Buyer’s Checklist: Identifying the Right Paint System for Your Business

For OEMs, the right industrial coating can make a big impact on the bottom line. From increased production efficiencies to reduced customer complaints and returns, the benefits of the right paint – more than just good paint – can be significant.

Identifying the right paint system starts with clarity on the particular needs for your products, paint line, and business. Whether you are a purchasing agent, business owner, or paint line operator, if your responsibilities include buying industrial coatings, this checklist can help provide clarity on your needs and make the search for the right paint system more efficient and effective.

_____What will the paint coat?
Properties of the finished product, including design, geometry, and substrate (metal, wood, etc.), start the path for determining coating type.

_____What are the performance expectations for the paint and finished product? For example:
– Time requirements and curing mechanism, such as air dry, force dry, bake, other
– Durability
– Gloss
– Required dry film build/thickness
– Specifications such as mil spec, pencil hardness, salt spray requirements
– Are there any tests or standards that must be met, such as ASTM tests?
– Do you need a coating that is applied directly to metal (DTM) or do you plan to apply a primer and topcoat?

_____What is your cleaning/prepping process prior to coating the substrate (blasting, sanding, pretreatment, power washing, no cleaning)?
– If blasting, what is the profile?
– If pretreatment, what type and what are the chemicals used, including the brand?

_____In what conditions and environments will your finished product be stored and used? For example:
– Harsh outdoor conditions
– Controlled indoor environments
– In direct sunlight
– Subject to debris
– Subject to stacking

_____What are your application methods, equipment, and shop conditions? Specifically:
– What is the typical temperature during application? Can it be controlled?
– Are you spraying in a booth and what is the size?
– Do you have sufficient air movement in the booth?
– Do you have a covered curing area?
– Do you have a cure or bake oven?
– How many painters are involved in the process?
– How many parts do you produce in a day? How many would you LIKE to produce in a day?
– What application equipment do you use every day (e.g., delivery pumps, application guns, mixing equipment)?

_____Do your performance and business needs require water-based or solvent-based paint systems?
– What are your VOC and air permitting requirements?
– What is the layout of your facility, including proximity of operations to the paint line?
– What is your inventory and storage situation for paint?
– What are your performance and throughput requirements?
– What are your application methods and equipment?

_____Do you have special customer/brand color matching requirements?
– Some vendors have a library of colors already matched to different brand name requirements. This helps reduce production time and costs.
– Some vendors, like Sheboygan Paint Company, offer tailored color matching services in addition to color libraries.

_____Approximately how much paint does your facility use per day, week, year?
– At what frequency and quantities do you plan to order paint?
– What is your stocking strategy?
– Can you forecast near-term and future requirements?
– What delivery and lead times are important to your process?

_____Do your current paint system, application method, and supplier meet your expectations? Knowing what needs to be fixed or improved can help you determine priorities for a new paint system and/or provider. Consider:
– Faster dry times
– Lower applied cost
– Improved quality
– Increased paint line efficiencies
– Improved application and coverage
– Better technical support and customer service
– Shortened delivery cycle
– Other properties unique to your product and/or process

_____What level of service and technical support is important for your business?
– Consider your staffing levels and skill sets, available training, troubleshooting needs, and the level of responsiveness and customer service needed to support your organization and keep your paint line running smoothly.

Getting to the right paint is much more than simply finding the lowest-cost provider. Determining your priorities for your paint, and finding the coating and paint supply partner that excels in those areas, will help you improve efficiencies and your customers’ satisfaction.

Let us help you find the right paint for your product! Our experienced team of R&D chemists and field technical service representatives can lead you to the best solution for your needs. With more than 100 years in the coatings industry, Sheboygan Paint Company has been named a Top 25 paint and coatings manufacturer. We look forward to helping you. To learn more, call us at 800.773.7801.