MATERIAL SIZE GUIDELINES

Your products are racked horizontally on a 960-foot long overhead conveyor that travels up to 28 feet per minute. These products can be painted most efficiently within the following size limits. Material falling within the on-line parameters can be finished on-line. Material falling with-in the off-line parameters is considered Oversize and can be finished off-line.

If your material exceeds the above limitations, please call LINETEC for a review of your special needs. 

PRETREATMENT

Paint systems are designed to be applied over clean metal that has been properly pretreated. At LINETEC you can be assured of the quality of the pretreatment system which, in summary, consists of: 

 Unlike batch pretreatment systems that group your products together and immerse them into a static dip tank, LINETEC utilizes a dynamic in-line power spray pretreatment system. Your products are racked individually in the staging area and continue through the five stage 200-foot long power washer that cleans and treats them in accordance with AAMA & ASTM specifications.

Stage one of the pretreatment systems incorporates 140 high-pressure nozzles positioned to reach recessed areas on lineal or fabricated parts. Stage one nozzles circulate 550 gallons per minute of high temperature (140-160 degrees Fahrenheit) alkaline solution, which cleans, etches and de-smuts the aluminum. 

Stage two incorporates a high power clean water rinse.

 In the third stage the aluminum surface is converted to an adherent, amorphous, iridescent surface through a chromium phosphate coating which increases the corrosion-resistance, adherence and durability of any applied paint film.  This conversion coating is recommended for use under severe conditions of service and for all architectural aluminum finishes.

 The fourth & fifth stages of the pretreatment system are neutralizing clean water rinses containing 24 high-pressure clear water rinse nozzles in two columns. R.O. water is added in stage five to remove any hard mineral staining.

The high volume re-circulating system used in the pretreatment chamber provides a high velocity spray on your product creating a scrubbing/flushing action.  Solutions are recycled after passing through pretreatment baffles and filtering systems so the pretreatment used on your product is always fresh.  The pretreatment tanks are checked and maintained regularly to assure that the solutions and temperatures are operating at optimum conditions.

After pretreatment, your horizontally racked product continues around our continuous loop system into a dry off area.  Air knives blow the clean water off the aluminum parts, racks, and overhead conveyor chain. From that point, your product moves directly into a dry-off oven where any remaining moisture is evaporated.         

PAINT APPLICATION

Linetec has two automated booths positioned in lie for quick color change and special applications. Our rotary guns serve as our primary paint applicators as they allow us to provide the best flexibility, efficiency, and quality possible. Located after our primary guns, are manual hand spray guns that allow us to paint those areas that the automatic equipment cannot reach. This gives the customer the best quality possible.

Linetec can provide you with powder coating finishes from any of these suppliers: TCI Powder Coating, Sherwin Williams, Spraylat, Rohm & Hass, Akzo-Nobel-Interpon, Tiger Drylac and Crosslink.

CURING

After emerging from the paint booths, your product is conveyed through a flash-off area and into our 175-foot long, three-stage gas powered convection oven.  Our oversize oven is capable of reaching temperatures in excess of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Linetec is a member of the Powder Coating Institute