WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A newly installed aluminum extrusion powder coat paint line will allow Windsor Windows and Doors to paint its aluminum cladding in-house, as well as offer its customers more color choices in a more durable finish.
Windsor installed the fully automated state-of-the-art powder spray system at its West Des Moines manufacturing facility over the course of three months. Now fully operational, the equipment has prompted Windsor to expand its standard paint palette from seven to 22 colors, supplemented with 20 so-called feature colors that include eye-catching design options like deep maroon Boysenberry and tawny orange Burnt Pumpkin. It’s also added custom color matching capabilities.
Windsor offers this new powder coat paint on Pinnacle and Legend HBR windows and patio doors, a hybrid that combines clad/wood sash with a cellular PVC frame.
The new powder spray system is an apt metaphor for the Windsor business in 2014, President Mark Rieser said. “This investment in our West Des Moines manufacturing facility, the environmental and economic efficiencies of the new paint system, and even the bold color scheme of our expanded product offerings all speak to our optimism for the future. We’ve survived a very difficult recession, and we’ve come out on the other side even more committed to growth and innovation.”
Best known for its industrial and automotive uses, powder coating is growing in the architectural market, where it is valued for its combination of decoration and protection. Powder coatings are more durable, scratch-resistant and fade less than conventional liquid paint. Electrostatic charged powder particles yield a higher buildup of the final solid film on profile corners of completed windows and patio doors for added strength.
Powder coating also qualifies as a green technology that is safer than conventional “wet paint.” Powder particles that are heat cured to adhere to the aluminum surface require no solvent, so no volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are released into the air. Up to 95 percent of the fine powder that does not stick to the aluminum extrusion can be filtered and reused, and reverse osmosis water used throughout the process is easily neutralized and safely discharged.
Aluminum extrusions are loaded onto the conveyor, washed and treated before the powder coating can begin. In the spray booth, fine powder is given a negative charge that attracts it to the aluminum and adheres it to the surface. The coated extrusions then travel through an oven and are baked for 20 minutes at 425 degrees to transform the powder into a smooth, uniform film that hardens to an extremely durable finish. Painted extrusions come out of the oven fully cured, and ready to assemble into windows and patio doors.
Windsor backs this more durable powder coat surface on aluminum cladding with a 20-year warranty in both standard and feature colors on the AAMA 2604 finish. A 30-year warranty is available on aluminum cladding orders with the optional AAMA 2605 finish.
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Note to editors:
Art of the newly expanded palette of powder coat finish colors available from Windsor Windows and Doors is available at: http://email.altstudios.com/pr/windsor/2014-paint-colors.jpg
About Windsor Windows & Doors
Established in 1946, Windsor Windows & Doors markets Pinnacle wood windows and patio doors, Next Dimension vinyl windows and patio doors, and Legend cellular PVC windows. Windsor is owned by Woodgrain Millwork, which is the largest U.S. manufacturer of prefinished mouldings and interior pine doors. Windsor operates its divisional headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa, and has an additional manufacturing facility in Monroe, N.C. In their total commitment to customers, Windsor Windows promises quality, service, responsiveness and value. For more information, visit www.windsorwindows.com.