Changing operations from utilizing an in-house post-painting metal process to outsourcing prepainted metal with a coil coater is a big decision. Prepainted metal can provide many advantages to manufacturers and can save time, money, and headaches. Here are some of the top indicators that a company should consider using prepainted aluminum or steel:
1) Expenses to maintain the in-house paint shop are increasing – if the in-house paint shop budget is continually expanding to meet requirements such as a bulging capital budget for new equipment purchases, added expenses to meet EPA regulations, and increased cost of materials and supplies, it may be time to consider outsourcing.
2) Rising internal operating costs – the cost of doing business is increasing in every market, with increased labor and benefits for companies to remain competitive. High turnover is especially wasteful with continually training new employees. Companies can eliminate manning the paint line by outsourcing to cloak orders for prepainted metal.
3) Companies need to increase capacity – an internal paint shop takes up a lot of space that could be utilized for other core business operations. Outsourcing quickly frees up floor space for more profitable operations.
4) Post-painting quality issues – in-house post-painting processes can be very challenging to avoid quality issues as many things can cause suspect products, such as uneven coating application, contamination when drying, and a host of other issues, including human error.
Coil coating provides a uniform surface that is clean and clear of any debris, with edge-to-edge coverage for high-quality products. Coil coating is easily applied to both sides of a metal substrate, providing added resistance to corrosion compared to post-painted metal, which is often on one side and will degrade much sooner than coil-coated metals.
5) Bottlenecks are affecting productivity – in-house paint shops require labor, space, and can take more time while products are painted, dried, cured, and moved throughout stages of assembly. Receiving prepainted metal from coil coders eliminates these bottlenecks with metal substrates ready for forming and final production assembly.
6) New-product models are being introduced – when new projects come on board, it is a good time to evaluate overall costs and capacity requirements to consider the advantages of outsourcing for prepainted metal. This is the perfect time to increase capacity, reduce labor expenses, and ensure a high-quality product for all new projects.
7) Plant restructuring is occurring – anytime a company downsizes or combines plants, it is a good time to evaluate all areas for improvement and increase efficiency. Manufacturers can reduce costs by downsizing while receiving all the benefits of outsourcing to coil coders for prepainted metal.
If any of these situations occur in your business process, you should contact Universal Chemicals & Coatings, Inc., UNICHEM, to learn more about the many benefits of prepainted metal. UNICHEM offers more than 50 years of experience and a skilled and knowledgeable team of resin scientists and polymer experts to develop custom coatings to meet your specific requirements. We can help you to evaluate all considerations and assist with the cost analysis, such as items listed on this Cost Analysis Form provided by coilcoating.org.
UNICHEM is a leader among custom chemical and coating manufacturers, offering high-quality, high-performance paints, coatings, and adhesives. We work directly with several coil coaters to improve current projects and help businesses realize the benefits of prepainted metal. Contact us with any questions and to learn more about the many advantages of coil coating.