Painting & Wet Painting Explained: CNC Machining Surface Finishing Guide

Painting is not only the form of art but also an important surface finishing method for machined components, which can alter the appearance and properties. What is painting? How is painting done in CNC machining? In this surface finishing guide, we’ll introduce the painting definition, types, applications, process and more.

 

what  is Process?

Similar to powder coating, painting is an adding or altering surface finishing after CNC machining process, refers to applying paint, pigment, or color to a solid surface, and can be done on metal or non-metal CNC machined components of any shapes. Painting can add a colored protective layer on the surface of the final part. Wet painting is a traditional painting method, which sprays any water-based or solvent-based paints or pigments onto the machined parts used in medical, aerospace, defensive, and commercial industries.

 

Painting Process

The paint is atomized transform into small droplets by external force or high-pressure compression, and then will be delivered to the items that requires painting. When the liquid paint is blasted onto the surface evenly with the required thickness, the painting process ends. It can be replaced by airless spraying, hot spraying and hot airless spraying, but all of them include electrostatic spraying, various electrostatic methods can be chosen.

 

Types of Paint

The best paint for metal surface finishing are oil or enamel-based paints, there are varying types of paints for metal surfaces, including standard primers, specialty paints, etc. Here are some commonly used paints for spray painting for metals.
– Standard primers: white, grey, red oxide or high build
– Specialty paints: heat resistant paint
– Finish: matte or gloss finish, textured finish, metallic finish
– Others: Oil paint, Cement paint and limewash, Acrylic and Latex, Emulsion paint, Dry distemper

 

Painting Applications

Spray painting is popular in multiple industries, you can apply the paint on wood surface, iron and steel surface, plastered surfaces, metals, treated surfaces like galvanized parts, as well as repainting when needed.