The beauty of wood is widely known by the unique character that gives it an unmatched look. In order to keep our wood ceiling products looking their best for years to come, our team uses specialized equipment in our finishing process to apply long-lasting finishes that both protect material and highlight its natural characteristics.
What Type of Machine Do We Use in Our Finishing Process?
We use a flat line finishing machine to apply coatings evenly and consistently to all materials that pass through. All parts are spaced to ensure that the secondary surfaces, such as the sides and the ends, are covered completely.
As the machine applies finish to the wood, the two reciprocating spray heads move across the material at a constant rate so that the wet edge is maintained, ensuring that the finish is able to self-level. This is especially important for stains to ensure consistent color application but also an even coat for protection.
How Does the Finish Dry?
After each pass through the spray booth, the material enters a series of linear ovens. The finishes are dried during this run and can be returned to the loading table directly for the next coat. After the first pass, the finish is apparent on the secondary surfaces, but further runs are required to completely cover the area.
Upon returning to the front of the machine, the materials are flipped to coat the backs of all the parts. This ensures true 6-sided finish coverage and provides the secondary surfaces with that required finish build.
How Many Passes Does Each Product Get?
The process then repeats until the material has received the proper number of coatings up through that final topcoat. Each product has a different number of coatings, depending on the primary surfaces. In general, all products receive four passes through the machine: two passes that seal the entirety of the material and two passes as the final topcoat.
Adding customizations, such as a stain or an exterior with higher exposure to the elements, can add up to two additional passes.
As the process completes, the finish build becomes very apparent. These parts show the difference and the importance of applying each layer to achieve complete coverage on the finish surface. The topcoated parts are now well protected and ready for final assembly or packaging.
Read Next: How do our stains compare to our competitors?
How Can Our Finishing Process Serve You?
If you’d like to learn more about the 9Wood finishing process and the options that are available to you, there are a few videos on the learning center that you should check out. Otherwise please send us a message or give us a call, and someone will get in touch with you directly to talk about your project specifics.
Thank you for watching and see you next time.