We would like to take  you for a tour of our facility to familiarize you with our production process after the product has been received, checked for compliance to purchase order or quote and tagged with finishing details for color, resin and scheduled production date.

   The first stage of the high performance finishing process is to chemically treat the aluminum surface to be finished in a 5 stage power washer. The aluminum product is attached to specially designed tooling on the production conveyor and passes through the washer tunnel where it is first cleaned and etched in a hot alkaline spray. After fresh water rinsing the part is next sprayed with a solution of warm mixed acids followed by two further water rinses and then oven dried at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The result is an aluminum surface that has been chemically converted to amorphous chromium phosphate which is an excellent paint anchor with superior corrosion resistance.

 

   After the product leaves the dry off oven, the integrity of the chromium phosphate "conversion coating" is verified by quality control technicians and the part is then conveyed to the painting booths where it is primed, and top (color) coated. For metallic finishes or colors with exotic pigmentation a third clear coat is applied for UV protection. With six opposing in-line paint booths Windsor is able to apply up to 3 coatings using "wet on wet on wet" technology allowing economies of production which are passed on the customer.

   The  "wet" painted parts are then conveyed to the continuos curing oven for baking at up to 520 degrees Fahrenheit according to the specified resin type. The solvents volatiles that are driven out of the coating in the oven are collected and exhausted to a thermal oxidizer where they are incinerated at 1500 degrees before being vented to the atmosphere as harmless combustion byproducts.

   After oven curing the parts are allowed to cool down on the conveyor where the visual quality of the coating is checked. The parts are then removed from the conveyor and quality control checked for compliance to AAMA 2605, " Superior performing Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusions and Panels". Compliant material is then packed to protect the applied coating and shipped to job location or back to the customers facility.