Aluminum Panels (and other Aluminum Materials)
Since its discovery in the 19th century, aluminum has been used in industries ranging from medicine to packaging to transportation. And of course, aluminum has played an integral role in architecture and construction. The Empire State Building, perhaps the most famous aluminum skyscraper, continues to illustrate the beneficial properties of the metal – its strength, flexibility and beauty.
With environmental sustainability more important than ever, more and more design and building professionals are turning to aluminum. Not only does most aluminum contain anywhere from 50 to 85 percent recycled material, it is also highly recyclable. Furthermore, aluminum is extremely long lasting, with 75 percent of the aluminum produced still in use today. With that kind of longevity, aluminum panels and other aluminum building materials need a finish with just as much staying power.
Enter powder coating.
Good Looking, Long Lasting
Ideally, a building material’s finish serves two purposes. First, it needs to look good. The finish on aluminum panels, doors and window frames are all chances to infuse style and character onto a building. Current trends include neutral coloured buildings with doors and frames in unexpected colours – such as orange or green. Many designers also use powder-coated aluminum panels as accent pieces, perhaps in a bold colour or texture.
ETS Castle Downs Transit Centre
Second, a building material’s finish needs to protect the material. Finishes such as liquid paint can peel, chip and crack – leaving the material beneath vulnerable to the elements. Powder coating is just that – a coat. A protective layer. And a material as strong as aluminum deserves a strong finish.
Aluminum and the Paintline
Cadillac Coatings’ powder coating process is as innovative as powder coating itself. An unfinished material – such as aluminum – is fed into our state-of-the-art Paintline. Inside the Paintline, the powder coating is applied in a single layer. A layer so even, there’s no extra product in the creases and no sparsely applied finish on any high points. The powder coating is then cured, while still inside the Paintline, and comes out the other side ready to ship.
The efficiency of the Paintline pairs well with an in-demand material like aluminum. Not only is aluminum a popular building substrate, it’s also used as roofing, window frames, doors, trim, railings and architectural details. And due to its recyclability, aluminum is frequently used in sustainable design – a field that will continue to grow as the building industry becomes more eco-conscious.
CadIllac Coatings Paintline
The Three Pillars
At Cadillac Coatings, we have three pillars of design. The first is aesthetic, meaning a finished material needs to look beautiful. That being said, appearance is nothing if the material and its finish don’t stand the test of time, which is why our second pillar is performance. Our third pillar – and perhaps the most important – is environment.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's brand new Centre for Applied Technologies building
We now live in a world where sustainability must be at the forefront of our process in all that we do. And our environmentally friendly powder coating process is the perfect partner for a sustainable building material like aluminum.
To learn more about aluminum and powder coating – contact us today!
