Timely Industries in Pacoima, Calif., is a supplier of prepainted or prefinished steel door frames to the U.S. construction industry. Timely’s Prefinished Steel Door Frames are manufactured from prepainted steel that provides excellent color consistency, a uniform, orange-peel-free, baked-on, enamel-like surface that is hard, scratch and stain resistant.
In an effort to enhance the performance of the paint for the door frames manufactured by Timely Door Frames, Timely partnered with Houston-based Metal Coaters to switch from polyester coatings to polyurethane coatings provided by Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based
Becker Specialty Corp.‘s BeckryPurs. This paint system allows Timely to produce a higher quality product for its customers.
A Need for a Paint Conversion
Previously, Metal Coaters applied baked-on polyester coatings to Timely’s cold-rolled and electro-galvanized steel coil, which were roll-formed and press broken into steel door frames. Polyester coatings are good workhorse products but enhanced coatings were required to avoid fracturing on the door frame bend radiuses as Timely evaluated converting their entire product line to hot-dipped galvanized steel coil to significantly improve their product’s corrosion resistance.
Creating a Superior Prefinished Steel Door Frame
In early 2016, Timely created a cross-functional team to review opportunities to improve its products performance. Team members consisted of Timely, Metal Coaters and Becker Specialty operations, quality control and sales personnel. Through analysis and extensive trails, the team converted Timely to the use of Pittsburg, Calif.-based USS-POSCO Industries‘ (UPI) GalXC steel and Becker Specialty’s BeckryPur coil coatings applied on Metal Coaters continuous coil coating line located in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
UPI’s GalXC steel is a proprietary temper passed hot-dipped galvanized product that provides superior corrosion resistance, even in the harshest environments, while delivering an extra smooth surface with excellent forming characteristics. Becker Speciality’s BeckryPur coatings are high-performance polyurethane products that provide excellent film hardness, abrasion, chemical and corrosion resistance.
BeckryPur also provides superior color stability, chalk resistance, gloss retention and flexibility when compared to traditional polyester coatings. Metal Coaters cleans and pretreats the GalXC steel before roll applying the engineered BeckryPur prime and finish coatings.
Timely’s conversion to USS-POSCO Industries’ GalXC steel and Becker Specialty’s BeckryPur polyurethane coatings provided the ideal combination of steel and coatings to withstand the serve forming requirements of a hot-dipped galvanized steel door frame without fracturing, cracking or crazing on the bend radii, and easily delivered the desired quantum leap in its products corrosion resistance.
An Established Partnership
Timely Industries has used prepainted steel to produce its products for more than 45 years. Metal Coaters and its predecessor company have toll processed or prepainted their steel coils since 1971. For over a decade Becker Specialty has supplied all of Timely’s standard and custom color coatings. This partnership has resulted in highly valued personal relationships, key suppliers being viewed as trusted advisors as well as resulted in a financial benefit for both Metal Coaters and Timely Industries.
Why Prepaint?
Metal Coaters’ continuous coil coating process cleans, pretreats and roll-applies controlled and uniformly thick applications of primer and finish coatings resulting in very consistent coverage impossible to achieve with post-painted steel.
Metal Coaters uses a closed-loop oxidation process, which captures and destroys volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in solvent-based coil coatings or paint. The waste heat is returned to ovens to reduce or eliminate the need for natural gas consumption, making the coil-coating process environmentally friendly. Metal Coaters demonstrates its commitment to excellence and exceptional customer service through more service, flexibility, reliability and quality.
—
Ashley Casper is the marketing coordinator for Houston-based Metal Coaters. To learn more, visit
www.metalcoaters.com.