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S U P E R I O R P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G SS U P E R I O R P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G S

Architectural Extrusion Market Coatings www.valsparinspireme.com

Welcome to Valspar’s course on Architectural Extrusion Market Coatings. We’re glad you’ve joined us today.

Let’s get started!

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CEU Credit Course Learning Objectives

1. Identify advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

2. Identify coatings components and their role in the coating system.

3. Describe coating manufacturing process and coating chemistry.

4. Identify industry standards relative to the performance requirements of coatings for metal building components.

5. Understand AAMA specifications and specify the best coating for a metal building component or project.

We have five learning objectives today:

First, I’ll talk a little bit about the extrusion manufacturing process and the advantages it provides.

Then, I’ll discuss the components of coatings and how they perform.

Next, I’ll talk a little about the coating manufacturing process for extruded aluminum products, and coating chemistry.

Then, I’ll provide an overview of the industry standards and tests related to performance.

We’ll wrap up by discussing the AAMA specifications and how they relate to picking the best coating for your needs.

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Learning Objective OneIdentify advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

Let’s start with the first learning objective: identifying the advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

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Architectural Extrusion Applications

Curtain wall

Aluminum panels and extrusions

Residential and architectural windows, skylights and door/access systems

Louvers and grilles

Window trim

Entry canopy

Soffits, fascia, mullions and column covers

Aluminum is commonly used in building materials. It can be shaped into many types of parts. Here are a few examples of extruded building components: curtain walls, aluminum building panels, window trim, soffits, fascia and column covers.

These products are used in a lot of different projects…monumental structures, high rise buildings, landmark buildings, hospitals, airports, retail spaces, schools and universities.

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Benefits of Aluminum Extrusion Building Products

Lightweight

Stronger

Don’t expand or contract

Recyclable

Surface finishes can be coated

There are many advantages when you use aluminum extrusion products. Aluminum is lightweight. It is stronger because it is one continuous piece of metal. It doesn’t expand or contract when the temperature changes. It is 75 percent recyclable. And of course, aluminum can be coated in a wide range of colors and effects to generate a lot of different finish systems. This provides lots of flexibility for building owners.

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Why Use Aluminum Extrusion Coatings

Coating is required for protection

• Prevents aluminum from oxidizing

Many varieties of coatings and finishes

• Liquid, Powder, Anodized

Coating selection will depend on:

• Aesthetic requirements

• Coating performance needs

• Mar resistance

• Chemical resistance

All aluminum extrusion products need a coating to protect them against the elements. The coating protects the aluminum from oxidation, which will turn metal to a white color. One of the great aspects of aluminum is that many different coating and finish types can be used. Those coatings can include liquid coatings, powder coatings and an anodized chemical process to keep it from oxidizing. Today, we’ll talk about the liquid coatings process.

So how do you select the right coating? There are several considerations. One factor is the look you are trying to achieve—do you have a specific color you are trying to match? Or a specific texture you want to achieve?

Another factor is your coating performance. How long do you need the coating to last? Is your project a monumental building where you need the highest quality coating so it will last a long time? Another factor is how chemically resistant you need that coating to be. Is acid rain a problem in the part of the country where the building is being constructed? Will window cleaning solutions be running down the side of the coating regularly? All of these factors affect the decision on which coating is best for the application.

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Aluminum Extrusion Manufacturing Process

Forming aluminum, a malleable material, into shapes of exact specifications

• Extrusion presses use high pressure and heat to force aluminum through the shaped opening of a steel die, creating an extruded aluminum profile

• Can extrude aluminum into a wide variety of shapes

Let’s take a look at the extrusion manufacturing process.

Manufacturers takes a solid block of aluminum, called a billet, and run it through a die to make the shape that is specified for the end product. The extrusion presses use high pressure to force the aluminum through an opening. Aluminum can be shaped into small or large sizes.

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Manufacturing Process Flow

This is a more detailed diagram of the manufacturing process:

The flow runs from left to right:

You start with the aluminum billet, which is heated to about 850ºF in a furnace.

It comes out red hot and moves into to the extrusion press on a conveyor system.

The press can use anywhere from 1,600 to 6,500 tons of pressure to form the aluminum into the required shape. It’s similar to running play-dough through a press.

The extruded aluminum comes out on a runout table…it’s still very hot. It’s stretched and cut by a saw to the required length.

Then it’s moved by another conveyor belt into what’s called an aging oven. It bakes in the range of 350ºF for 4 to 8 hours to harden. Manufacturers can manipulate the time and temperature to get varying hardness, which is measured on a Rockwell scale.

This hardening process develops the mechanical properties of the extrusions, particularly their strength.

It sounds like a simple process, but there is a lot of manufacturing design expertise behind this simple drawing.

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Horizontal Manufacturing Paint Line

Low to medium production

Flexible

Automatic or manual handguns used to apply liquid paint and powder coatings

Let’s move onto the paint process. This is a horizontal manufacturing paint line. It’s very flexible in terms of the product you can coat. Aluminum extrusion curtain walls and aluminum building panels are a couple of examples. It has lower to medium production rates in terms of line speed and provides more flexibility.

The horizontal line can be designed with varying levels of sophistication. The one you see in this illustration is fully automated.

Extrusion parts are loaded on racks and enter pre-treatment cleaning to ensure good coating adhesion.

Any remaining moisture is dried in the oven.

Next, a series of application booths with spray guns on both sides of the part apply primer, then the top coat.

The part is processed through the clear coat booth if the coating system requires it.

The parts enter a turn-around area to capture VOCs used to fuel the bake oven.

Once parts enter the bake oven, they remain there for 10 to 12 minutes

In the final step, parts move to the unload section of the line.

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Vertical Manufacturing Paint Line

High production, automated

Automated system used to apply powder, high solid liquid, and high performance liquid coatings

In contrast, vertical manufacturing paint lines are designed for high-speed production. The liquid paint system provides the highest throughput possible although powder coatings can also be used. Most vertical lines are used for smaller parts for the residential window and door markets.

Parts start in the load area, then go to the 5-stage pretreat and through the dryoff oven.

The paint booths have disk silos, where the coating application occurs. These silos have reciprocating arms with paint spray shafts or disks mounted in the silos. When the disks spin at 18,000 RPMs, paint is pumped through a tube and dropped through the center part of the unit, which centrifugally atomizes particles. Those particles have a charge and create a fog. The disk rotates, moving up and down and throws the fog in the circle. As the extrusions pass, paint is applied in about 5 strokes.

Following that step, parts enter the turnaround area to dry and VOCs are captured to heat the bake oven. There are no VOCs being released into the environment. It’s a very efficient process.

The parts spend 10 to 12 minutes in the bake oven and then move to the offload area.

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COMPLETED: Learning Objective OneIdentify advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

We’ve now concluded the first learning objective …identifying the advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

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Learning Objective TwoIdentify coating components and their role in the coating system.

Let’s move to learning objective two—identifying coating components and their role in the coating system.

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Introduction to Color and Architectural Coatings

Color consistently a key selling feature for building components

Color choices tend to be conservative

Heightened consumer and design industry desire to express creativity through the power of architectural color

Looking to color trends and bringing bolder color choices to projects

Poses unique opportunity for high performance architectural coatings

A little introduction to Color and Architectural coatings. Color sells but the right color sells even more. One thing companies strive for is color that looks good on a building for a period of time and doesn’t look dated.

As a result, color choices have tended to be more on the conservative side...whites, beiges, bronzes, metallics, blacks and grays. Now, there’s a trend to use more color and bolder color. This is providing an opportunity for manufacturers of high performance architectural coatings to figure out the best ways to formulate brighter colors while still delivering long-term performance and durability in coatings.

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What is a Coating?

Comprised of three principal ingredients:

Additives: Control foam, flow, levelingViscosity Modifiers: Improve settlingCatalysts: Accelerate a chemical reaction

15% 35%Pigments Resin

50%Solvents

Percentages vary by product type and color.

The three main coating ingredients are Pigments, Resins and Solvents. The percentages you see are typical of a PVDF coating.

Pigments supply the color and opacity to hide the substrate to get nice even color.

Resins are the “glue” or “binder” that hold the coating together. We generally describe the coating based on the resin because this determines the performance. Resin also offers properties such as flexibility so it doesn’t crack as the substrate flexes.

Solvents are used as a “thinner” to make paint easier to apply and provide application properties for a nice smooth surface.

Additives can be added to paint to help it flow smoothly and evenly disperse the pigments. They are also used to provide special effects like texture, mar resistance or ability to resist abrasion. High performance coatings typically have minimal additives because they can affect durability.

Viscosity modifiers improve settling when a coating is applied.

Catalysts can accelerate a chemical reaction.

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Introduction to Pigments

Blended to create desired color to suit aesthetics of application

Types of pigments include:

• Organic

• Inorganic

• Specialty – pearlescent and color-shifting

• Solar Reflective (SR)

Depending on application and desired color, sometimes each type of pigment is used in same formula

Pigments can:

• Provide opacity

• Improve corrosion resistance

Pigments are added to paint to provide color. There are several different pigment types.

In most colors, there is a combination of the different types of pigments blended to create the desired color…organic pigments, inorganic pigments and in some cases, there are some specialty pigments, mica, metallic and color changing effect pigments or even Solar Reflective pigments.

Pigments also offer additional properties such as total coverage or hide, which is the ability of the coating to cover the substrate so you have uniform and consistent color. There are also select pigments, especially pigments that are used in the primer, that offer corrosion resistance. These pigments are especially good to use if you have a project in an aggressive environment where there are industrial chemicals, or there is ocean-front where there’s airborne salt-spray. The coating system will have the ability to resist corrosion with these corrosive-inhibiting pigments.

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Organic Pigments

Colors from organic pigments can be very bright with vivid appearances

Carbon-based

Often made from petroleum compounds

Less hiding power than inorganic pigments

Poor weathering

Low heat resistance

Colors from organic pigments tend to be more bright and vivid. You’ll get brighter reds, greens and blues.

They are carbon-based and are often made from petroleum compounds. They have less hiding power—they are more transparent so there is more show-through due to the smaller particle size of organic pigments. You have to load the formulation with a higher level of organic pigments. Another factor you want to consider is that organic pigments don’t weather as well. They allow UV light and oxygen to penetrate, which breaks down the chemical bonds more quickly. They are not as heat resistant. You will see some degradation of color when these types of coatings are used. A lot of residential coatings use these types of pigments…more so than high-performance coatings.

Typically, organic pigments would be combined with inorganic pigments when formulating a high-performance architectural coating to make sure the right color and durability can be achieved.

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Inorganic Pigments

Mineral-earth type pigments are very simple and naturally occurring colored substances

Manufactured from mineral compounds that are mainly complex metal oxides

Have superior:

• Color stability

• Weather resistance

• Heat resistance

• Chemical resistance

Inorganic pigments are manufactured from naturally-occurring mineral compounds that are mainly complex metal oxides.

Their color stability is far better, and they are more heat resistant and chemical resistant. They are also more resistant to acid rain and cleaning compounds.

Colors coming from inorganic pigment are less bright. As you can see here, they are more of your earth-tone colors.

In the past, there were some very brightly colored mixed metal oxides used in high-performance coatings. Today, they find very limited use due to the toxicity of the lead and cadmium compounds.

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Pearlescent Pigments

Possess optical effects that serve decorative purposes, offering eye-catching luster

Tiny flakes of reflective metal or refractive mica pigments added into paint mix

Several other elements added into paint production process

Unique effect achieved by light interference rather than light absorption

Pearlescent pigments give a coating that shiny metallic appearance. They have what we call mica. These are tiny reflective metal or refractive mica pigments that are added to the coating along with several other elements. When light hits it, the coatings acts kind of like the glitter you used as a kid. When the light hits the surface, it scatters the light in many directions. This creates the unique pearlescent effect. We’re seeing a lot more of these coatings used today to differentiate projects.

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Color-Shifting Pigments

Colors appear to change when viewed from different angles or sunlight

Combinations of pearlescent mica or aluminum flakes are used

Change in color and degree of color change controlled by composition and thickness of core and precipitated pigment

The newer, color-shifting pigments, sometimes called chameleon, are also popular. The Automotive Iindustry started with this type of pigment, and the architectural industry has shifted into this space. Color shifting pigments are added to coatings so that the color shifts when viewed from different angles or sunlight. A combination of pearlescent mica and aluminum flakes are used. I am sure you have seen an automobile with color shifting paint on it. As it is coming towards you it looks one color, when it gets to you it is another color and as it is moving away, it is a different color.

Color-shifting pigments can be subtle or dramatic depending on the look you want to achieve.

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Color-Shifting Pigments

California Residence, Woodland, CA

Here’s a home in California that shows a dramatic color-shifting pigment. The metal panels on this home are all the same color. The owner somewhat wanted to mimic the surroundings and how the color changed throughout the day based on how the sun hits it. The color-shifting pigments are dramatic. They take on a yellow and lime-green hue in the morning and in the evening, they turn from silver to a bronze, brick color. It makes for a nice coating that draws a lot of interest to the structure of the house. The home is so unique that people drive by just to see how the color changes with the angle of light. This effect can be achieved in coil or extrusion coatings.

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Can achieve new and innovative colors using combination of pigments and application process

• Richer deeper colors with intense sparkle

• Color-shifting colors that change with angle of light

• Prints that mimic looks such as slate and weathered copper

• Textured appearance

Special Effect Coatings

We’re achieving innovative colors with special effects pigments and special application processes.

We can achieve richer deeper colors with an intense sparkle, for example. You just saw the color-shifting coatings that change depending on the angle of light.

We can also mimic the look of slate and weathered copper.

And with special additives, we can achieve a textured look to the coatings.

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Special Effects Pigments

Textured

Prints

Mica/Metallic

Specialty

There are more and more new pigment opportunities that labs and the coating industry are using. As an example, here is a series of Special Effects Pigments.

On the upper left, you can see Prints…these looks are achieved through the application process.

The next set of images to the right shows Specialty pigments. They have different degrees of color and sparkle.

Another interesting look can be seen on the lower left of the screen with the textured products…they have a wrinkled look. This look has been very popular in the metal roofing industry.

Then, you have your mica/metallic pigments…these are much more intense effect coatings and have a more vibrant effect.

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Cool Pigment Technology

Metal components coated with solar reflective (SR) pigments keep coatings and buildings cooler

• Cool Pigment Technology using infrared pigments improves Solar Reflective (SR) values and meets LEED and Energy Star requirements

Standard .25 Cool .30Standard .21 Cool .33Standard .67 Cool .72 Standard .47 Cool .56

Standard .08 Cool .26Standard .14 Cool .28 Standard .11 Cool .28

Here is a technology you may not have heard of – Cool Pigment Technology. The more that you can reflect solar energy from the surface of the metal, the less energy the substrate will need to cool down. So, the metal is coated with solar-reflective pigments to keep the building cooler.

The pigments are actually infrared, and the examples pictured here show how different colors can have different SR values…that’s what the numbers represent. Of course, white has the highest level but you can see you can pick a wide range of colors and still achieve the cooling effect. We used these pigments to meet the LEED and Energy Star specifications.

Since there are a variety of color palettes with SR pigments, you can consult with your coating and roofing manufacturer for more information if you are considering this approach.

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Purpose of Resins

Comprised of polymers

Bind paint components together

Primary source for a coating’s durability and physical properties

Moving onto the resin system. This is typically how coatings are classified for performance based on the resin.

The purpose of the resin is basically a combination of what we call polymers. The polymers combine together to produce a very specific resin that gives you specific properties. The main use of a resin is to bind everything together. You want to glue the pigments together to have good adhesion to the substrate.

Additionally, you want to have a certain degree of performance and durability over a period of time. You want physical properties that meet certain specifications…so, for example, if there is some formability that needs to be done on the coating, it can tolerate some slight stretching or bending.

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Resin PerformanceEach resin type offers different outdoor durability performance characteristics.

GOOD

PolyesterGeneric polymer system with limited weather performance; can achieve wide variety of colors because of the organic

pigments used.

50% PVDFProvides harder surface, color retention and weather resistance of fluoropolymer coatings.

AcrylicProvides harder surface and high gloss level not seen with PVDFs.

BEST

70% PVDFCurrent state-of-the-art coating. Carbon/fluorine bond is one of strongest chemical bonds known. Non-sticky finish enables pollutants to

wash away.

BETTER

The industry is driven by good, better and best categories—three categories of quality.

On the left, you see the Good resin category. This consists mainly of polyester coatings. There are a few acrylic resins that fall into that category. Most of these coatings are designed for non-monumental use…more in the residential space on low-rise structures. They are designed to last for five to 10 years.

In the red section of the slide, we get into the Better category of resins. There are some acrylics and 50% PDVF product. PDVF is an acronym for the resin, which is polyvinylidene chloride. A lot of this is high-end residential, light commercial, and low-rise construction such as strip mall centers.

Now onto the Best category on the right, you have 70% PVDF resins in your coating system. The other 30% would be a modifying resin, such as an acrylic. These form some of the strongest chemical bonds known—these are the best coatings on the market today.

It’s best to consult with a coatings manufacturer on your specific project needs.

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Purpose of Solvents

Mainly used as thinner (diluent) to help maintain and control paint viscosity

Chosen for compatibility with the paint system

Solvent types vary in:

• evaporation rate

• ability to disperse in solids

• ability to help film coalescence

Next, moving onto the Solvent category. Solvents are used mainly to promote good application properties…thinning the paint to control its viscosity, flow and leveling.

You choose the solvent based on compatibility with the different resins you are using in the coating. Evaporation rate can vary by solvent. So does its ability to disperse the solids in the resin, and the ability to help the film coalesce or form a uniform film. During the oven bake, as solvents are coming out of that wet film, you want them to come out at a certain rate so that the resin and the pigments have time to intermingle and form a good, uniform film across the whole coated substrate.

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COMPLETED: Learning Objective TwoIdentify coating components and their role in the coating system.

We’ve just completed learning objective two—which was identifying coating components and their role in the coating system.

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H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G SS U P E R I O R P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G S

Learning Objective ThreeDescribe the coating manufacturing process and coating chemistry.

Let’s move onto objective three—describing the coating manufacturing process and more about coating chemistry.

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Coating Manufacturing Process

Up to 75 raw materials used to create a color meeting customer’s exact specifications

Creating a coating formulation that meets the customer’s exact needs in terms of color, performance, gloss, sheen, hardness, film thickness and other characteristics is both an art and science. Once the perfect formulation is designed by lab chemists for an exact color match, that color has to be produced in bulk quantity by the coating manufacturing facility. We may use as many as 75 different raw materials to formulate a coating category.

The photos show the automated dispensing equipment used to combine materials. You enter your formulation into a laboratory computer, test the formulation to make sure that it’s on cue—it’s where it needs to be in meeting formulation specifications. Then you produce it automatically in the manufacturing facility. Computers store the formulations and precisely dispense each ingredient. In the photos, you can see barrels of various ingredients. A complex maze of pipes are connected to ingredients to deliver the precise amount to the coating mixing tanks. There are some manual adds, which is demonstrated by the photo in the upper right…a factory operator transferring resin or solvent out of a drum…that is probably bounded and grounded to a mixing vessel.

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Precise Color-Matching Process

Same materials and amount dispensed in batch each time specific to customer needs

Critical to disperse pigments adequately in resins and solvents

During the manufacturing process, part of the formulation is centered around color-matching. Most of the adjustments are done when you mix the materials into the batch of coatings. You dispense the materials and then you mix them. It’s critical that they are all mixed and uniform. Then, the coating goes through a series of color and solvent adjustments to match color.

A lot of the way this mixing process works is that it’s very similar to making a recipe, where you’re putting all the ingredients together, and then mixing them and making sure they’re processed the way they’re designed to be processed.

Sometimes, it can take months or even years to complete a large architectural project. The coating needs to match on the entire building when the project is complete even if it was installed over a long period of time. For retail stores and restaurant chains, colors need to match store after store to maintain the brand integrity. That’s why coating manufacturers need to perfect color-matching batch after batch.

That’s a brief look at the coating manufacturing process and the science behind it.

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Coating Chemistry

Primer binds top coat to substrate and provides additional anti-corrosion protection. This paint system provides basic protection from exterior conditions that are prevalent.

Paint Coat 0.8 MILS

Primer 0.25 MILS

Substrate

(Metallic Coating)

Pigment Particles

Resin

Chemical Conversion Treatment

This drawing helps you understand how the coating works to provide protection of the substrate.

This image shows a cross-section of the coating. Starting at the bottom, the gray layer demonstrates the metallic substrate.

On top of that is the pretreatment chemical conversion coating. This is applied to the metal to protect against correction and to make it easier for the coating to adhere.

Next, you’ll notice there is .25 mils of primer, which you see in yellow. Primer is an important base coat that allows the finishing paint to adhere much better. It forms a binding layer that is ready to receive the color paint. The primer binds the top coat to the substrate to provide additional anti-corrosion protection.

The topcoat depicted in this image is white with green flecks representing the resin and pigment particles embedded within that resin system. The topcoat is a combination of resin, pigment and other ingredients. It is typically applied in 2 coats. This paint coat layer is up to 0.8 mils thick. There is a lot of innovation that goes into high-performance coatings to make them so thin yet perform so well.

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/H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G SS U P E R I O R P E R F O R M A N C E A R C H I T E C T U R A L C O A T I N G S

COMPLETED: Learning Objective ThreeDescribe the coating manufacturing process and coating chemistry.

We’ve completed objective three where I’ve described the manufacturing process and chemistry of coatings in a bit more detail.

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Learning Objective FourIdentify industry standards relative to the performance requirements of coatings for metal building components.

Let’s move onto our fourth learning bjective, which is identifying industry standards related to performance for coatings.

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Measuring Color

∆E = square root of Delta L squared + Delta a squared + Delta b squared from a sample to the standard

“L” axis measures light to dark (white to black)

“a” axis goes from red to green

“b” axis goes from yellow to blue

Measured in three dimensions using standard:

Precise color matching is critical. We refer to it as the L-A-B method.

The “D-L” value concerns just the lightness-darkness, and it’s represented by the vertical axis on the diagram. As you go on the plus side of the 3-dimensional chart, the color becomes lighter or whiter and as you go on the minus side of that chart, it becomes darker or blacker.

The “D-a” or “Delta A” scale is the redness/greenness chart. As you move along that chart, the positive side is red, and the negative side of the chart is green.

Likewise, the third dimension is blue and yellow, which is the “Delta B” scale. It goes from yellow on the positive side to blue on the negative side.

We use this method to zero in on color. When you measure color, you want to try and get to the center of this 3-dimensional chart so everything is as close to zero as possible. That’s almost an exact color match.

This type of color measurement is critical when matching color to an exact specification or brand. For example, Ikea blue…or Target red.

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Testing and Coating Performance

Factors such as:

• Exposure to sun (UV light)

• Moisture and humidity

• High temperatures

• Temperature fluctuations

Lead to:

• Color changes

• Chalking

• Fading

Understanding weather impact on painted metal helps manufacturers develop products to meet specific performance requirements.

We look at a lot of different factors.

We look at UV exposure and how that might affect the coating performance…Moisture and humidity, high temperature and temperature fluctuations…freeze/thaw cycles.

One or any of these can lead to color changes, chalking and fading. Understanding the impact of weather helps manufacturers deliver products that will perform best based on the location and environment.

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Rigorous Exposure Testing

Expect true color: hardworking and weather-tested

Perform extensive and continual testing on resins and pigments to achieve highest industry standards for:

• Solar Reflectance

• Retention of color and gloss

• Adhesion

• Finish consistency and quality

Natural Exposure Accelerated Testing

Coatings manufacturers want to know how well a coating is going to perform to develop real-world products that will perform year after year, and retain their color AND quality for a lasting impression. They do a lot of testing to look at color fade and chalk.

There are two types of weather testing, natural exposure and accelerated weather testing. Obviously doing exterior exposure testing takes a long time. The photo on the left shows panels being exposed at a 45 degree angle in South Florida, which has the ideal conditions for weather testing because of UV exposure, humidity and salt spray conditions. Natural exposure is going to show you if a coating will stand the test of time over a period of years. Many panels can be monitored at once and compared. This allows for comparison of resin systems.

The second kind of testing is accelerated indoor testing, which you see in the photo on the right. These machines use salt spray, humidity and heat. This testing is most useful in the development stages of coatings to test various ingredients when formulating to see which ones will be the best choice for a particular coating.

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Physical Tests

Physical tests performed using ASTM test methods to measure:

• Color retention

• Film thickness and hardness

• Gloss levels

• Resistance to solvents

• Flexibility

In addition to exposure testing, physical tests are performed to gauge a coating’s performance. Physical test components are mainly driven by ASTM methods, which is the American Society for Testing and Materials.

We look at a variety of factors, such as color retention using a color instrument. We can read a reference standard and read the coated substrate in the field to see exactly how much it’s changed.

We can look at film-thickness to ensure the coating will properly cover the substrate and offer protection from corrosion.

We also have instruments that can read gloss levels. For example, there’s a big difference between a matte finish and a medium gloss.

Resistance to solvents. The basic test for doing that is taking solvent samples and rubbing the coating substrate to see how well the coating fares. That tells us to a degree if the coating will be resistant to certain cleaning methods used.

And then flexibility. There are tools in the laboratory to look at the coated substrate on the post-fabricated part for flexibility properties like adhesion and cracking.

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COMPLETED: Learning Objective FourIdentify industry standards relative to the performance requirements of coatings for metal building components.

We’ve completed learning objective four: looking at different industry test methods related to coating performance requirements.

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Learning Objective FiveUnderstand AAMA specifications and specify the best coating for a metal building component or project.

Moving onto the last learning objective today, I want to talk briefly about some of the AAMA specifications related to three different coating qualities I referred to earlier in the presentation.

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AAMA 260570% PVDF

High-Rise Monumental/Residential• Curtain Wall• Wall and Roof Panels• Window, Door Frames• Store Fronts

AAMA 260450% PVDF

High-End Commercial/Condominium• Curtain Wall• Wall and Roof Panels• Window, Door Frames• Store Fronts

AAMA 2603Polyester

Commercial/Industrial/Residential• Interior Extrusions and Panels• Wall and Roof Panels• Window, Door Frames

AAMA Specifications

American Architectural Manufacturers Association, known as AAMA, was started back in 1936. AAMA provides specifications for the architectural industry to drive high performance and solve critical issues.

The AAMA specifications here are related to high-performance coatings. They are designed to address specific performance needs within the industry and fall into three categories.

On the left, you have the highest-performance coatings…AAMA 2605. This is a 70% PVDF coating, most commonly used for high-rise monumental and high-end residential for long-lasting color. This specification calls for 20-year performance.

In the middle, you have AAMA 2604 coating, which is typically a 50% PVDF and is most commonly used for high-end commercial and condominium structures.

On the right, you have the AAMA 2603 coating, which is typically a polyester resin and used on commercial, industrial and residential structures.

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AAMA 2605

70% PVDF resins offer the best protection against color fade, chalk, salt spray, pollutants, corrosion and other harsh conditions

Applications

• curtain walls

• monumental window wall systems

• louvers

• sun shades

• entry systems

Diving a little deeper into AAMA 2605. This is the highest-end category of coating. 70% PVDF coatings provide the most durable coating there is. They are designed for 20-year performance. They offer the best protection against color fade and chalk, salt spray, pollutants, corrosion, and other harsh conditions.

In this category, we’re dealing with larger buildings, whether they are a few stories tall or 50 stories tall. Typically curtain wall assemblies are used in these buildings…sometimes called wall and roof panel systems. Window and door frames are also used in. There are number of customers that may decide to use high-performance coatings to differentiate themselves even if they have buildings that are not more than four or five stories tall. There are some store front/strip shop installations that are using 70% PVDF product/AAMA 2605 as well.

70% PVDF coatings have been used around the world on the exteriors of high profile projects. These coatings are the most trusted and known in the industry. They are best to use on monumental projects that need great durability.

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AAMA 2604

50% PVDF containing products provide hard surface with good resistance to chalking and fading

Applications

• high traffic areas (interiors)

• store front entry systems

• residential windows

• low rise commercial

• condominium projects

The middle coatings category is AMA 2604. These buildings are not quite as monumental, and we recommend a minimum of AAMA 2604 or HIGHER coating system for good durability.

50% PVDF containing products may provide a harder surface than a 70% PVDF product line due to a lower PVDF and a higher acrylic content.

50% PVDF resin systems offer good resistance to chalking and fading.

This is a good product to use in higher traffic areas because of the hardness. These coatings are ideal for high traffic areas such as interiors, store front entry systems, residential windows, and low rise commercial and condominium projects.

The main differences in the AAMA specification are related to color fade and chalk. AAMA 2604 is to the typical, standard 50% PVDF system. They are mainly available in an earth tone color range, although pearlescent systems are now available and widely used.

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AAMA 2603

PVDF/acrylic blends, high solid polyesters, or conventional acrylics that perform extremely well for hardness and weatherability

Applications

• non-commercial projects

• patio doors

• recreational vehicle window systems

• outdoor furniture

• monumental (interior) projects

Moving onto the last category, AAMA 2603 coatings.

There is some PVDF used in this product, but it’s a very low amount and it’s blended with acrylic resin. They perform extremely well for hardness scratch resistance. In the building and construction segment, these coatings are applied to patio doors, recreational vehicle window systems, and outdoor furniture. They are also widely used for interior applications for monumental projects where you don’t have direct UV exposure.

AAMA 2603 coatings are usually a one coat system (direct to metal coatings), and are available in standard and bright colors. A two-coat system with primer and topcoat may be used for specific projects.

One of the most important things to remember is there are many factors that come into play when selecting the right coating, so you want to make sure you partner with your coatings supplier to discuss your project so you can select the right coating.

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COMPLETED: Learning Objective FiveUnderstand AAMA specifications and specify the best coating for a metal building component or project.

With that, we’ve completed learning objective five—a brief overview of AAMA specifications and how they can be used to specify the best coating for a metal building component or project.

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Course Learning Objectives

1. Identify advantages of the extrusion manufacturing process.

2. Identify coatings components and their role in the coating system.

3. Describe coating manufacturing process and coating chemistry.

4. Identify industry standards relative to the performance requirements of coatings for metal building components.

5. Understand AAMA specifications and specify the best coating for a metal building component or project.

Wrapping things up, we’ve covered five learning objectives today.

We’ve described the extrusion manufacturing process and talked a little bit about the details of its main advantages over other manufacturing processes.

We’ve identified the components that go into coatings including pigments, resins and solvents, and their performance characteristics.

We’ve been able to describe the manufacturing application process of the coating and talk a little bit about coating chemistry.

And then we went into industry standard test methods to look at the performance factors of the different coatings that are supplied to the building and construction industry.

Lastly, we briefly talked about the different AAMA specifications, the 2605 being the highest-level specification, the 2604 in the middle and the 2603, which is in the good category.

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www.valsparinspireme.com

Contact Information

Robyn [email protected]

Thanks for joining us today! We hope you found this course valuable. You can learn more about Valspar by visiting our website: valsparinspireme.com Or, you can contact us at [email protected]

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This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to constitute approval, sponsorship or endorsement by the AIA of any method, product, service, enterprise or organization.

The statements expressed by speakers, panelists, and other participants reflect their own views and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The American Institute of Architects, or of AIA components, or those of their respective officers, directors, members, employees, or other organizations, groups or individuals associated with them.

Questions related to specific products and services may be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

This presentation is protected by copyright laws.

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