Advanced Finishing USA provides high-performance corrosion protection coatings, large-part industrial painting, and other value-added services for manufacturers across architectural, industrial, heavy equipment, and defense markets. This FAQ page answers the most frequently asked questions about the coating processes, specifications, and available services offered by Advanced Finishing.
From large-part industrial coatings and AAMA-compliant finishes to wood grain powder coating and part storage and shipping, these answers are designed to help you learn why Advanced Finishing is the right partner for your finishing projects.
Advanced Finishing USA is a premier powder coating company that also offers industrial wet painting for large parts, decorative AAMA finishing services, and value-added capabilities like minor assembly, packaging, part storage, and distribution. The integrated services help manufacturers reduce lead times, lower total costs, and streamline production efficiency.
Yes, Advanced Finishing USA specializes in large-part industrial coating services. Their facility is equipped with large curing ovens and advanced material handling systems designed to accommodate oversized components, heavy weldments, and complex assemblies.
Yes, Advanced Finishing USA applies coatings that meet AAMA 2603, 2604, and 2605 specifications for architectural aluminum. These coatings are designed for long-term exterior performance, including resistance to UV exposure, corrosion, and weathering.
Wood grain powder coating is a decorative surface finish that combines the realism of natural wood with the durability of metal. It replicates authentic wood textures and colors using a specialized dye‑sublimation technique, delivering the warm aesthetic of wood without the fragility or maintenance issues.
This process yields a finish that looks and feels like wood but performs like metal—offering superior resistance to corrosion, UV exposure, moisture, wear, and impacts. Plus, it significantly reduces maintenance and improves longevity compared to natural wood.
Advanced Finishing USA offers minor assembly, packaging, kitting, storage, and distribution services. These capabilities allow our customers to consolidate finishing and logistics with a single partner, reducing handling costs and improving production efficiency.
Yes, Advanced Finishing provides turnkey solutions that include coating, assembly, storage, and final delivery. This approach minimizes supply chain complexity and ensures consistent quality from production through shipment.
Powder coatings, in general, are finely ground plastic particles. The powder is fluidized using clean compressed air, and either pumped through a gun, electrically charged, and sprayed onto a cold, grounded part, or a hot part is dipped into the fluidized powder. In either case, after cooling, the part is then placed into an oven where each particle of powder melts into the particles near it, and together, they flow into a uniform film, ranging from 2 to 20 mils thick.
Paint, in general terms, is a solid pigment in a solvent solution. It is applied wet and either air-dries or is baked dry in an oven. As the paint dries, the solvents evaporate, releasing any VOC (volatile organic compounds) contained in the solvent, leaving a thin (less than 1mil) dry film of colored pigment and resin.
The life of the coating depends on the application. For corrosion and abrasion coatings, two months may suffice; however, 2-3 years is not atypical. For outdoor applications, five to seven years with minimal color and gloss reduction is usual; however, for patio furniture, rust may occur at welds within 1-2 years. High-end architectural applications meeting AAMA 2605 specifications can be warranted for 10 to 20 years. For electrical applications such as bus bars, coatings may last as long as 10-15 years. In general, the life expectancy of powder coating is longer than that of paint, making it a more reliable finish.
Average cold application to a flat plate would be 1-3mils or .001″ to .003″. Application to a warm part can result in 3-5 mils. Spray or fluid bed dip on a hot part can achieve 8-12 mils, and multiple coats, depending on the powder resin, can yield a thickness over 125 mils or 1/8 inch.
As with paint, there are an infinite number of colors and textures available, many of which are stock. Two common color standards that many suppliers use for color specification are RAL colors and Federal Standard colors. Unlike paint, powder cannot be made a pound at a time, so color matching is often more costly. Fortunately, there are many different powder suppliers, and they each have their own array of colors and textures. The RAL Color Chart is available below for your convenience.
There are two main types of powder coatings: Thermoplastic and thermoset. Thermoplastic powders flow when they are heated, but do not fully cure or crosslink. After they cool, if they are re-heated, they will re-soften. They never completely set up. Thermoset powders cure when they are heated, and their resins crosslink, finishing a chemical process that cannot be reversed.
The basic powders are epoxy, urethane, nylon, vinyl, and fluoropolymers. Each of these resins has its inherent strengths and weaknesses, depending on the application.
Even though the material and process costs of powder coating are higher than they are for paint, powder remains competitive. Government and environmental regulations have greatly affected the handling and disposal of paint and paint waste products.
