By Mike Manetta, Target Account Executive
As a purchasing manager or plant supervisor, you have to answer to a lot of people. Pleasing your boss means keeping the cost down, while pleasing the guys on the line means finding the coating that will get the job done right the first time. Sometimes finding the right coating at the right price means purchasing coatings from different paint manufacturers for the same part. Granted, this might seem like a great way to keep everyone happy, but that’s until something goes wrong.
Who’s responsible?
The big question that arises when purchasing your primer and topcoat from different paint manufacturers is who to turn to when there is an issue with the coating. While it is certainly true that you can determine the compatibility of the two coatings prior to purchasing, changes in the environment such as temperature or atmospheric conditions can cause unforeseen problems to occur.
He said, she said
I once dealt with a company that purchased a primer and a topcoat from different manufacturers. Things were running smoothly for a while, until one day the paint started blistering. When the company turned to the topcoat manufacturer, they were told that it was a problem with the primer and to contact the primer manufacturer. When they contacted the primer manufacturer, they were told it was an issue with the topcoat.
With both manufacturers pointing the finger at each other, the company was left to figure it out on its own. Not only did the company lose time holding up the line, but it also lost time investigating who to turn to for a solution, resulting in a costlier issue than it should have been.
Prevent the finger pointing
There are just too many variables to consider when using two different manufacturers for your primer and topcoat. The safest choice is to always go with one manufacturer’s system. That’s how we handle things at Accessa, encouraging customers to test at least two different manufacturers’ systems before deciding on one so they can rest assured knowing they have the right system for the job.
Contact me at 317-879-2055 if you are using a “mixed system” so we can help you avoid this potential pitfall.