Protect steel, concrete and equipment for longer.
Aluminum smelters, power stations, paper mills, mines, fabrication shops, municipalities: in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, surfaces work hard. MMA helps you choose a coating system that fits the real environment, the surface prep possible on site and the return-to-service deadline.
Systems for every kind of attack
The coating families we can help you choose from. Availability of each system is confirmed project by project.
Zinc-rich primers
Zinc sacrifices itself instead of the steel: a scratch does not let rust creep under the paint. The base of high-durability systems.
Epoxies
A thick, strongly adhering barrier against water and chemicals, often in one coat. The intermediate coat of three-coat systems.
Surface-tolerant epoxy mastics
For maintenance when abrasive blasting is not possible: they go on tool-cleaned steel. Less production downtime.
Aliphatic polyurethanes
A topcoat that keeps its colour and gloss in the sun and is easy to clean. Your corporate colours stay yours.
Polysiloxanes
Superior gloss and colour retention. One coat can often replace intermediate and topcoat; some formulas are isocyanate-free.
Fast return to service
Fast-curing systems that can be applied in cold weather, often direct to metal: back in service the same day.
High heat
For stacks, ducts, ovens and hot equipment above 204 °C, without blistering or flaking.
Tanks and immersion
Linings for continuous immersion: water, chemicals, fuel. Potable water certifications where needed.
Intumescent fireproofing
A thin coating that swells in a fire and insulates structural steel, with a clean appearance.
Floors
Epoxy, urethane and fast systems for concrete: resistance to abrasion, forklifts and oils; line marking and non-slip.
To prep, apply and stay protected
Surface prep
Abrasive discs and sheets, non-wovens, grinding, degreasers and small blasting equipment.
Rust control and touch-up
Rust removers, rust converters and touch-up primers, also in aerosol.
Application
Spray guns, tips and parts, cups, paint strainers and gun cleaning.
Compressed air
Filters, dryers, regulators, hoses and fittings.
Respiratory protection
Cartridge respirators, powered air-purifying and supplied-air systems.
Protective equipment
Gloves, coveralls, eye, face and hearing protection.
Local industries and what they put surfaces through
Aluminum
Aggressive industrial atmosphere, abrasive dust, heat in potrooms and casting centres.
Hydroelectricity
Immersion, moving water, abrasion and ice on gates, penstocks and trash racks; condensation inside the stations.
Forestry, sawmills, pulp and paper
Constant humidity and steam, process chemicals, chip abrasion, machinery outdoors all year.
Mining
Severe abrasion and impact on crushers, conveyors and buckets; underground humidity; acidic water.
Metal fabrication
Customers who require systems that meet their specs, and parts that must ship fast.
Municipalities
Drinking water and wastewater, chlorine, de-icing salt in garages, arena and shop floors.
Start from the right environment: ISO 12944
ISO 12944 classifies environments by how corrosive they are to steel. The system (primer, intermediate, topcoat and thicknesses) is chosen from this category and the service life wanted before the first major maintenance.
| Category | Corrosivity | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Very low | Heated, dry interiors |
| C2 | Low | Unheated buildings with condensation, rural areas |
| C3 | Medium | Urban or moderate industrial areas, food plants |
| C4 | High | Industrial areas, chemical plants, swimming pools |
| C5 | Very high | Humid, aggressive industrial areas, near-constant condensation |
| CX | Extreme | Extreme industrial, offshore |
ISO 12944 durability ranges: low (up to 7 years), medium (7 to 15), high (15 to 25), very high (over 25). This is the time before the first major maintenance, not a warranty.
What makes a system last
- Defined surface preparation that fits the job (SSPC / AMPP and ISO 8501-1 standards), from tool cleaning to abrasive blasting.
- The right dry film thickness, measured: too thin and protection is lost; too thick and you risk cracking and trapped solvent.
- Compatible coats, applied within the temperature and humidity range of the technical data sheet.
- Products within the VOC limits of SOR/2009-264 and up-to-date WHMIS 2015 safety data sheets.
- Isocyanate-free options when the site wants to avoid that risk for its workers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose the right system for my structure?
We start from the environment (ISO 12944 corrosivity category, immersion or not), the service life wanted before the first major maintenance, the surface prep possible on site and the site constraints: temperature, return-to-service deadline, work in a running plant. The system and its thicknesses follow from these.
Why a zinc-rich primer?
Zinc corrodes instead of the steel, like galvanizing. A scratch therefore does not let rust spread under the film. It is the base of high-durability systems in industrial or salty environments.
Can I repaint without blasting to white metal?
Often, yes: surface-tolerant epoxy mastics are designed for hand- or power-tool-cleaned steel. Durability is still higher after abrasive blasting, but maintenance without shutting production down becomes possible.
What thickness should I apply?
The one in the spec and the technical data sheet, measured as dry film thickness (µm or mils). As an example, a common system for a C4 environment is about 200 µm in three coats.
Do you have solutions to get a facility back in service quickly?
Yes: some systems cure much faster than conventional urethanes, even on cold steel, and a single coat can replace a two-coat system in low to medium corrosivity environments.
What do you offer for hot surfaces?
High-heat coatings designed for continuous or intermittent exposure above 204 °C: stacks, ducts, ovens, process equipment.
And to protect steel against fire?
Intumescent coatings swell under heat and insulate the steel. The thickness depends on the section and the fire-resistance rating required (CAN/ULC-S101 test).
Do your products meet VOC and health and safety rules?
Industrial maintenance coatings applied on site fall under SOR/2009-264. Every product comes with its WHMIS 2015 safety data sheet. For isocyanate products, worker exposure must be kept as low as possible: isocyanate-free options exist.
Tell us about your project
The surface, the environment, the prep possible, the service life you want and your site constraints: we will propose a system.