Lincoln Industries

Whoever said, “beauty is only skin deep” clearly hasn’t worked in metal finishing. While it’s easy to get caught up in the appeal of cosmetic coatings, surface preparation is a critical step that is often overlooked and underappreciated. A primary reason for this common oversight is that when it’s done properly surface prep goes unnoticed, making it the hidden factor in product performance.

Proper surface preparation leads to two results: strong adhesion and flawless cosmetics. For a coating to effectively bond to metal, the surface must be mechanically or chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. At Lincoln Industries, this highly complex process is given considerable attention by experienced specialists who ensure the surface is clean and ready for coating application. Even a small trace of contaminant can have devastating results on the performance of a customer’s products. Constant testing and monitoring keep equipment and lines free of foreign substances that may cause costly scrap and delays. “Maintaining the ideal conditions for surface preparation is extremely difficult, but our process control ensures we can get the job done better than anyone else,” said Tom Pryor, Technology Development Manager at Lincoln Industries.

For products requiring a highly cosmetic finish, surface prep is less about what’s hidden and more about what’s ignored. Any finishing company can polish products when necessary, but how well they do it is the matter at hand. The tiniest pit or knick on the metal’s surface can become a glaring eyesore when the product is plated or coated. If even the smallest imperfections aren’t addressed during surface prep, all subsequent steps can essentially be rendered ineffective. Perfection in surface prep is the standard at Lincoln Industries, with advanced robotic polishing equipment and a team of experienced hand polishers who pay significant attention to detail.

Lincoln Industries’ Integrated Finishing Services philosophy stresses the importance of surface prep as a means to maximize the performance of customer products. The company understands the costly “downstream” effects of this step, and has invested in the best equipment, robust process controls and a knowledgeable, experienced team of talented people to provide customers with the highest quality products. As the hidden factor to most, surface prep is front and center at Lincoln Industries.