Coil in the architectural market
The architectural market is the largest customer for coil — typically amounting to around 60% of the area sold.
The market includes:
- Roofing and siding
- Facings
- Drainpipes
- Doors and surrounds
- False ceilings
- Roller shutters
Coated coil can be used as an extremely practical and functional solution in a wide range of situations – from farms to factories, from stations to stadiums.
It can also bring drama and excitement to offices, hotels, TV towers — generating eye-catching form for prestige projects.
Beckers coil coatings add durability to any design.
They can also add clever functions to surfaces: visual, tactile, low slip, high slip, thermal reflectivity, anti-bacterial, food safe, abrasion resistant, dirt shedding, easy cleaning, anti-graffiti and more.
A wide range of coating types is used.
- For exterior applications coatings are formulated for corrosion resistance, colour stability and durability, according to the particular type of environment in which they will be used — coatings for hot, sunny locations will require particularly good UV resistance, while coatings for the Atlantic coastline will need excellent corrosion resistance. Roofing typically is exposed to more UV radiation and more extreme thermal cycling.
- For interior applications, coatings requirements can be highly specialised: foam adhesion is important for composite panels.
Coating formulations can often be very specific to each area of end-use. As well as ensuring the best weathering performance for the proposed environment, “clever surfaces” are often required, to provide properties such as:
- Visual — stunning metallics or pearlescents
- Tactile — fine surface structure produced by the paint itself, heavier structure through embossing the paint or very strong structure through embossing paint and metal
- Low slip — often required for roofs and walkways
- High slip — may be required for packaging applications, to allow easy, controlled handling on packaging lines
- Anti-bacterial — to reduce and control surface microbial activity
- Food safe — where unpackaged food may come in contact – or where animals may be housed
- Abrasion resistant — important for roller shutters, or where dust storms are possible
- Dirt shedding, easy cleaning — coil coated buildings should be cleaned regularly to maximise their life, but schedules can be extended
- Thermal reflectivity — the importance of using light colours on roofs exposed to high levels of radiation has been known for many years.
Specific coating types include:
- Polyester: this is the most commonly-used system for internal and external applications, and is increasingly used in combination with polyurethane resins. Increased understanding of the mechanics of breakdown at the molecular level has enabled the performance of polyesters to be steadily improved. Polyesters have now almost completely replaced silicone polyesters, and the latest "superdurable" polyesters are challenging the lower qualities of PVdF.
- PVdF: polyvinylidene di-fluoride/acrylic systems are for high-performance external applications, especially where UV resistance is paramount.
- PVC plastisol: used in marine and other environments where corrosion resistance is a prime requirement.