Quality isn't a promise.
It's a procedure —
and it's documented.
Every shop says it cares about quality. This page shows exactly how we verify it — the instruments, the tests, the documentation, and the process for handling a lot that doesn't pass. If you need a QA file for a customer or a project spec, the process that produces it is described here.
Real QC happens
on the floor,
not in the lab.
Most coating failures don't show up in final inspection. They start at intake, or in pretreatment, or in the first five minutes of cure. A coat that looks perfect at the QC bench can still delaminate six months later because the phosphate bath was off-spec when the part went through, or because the oven didn't hold temperature for the full dwell.
That's why our quality system is built around in-process verification, not just final inspection. Intake inspection catches defects before they enter the line. Pretreatment chemistry is logged at every bath. Cure cycles are recorded with time and temperature data. By the time a part reaches the QC bench, we already know its history — and QC is confirming what we expect, not discovering problems.
We operate under an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system. That means every process has a documented procedure, every measurement has a calibration schedule, and every deviation gets investigated and closed out. It's not glamorous, but it's the difference between quality that holds up across thousands of parts and quality that depends on who's running the shift.
Seven checks
on every lot.
These are the verifications we run on production work. Sample-based tests are run per ASTM standards with documented acceptance criteria.
Incoming inspection
Every lot · Visual + documentation
Parts photographed, logged, and inspected for dents, rust, weld spatter, and existing finish issues before entering the line. Any findings are communicated to the customer before coating begins.
Pretreatment chemistry
Continuous · Bath concentration + temperature
Phosphate bath concentration, temperature, and pH logged per run. Blast media condition checked daily. DI rinse water resistance measured continuously.
Wet film thickness
Per rack · Visual during application
Applied film thickness checked visually against target during application. Prevents expensive rework by catching over/under-application at the booth, not at the QC bench.
Cured film thickness
Per rack · PosiTector 6000 electronic gauge
Electronic dry-film gauge measurements at multiple points per rack. Readings logged against target range. Out-of-spec parts are stripped and recoated, not shipped.
Adhesion
Per lot · ASTM D3359 cross-hatch · ASTM D2794 impact
Sample parts from every lot go through adhesion testing. Cross-hatch and impact methods verify the coating has properly bonded to the substrate.
Gloss & color
Per lot · ASTM D523 gloss meter · Spectrophotometer
Gloss measured at 60°. Color verified against the retained reference sample from the approved production batch. ΔE held to specification (typically ≤ 2.0).
Masking integrity
Per lot · Visual + dimensional check
Every masked surface verified bare. Threads, bores, and mating faces checked for powder intrusion. Any residual silicone or tape adhesive removed before packing.
Instruments &
testing equipment.
Every measurement instrument in the lab is on a documented calibration schedule against NIST-traceable standards.
Film Thickness Gauges
PosiTector 6000 · multiple calibrated units
Electronic dry-film gauges for ferrous and non-ferrous substrates. Multiple units in service so a single instrument failure doesn't halt a production run. Calibrated monthly against reference standards.
Gloss Meter
60° angle · ASTM D523 compliant
Measures specular gloss at the industry-standard 60° angle. Used to verify gloss level against the customer specification and against the retained reference sample.
Spectrophotometer
Color measurement · ΔE reporting
Measures color values against retained reference samples. Reports ΔE — the numerical difference between the sample and the reference. Standard tolerance is ΔE ≤ 2.0 for architectural work.
Salt Spray Cabinet
ASTM B117 · up to 3,000 hr capability
In-house accelerated corrosion testing for system validation and customer-specified verification. Reports time to first red rust and time to 5% red rust.
Adhesion Test Kit
Cross-hatch · ASTM D3359 · Impact per D2794
Cutting tools and tape for cross-hatch adhesion testing, plus impact tester for impact-induced adhesion verification. Sample parts from every lot go through one or both methods.
Oven Data Loggers
Continuous cycle logging · NIST-traceable
Temperature/time data recorded for every cure cycle. Logs archived by lot number for a minimum of three years — available for customer QA files.
What ships
with your parts.
Every shipment includes a certificate of conformance and supporting documentation. The exact content depends on the job — architectural and OEM work gets a more extensive package than a small custom job.
If your QA file requires specific documentation beyond what's listed here, tell us at the RFQ stage. We can usually produce additional reports with no lead-time impact.
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Certificate of Conformance
Documents the specific coating system applied, powder manufacturer and batch number, substrate, film thickness target and measured values, and cure schedule. Signed by QC and referenced to the lot number.
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Film Thickness Report
Per-rack thickness readings with measurement locations, gauge used, and pass/fail against specification. Provided for every production lot.
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Cure Cycle Log
Time-in, time-to-temperature, dwell time, time-out, and peak temperature recorded for every oven cycle that included the parts. Available on request.
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Color Verification
For architectural and color-critical work, we include ΔE measurements against the approved reference sample. Standard architectural work includes this by default.
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Adhesion Test Results
Cross-hatch and impact test results on sample parts from the lot. Pass/fail documented per ASTM standard with photos when requested.
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Salt Spray Results
Not included by default on standard production lots — provided on request or for jobs where corrosion resistance is a specified requirement. Reported in hours to first rust and 5% rust.
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Calibration Records
Available on request for projects that require instrument calibration traceability. Documents the calibration date and standard for every measurement instrument used on the job.
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Material Certifications
Manufacturer data sheets for the specific powder used — VOC content, chemical resistance, UV stability, regulatory compliance (RoHS, REACH, etc.). Available on request.
How we handle
a rejected lot.
No process is perfect. What matters is what happens when something goes wrong — and whether the customer is protected.
-
01
Immediate hold
The lot is tagged and held in a segregated area. It does not leave the building. Production on that lot stops while the issue is investigated.
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02
Root cause investigation
We pull the process data — intake inspection, pretreat logs, oven logs, thickness readings, and operator notes — and identify the specific stage where the failure occurred.
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03
Customer notification
The customer is notified the same day with the specific issue and the specific rework plan. No guessing, no vague language. If the delay affects their schedule, we say so immediately.
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04
Strip and recoat
The lot is stripped back to bare metal, re-blasted, re-pretreated, and recoated from scratch. Patching is not an option — it doesn't work and it just creates a second failure down the line.
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05
Cost covered by us
Stripping, rework, and re-inspection are on our account. We don't invoice a customer for work that fails under our control. That's not generosity — that's what a warranty is for.
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06
Process correction
If the failure traces back to a process issue, we document the correction in our quality management system so it can't happen the same way again. This is the part of ISO 9001 that actually matters.
Quality Management System
Certified since 2015 and re-certified every cycle. Covers documented procedures, calibration schedules, nonconformance handling, corrective action, and internal audit. Certificate number available on request.
Approved Applicator
Approved applicator status for architectural PVDF and super-durable polyester systems. Required for curtain wall and exterior facade work on projects where the specification calls for 20-year color-retention warranty.
Michigan Business
Fully licensed and insured Michigan business. Current general liability and workers' compensation coverage. Insurance certificates available on request for customer project requirements.
Questions about
our quality process.
Can I get a copy of your ISO 9001 certificate?
Yes. Send us the request with the project or customer information and we'll provide a copy of the certificate along with the scope of registration. For OEM and architectural work, we can also provide our quality manual excerpt that documents the processes most relevant to coating work.
Do you provide first article inspection reports?
Yes, on request. For production runs where the customer wants pre-production approval, we run a first article through the full line and produce a detailed inspection report with all measurement data. Once approved, that first article becomes the reference for the production lot.
How long do you retain lot documentation?
Minimum three years for standard production. Architectural project documentation is retained for the duration of the warranty period — typically 20 years for AAMA 2605 work. If your project has specific retention requirements, tell us at the RFQ and we'll confirm.
What happens if my customer rejects a lot at their end?
Contact us immediately with photos and the specific defect. We'll investigate on our end using the retained lot documentation, and if the issue traces to our process, we'll recoat the parts at our cost. If the failure is from handling or use after delivery, we'll tell you honestly and quote a repair. Either way, you get a specific answer, not a vague one.
Do you offer PPAP or first-run capability studies?
We don't do full automotive PPAP packages, but we can provide the coating-related documentation that typically goes into them — CoC, thickness data, adhesion test results, salt spray results, and process capability data from production runs. If you're a Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier needing PPAP-level documentation from your coater, contact us to discuss specifics.
How do you handle customer-specified acceptance criteria?
If your drawing or specification defines acceptance criteria for thickness, color, gloss, adhesion, or any other parameter, we build that into the routing sheet for the job. Our QC checks against your spec, not our default. We'll flag any conflict between your spec and what's achievable before the job runs.
Can you provide test coupons with the shipment?
Yes. On request, we'll include test coupons coated alongside your production parts. Coupons allow you to run your own verification at receiving — bend test, impact test, thickness check, or solvent resistance — with confidence that the coupon represents the same coating as the parts. Free on request for production jobs.
What's your first-pass yield?
Our production first-pass yield runs above 97% across all job categories. The failures are almost always cosmetic — a sag, a small coverage gap, a contamination spot — not adhesion or cure problems. Any part that fails QC goes back through the full strip-and-recoat process, and no first-pass failure ships to a customer.
Tell us what
your QA file
needs to contain.
If you're specing us into a production contract or an architectural project with specific documentation requirements, send us the requirements. We'll confirm what we can provide and quote the job with documentation built in.