Capabilities and Services

Do you paint houses?

No. We do not offer offsite paint services. However, we do coat some very unique items in "our house". Call us to discuss your unique item in detail.

What types of parts do you powder coat or paint?

Raphael Industries specializes in prototypes and short production runs, of medical, motorcycle, automotive, sheet metal fabrications, office furniture, and home decor products.

Special services such color matching, custom masking and tooling/fixture design are available. In addition, stripping, grinding and sand blasting are available for those components requiring remanufacturing. Our large oven allows us to handle many odd shaped and oversized parts.

The majority of our finishing services are provided to industrial and OEM manufacturing companies. However, we strongly encourage and welcome individual consumers to contact us about their special items.

What types of surfaces or materials can be painted or powder coated?

Just about any surface can be coated. However, there may be chemical or temperature limitations on specific materials or on components in an assembly being coated. We use paints and powder coats that have oven cure temperatures ranging from 150° F to 380° F. Also, powder coating is usually performed on parts that are electrically conductive, since the process requires that the part be grounded.

Many of our parts are aluminum, steel, lead or a combination of those materials and our oven cure temperatures do not adversely affect the part. Please contact us with your requirements and we can provide you with several options if your part is temperature sensitive.

Do you have a size and weight limitation on parts?

Our oven size is approximately 10' x 10' x 10'. Generally, if a part can fit within that window, we can paint it.

Our weight capacity is roughly 250 pounds. Depending on your requirements additional fixtures may be needed. Please contact us with the details.

What are your typical lead times?

Depending on the complexity, quantity, and lot size of a part, the lead time can vary. Typically, short production runs that are scheduled with Raphael can be turned around in one week or less. We do offer "Next Day" or "Two Day" service at an additional cost. Please contact us with the details of your order.

Can you mask holes or o-ring surfaces?

Yes, we can mask parts. We use a variety of masking methods - tape, plugs, and/or fabricated fixtures. Masking can be a labor intensive process. Depending on the quantity of parts and areas that need masking, we may use a combination of the above mentioned methods.

Can you remanufacture parts (strip, grind, sandblast)?

Yes, depending upon the existing finish and the condition of the part substrate. We have the facilities to strip, grind or sand blast parts prior to applying a new finish.

Quoting

How can we get a quote?

Contact us directly. Or Click Here to fill out our request for quote form

Can we quote from an electronic drawing or solid model?

Yes. Many times it is clearer and easier to read than a fax. And it's particularly ideal for calculating coating areas on complicated parts or assemblies. We can read AutoCAD (2D) and Solidworks (2D & 3D) files directly and we have translators that can access many other file formats. Some frequently used formats include *.igs, *.step, & *.dxf.

What elements affect the cost of a coating?

Any combination of the following items:
• Total area to be coated
• Total area to be masked
• The type of pre-coating preparation that is required
• Cost of paint or powder (standard or special order)
• Multiple colors and/or textures on one part
• Special packaging or shipping
• Special tooling or fixtures (generally not required)
• Quantity

Do we have a minimum order?

Yes.
• Our minimum order with standard lead time is $75.00
• Rush order minimum is $150.00

Powder Coating

What is powder coating?

Dry pigmented powder is electrostatically charged and is sprayed onto a part that is at ground potential. The charged powder particles are electrostatically attached to the part. The part is then oven cured or baked. While in the oven, the particles melt, flow, and form a hard, abrasion resistant surface.

Are there different types of powder coatings?

Yes. The two major groups of powders are thermosetting and thermoplastic. Raphael primarily uses thermosetting powders. There are a multitude of powder chemistries under the thermosetting classification such as acrylic, epoxy, polyester, and urethane. Selecting one that is right for your application is best discussed with us directly.

What is the difference between thermoplastic and thermosetting powder?

Thermoplastic powders will soften and melt if reheated after curing, whereas thermosetting powders will not soften or melt after the initial cure. In either case, the type of powder selected will dictate the mechanical properties and appearance of the finish.

Can powder coated parts be formed or bent after coating?

The short answer is yes, depending on the powder type and the curing. However, we do not recommend forming or bending processes after the powder coating has been cured.

Are there environmental benefits to powder coating?

Yes, absolutely. The powder coating process does not involve the use of any V.O.C.'s (volatile organic compounds). Because the use of any V.O.C.'s in an industrial environment is tightly regulated and closely monitored, we find many times that powder coating is more cost effective than solvent based painting.

Painting

What types of paints do we use?

We primarily deal with water based and low VOC liquid coatings. Limitations on VOC emissions prevent us from spraying any coatings which contain more than 3.0 lb per gallon of VOC’s.

Why bother coating parts?

The two main reasons are appearance and corrosion prevention. A third reason is to encapsulate a material (such as lead) to prevent lead contamination of the environment.

Colors

What colors are available?

Raphael Industries has many standard "in-stock" colors and can have custom colors made to match your needs. Because electronic color images can vary widely between different monitor types, we prefer to show our customers color charts.

Can we match your current part color?

Usually we can have a chip from your painted or powder coated product analyzed to match your current color.

Texture

Can my parts have a texture?

Yes. We have the ability to apply many different types of texture to a part during the coating process. Many powder coatings are formulated with “built in” texture.

What extra steps are involved in the texturing process?

Liquid paint texturing is a two step process. The parts are painted with a base coat and then oven cured. After the parts have dried, the texture is sprayed over the base coat and then the parts are oven cured again.

Using a textured powder is easier than texturing with liquid paint. The texture is a pre-mixed component of the powder and is applied in one step. This eliminates additional handling and cure times.

What kind of textures can I have on my part?

Some of the popular powder coating textures are:
• Coarse to Fine (similar to sandpaper)
• Vein (two colors having marbled appearance)
• Wrinkle (cross squares with a matte finish)
• Hammer Tone (think ball peen hammer)
• Weathered (primary color with flakes of another color)
• Metallic
• Orange Peel (texture of an orange)

Coating Application

What is the main cause of early coating failure?

Many times a coating failure can be directly linked to an inadequate cleaning process of a part before the finish is applied.

How does Raphael Industries prepare a part before applying a coating?

Coated parts are prepared under a combination of several methods. Also, we can accommodate customer requests for a particular preparation procedure. Below is a preparation process which we have found to produce high quality finishes.

1. Mechanical Clean - strip, wire brush, grind and/or sandblast
2. Wash - to eliminate oils and other contaminants.
3. Etch and Iron Phosphate Deposit
4. Rinse
5. Dry

To reduce cycle time and to provide consistent processing, items 2 through 5 are completed through our automated washer.

Need More Information? Please contact us at:

Raphael Industries, Inc
2162 South 54th Street
West Allis, Wisconsin 53219
Phone: (414) 672-9270
Fax:     (414) 672-9301

sales@raphaelindustries.com