Coil and Extrusion Coatings

By George R. Pilcher

Coil and extrusion coatings comprise an extremely important component of the U.S. paint and coatings industry. Even though they do not constitute a market segment, as such, coil and extrusion coatings are second in value only to the automotive segment among all OEM finishes. In 2010 alone, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the U.S. market for coil coatings was 36.5 million gallons, valued at $712 million. Although traditionally referred to in the industry as “Coil and Extrusion Coatings,” the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Industrial Report (CIR) MA325F, collects data for this segment under the category entitled “Metal Building Product Finishes including Coatings for Aluminum Extrusions and Siding.”

These coatings are factory-applied under controlled conditions by professional coil, sheet, strip, and extrusion coaters to metallic substrates. Coil coating involves rollcoating flat metal that will be post-formed after the coating has been applied and cured, and extrusion coating involves spray coating either pre-formed parts or flat sheets that will normally be used in that state. Following coil coating, the metals (generally steel and aluminum) are typically put through a forming process that bends and draws the coated metal into the appropriate shape for the intended end-use, with little or no cracking of the coating visible to the naked eye.

The principal end-use for coil-coated (“pre-coated”) metal is the construction industry, for sidewalls and roofing, but coil-coated metal also plays a vital role in the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning), entry and garage door, and appliance market segments. Minor applications for coil-coated metal also include the transportation and general metal market segments. End-uses in the latter segment are almost unlimited, from lunch boxes to waste containers, and are generally not tracked by anyone in the industry.

Spray-coated extruded metal and flat sheet are used almost exclusively in the construction industry for window and door frames, facia, trim, curtain wall, etc. Although there are additional uses for coil- and sheet-coated metal in the manufacture of metal container end caps and food cans, they are classified differently by the U.S. Census—and by the industry at large—and are therefore not discussed in this article.

In 2011, the American Coatings Association (ACA) partnered with The ChemQuest Group, Inc., the global strategic management consulting firm, to prepare an update to ACA’s U.S. Paint & Coatings Industry Market Analysis, covering the years 2010 to 2015. This article examines the coil and extrusion coatings area—just one market segment that is detailed in the publication.