Surface finishing
Powder coat, anodize, plate — choosing by environment and substrate.
Surface finishing
Which sheet metal finishes can I order through WERIX?
Powder coating, anodizing (Type II and hard Type III), zinc plating, hot-dip galvanizing, passivation, electropolishing, brushing, bead blasting, chromate conversion and silk-screen printing. Finishing is carried out by long-standing licensed partner plants to our specification, inspected by us, and placed on the same purchase order — one order, one shipment, one point of accountability. See the full finishes overview.
Powder coating or anodizing — which should I specify?
Powder coat builds a 60–120 µm film and suits steel and aluminium where colour matching and texture matter. Anodizing is an aluminium-only conversion layer of 5–25 µm that keeps the metal look and barely changes dimensions, so it is the better choice for tight-tolerance aluminium parts and wear surfaces. Steel parts cannot be anodized.
What coating thickness and salt-spray performance can you hold?
Standard polyester powder coat runs 60–120 µm with 500–1,000 hours salt spray depending on pretreatment; hot-dip galvanizing gives a zinc layer of 70 µm or more; Type II anodizing is 10–25 µm. Thickness is measured and recorded per batch, and readings can be supplied with the shipment.
Which finishes are suitable for outdoor use?
Outdoor polyester powder coat over phosphate pretreatment, hot-dip galvanizing, and Type II anodizing with UV-stable sealing all perform outdoors. Matte or textured surfaces hide handling marks better than gloss, which matters once parts are stored on site before installation.
Can you match a specific RAL or Pantone colour?
Yes. RAL is standard and matched against a retained sample; Pantone references are matched to the closest powder equivalent. We keep a retained panel for each project so a repeat order years later still matches the original shipment.
Which metal finish is best for outdoor use?
Outdoor polyester powder coat over phosphate pretreatment, hot-dip galvanizing, and Type II anodizing with UV-stable sealing all perform outdoors. Matte or textured surfaces hide handling marks. Compare options in the powder vs anodizing guide guide.
Can WERIX match a RAL or Pantone colour?
Yes. RAL is standard and matched against a retained sample; Pantone is matched to the closest powder equivalent, and we keep a retained panel per project so repeat orders match years later. See the powder coating page for the process and batch notes.
What finish should I specify for aluminium?
Anodizing keeps aluminium's metallic look and changes dimensions only 5-25 um, so it suits tight-tolerance and wear surfaces; powder coating gives thicker colour protection but hides the substrate. The choice depends on fit and appearance - our anodizing guide explains both.
Do you offer laser engraving on finished parts?
Yes. Laser engraving marks logos, serials and part numbers directly on the metal or on a coated surface, with no ink to wear off - useful for traceability and branding. Send the artwork and we will confirm mark depth and contrast on your finish.
Powder coating, anodizing or zinc plating — which lasts longest outdoors?
For steel outdoors, hot-dip galvanizing (45–200 µm zinc, 1,000–2,000 h salt spray) under a powder topcoat is the most durable because the zinc protects sheared edges the coating cannot reach. For aluminium, Type II anodizing with UV-stable sealing (10–25 µm) performs well and keeps the metal look. Powder coat alone (60–120 µm, 400–1,000 h) is the colour and texture choice but relies on the substrate. Compare the options in our powder vs anodizing guide.
Can you combine two finishes on one part?
Yes. Common combinations are anodizing with laser engraving for part numbers, powder coating with masked threads or mating faces left bare, and zinc plating with a clear passivation for cosmetic fasteners. Tell us which surfaces must stay uncoated and we mask them before finishing. See the powder coating and anodizing process pages for what each process covers.
Powder coating or liquid (wet) paint — which should I specify?
Powder coating is the default for sheet metal: it builds a uniform 60–120 µm film with no solvent, resists chipping better than wet paint, and the overspray is reclaimed, so it is also the greener choice. Liquid (wet) paint is reserved where a specific automotive or appliance spec demands it, or for touch-up and very large parts that will not fit the cure oven. Both are applied by our licensed partner plants to specification and inspected by us. Compare powder with anodizing in our powder vs anodizing guide.
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