Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do I need to provide to get a quote?

   Answer: Prints, coating specifications, and quantities per lot/ annual, masking requirements.

2. What is the largest part that you can coat?

   Answer: Liquid Coat – 40' x 14'
                    Powder Coat – 5' x 3' (hangable)

3. What quantities of parts are ideal for you?

   Answer: We are a high production shop, so 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 pieces are great, however, we are still a job shop, and lower quantities of larger parts work too. We do not do individual parts such as bicycle frames, lawn furniture, rims, etc. Commercial prototypes are no problem.

4. How fast can you turn around my parts?

   Answer: It depends, typically we quote a 5 day turnaround, but if we have coating material in stock we have turned parts in 24 hours. This is not typical, but we try to help when possible.

5. Do you pick up and deliver?

   Answer: Yes, we have 2 24 foot box trucks and typically we can pick up and deliver within a 1 hour radius of our facility, however please contact us to determine our capabilities/capacity.

6. Do you coat “class A” finish (automotive, appliance grade, etc)?

   Answer: NO, we are a commercial grade coater

7. How do you determine your price?

   Answer: All jobs have exceptions, but typically we determine how many parts per hour, part density, part spacing, material cost, weight, cleaning specifications, masking requirements, and packaging.

8. What is CARC Paint?  

   I would like to know who actually makes CARC.  I am not so much interested in the paint as I am in the actual coating if there exists such a thing. I am doing some research for school and I can't find anywhere whether CARC is a chemical that is added to paints only or if you can use it by itself. I heard that it is usually green and can be used in lab testing. Any and all information you could give me regarding this topic would be very helpful.                                                                                                                                                                  Answer: CARC stands for Chemical Agent Resistant Coating. These are paints (coatings) that are intended to withstand the harsh chemicals that are used to wash down military equipment that has been exposed to a chemical warfare agent,such as nerve gas. The coatings must withstand the corrosive nature of the decontaminating chemicals (predominantly solvents). Apparently, the actual chemical warfare agents do not attack the coatings.                                                                                                           

   A CARC coating is usually an epoxy or polyurethane that is so resistant to decontaminating chemicals that if military equipment were to come into contact with a chemical warfare agent, the troops could take the equipment out of the battle field and washes it down with the strong solvents to remove the chemical agent. Coatings that are not resistant to the decontaminating solvents will tend to soften and become a mess, thus putting the soldiers at risk of touching the chemical agent. Even a drop of a chemical agent that comes into contact with a soldier's skin can kill.  

   Nothing is added to epoxy and polyurethane coatings to make them resistant to the decontaminants. On the other hand, a paint manufacturer who wishes to sell a coating as a CARC coating must formulate it so that it will have sufficient resistance.

   There are only a few laboratories in the country that can test the coatings to see if they are resistant to the strong decontaminating solvents, (not the chemical warfare agent itself.) One of these labs is at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

   While green is one of the most common camouflage colors used by the US military, color in and of itself is not at issue here. Epoxies and polyurethanes that are colored brown, white, black and other camouflage colors used by the military also must meet the CARC requirements.