term protection against corrosion to an existing element. The process of choosing the decorative color shade for coating is secondary to the primary process, which is selecting the system that is technically appropriate to the environment and to the element to be coated. The industrial coating systems will generally be two-stage, advanced resin-based (of the epoxy and polyurethane families) and of greater thickness than single-component and water-based decorative paint systems.
An important, integral part of the coating process is the surface preparation and cleaning prior to painting. According to NACE, more than 80% of the application errors of industrial coating systems are due to poor surface preparation. This step includes partial/full removal of the existing coating, full cleaning of scales and rust in accordance with the applicable standard and roughing the surface to be coated for optimal adhesion of the coating system to the element to be coated.
Reshef is in the business of application coating system by wet painting on site, which includes expertise in brushing, rolling and spraying, implementing all varieties of airless systems. The Company’s services offer restoration and coating of existing metal elements (including coating passivated and galvanized metals) such as pipes, smokestacks, containers, bridges, beams, columns and the variety of metal structures found in industrial plants.
Our company offers a basic procedure for renewal and coating of metal elements that is based on years of engineering knowledge and experience. However, it should be said that every project of coating and painting is a case unto itself that requires individual planning and application according to the specifications of the standards applying to the element to be coated and its environment.
Basic Procedure for Metal Element Renewal and Coating:
- Preparation of a paint system for coating on site, including appropriate thinners, validation of manufacturer’s expiration dates and technical file, with an emphasis on the integration of all the system components to one another in conformance to the technical specification.
- Preparation of safety aids, including material safety data sheets (MSDS) to be available at the site, personal protection suits for painting and use of abrasive materials according to the application environment and the coating system selected, and installation of a protection and shielding systems in the work site. Generally, our safety consultant will be involved at this stage.
- Preparation of painting accessories, including the availability of mixing equipment, abrasive blasting equipment (compressors, tanks, suction systems), preparedness of paint spraying equipment or manual equipment for brushing as appropriate.
- Surface [preparation and cleaning, including removal of the old coating, rust and roughening the surface to be treated.. This stage is carried out by using abrasive cleaning systems* (including high-pressure blasting of abrasive material on the treated surface), or alternatively, roughnening and cleaning manually using mechanical tools.
*Abrasive blasting is a complex stage in the work process with significant safety aspects for both the worker and the work environment. - Application of Industrial Coating Systems of Two or More Coats Generally, such system is consists of a primer to fully bond with the metal base, an intermediate layer and a top layer — often with special properties such as resistance to UV or solar radiation or resistance to chemicals. The coat thickness is specified in the execution specification and is measured in process.