Powder coating for Ogden machine shops and aerospace suppliers
Proper Powder Coating Co. in Uintah, Utah (just outside Ogden) provides powder coating for Ogden machine shops and aerospace suppliers near Hill Air Force Base, finishing spec-driven small parts with precise masking of threads, bores and mating faces. Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days with no minimums. Certificates of conformance and process records are available on request.
Quick facts
- Location
- Uintah, UT (Ogden area)
- Turnaround
- 2–3 business days. Rush when the schedule allows.
- Max part size
- 20 × 10 × 10 ft
- Typical parts
- Machined brackets, housings, panels, fixtures, covers
- Minimums
- None
Spec-driven work for the shops around Hill
The machine shops between Ogden and Layton make parts that go to a drawing, and the drawing usually says something about the finish: a color, a gloss, a film range, a list of surfaces that must stay bare. Our job is to do exactly what the print says and to tell you before we coat if the print cannot be met. That covers a large share of the work coming out of the Hill Air Force Base supply chain and the commercial shops around it.
We run spec-driven small parts through the same process as everything else, just with less tolerance for guessing. It is described on our powder coating page. What changes is paperwork, masking and measurement.
Prep, masking and film build on machined parts
Machined aluminum does not get the blast a trailer frame gets. Aggressive media on a finished 6061 bracket moves edges and ruins tolerances. Aluminum gets a light, controlled profile where the print allows it, or none, followed by aluminum-appropriate pretreatment rather than the phosphate we use on steel. Steel parts get media blasting and phosphate as usual. Castings get outgassed in the oven before coating, so trapped gases leave before the powder goes on instead of through it.
Masking is most of the job on machined parts. Threads get silicone plugs, bores get caps, bearing seats and mating faces get high-temperature tape cut to the edge. Grounding points get masked so the part still grounds. If the drawing is silent on a feature that obviously should stay bare, we call. Threads kept clean means nobody at assembly is chasing taps through powder.
Film build matters on machined parts because a typical single coat runs 2 to 4 mils, and 4 mils in a slip-fit bore is a problem. We gauge film on every job with a stated range and record the readings. Parts that need thinner film than a standard powder allows are discussed before quoting, not discovered at inspection.
- Aluminum: light or no blast, aluminum pretreatment.
- Castings: outgassed before coating.
- Threads plugged, bores capped, faces taped to the edge.
- Film build gauged and recorded against the print.
- Silent drawing, obvious feature: we call before coating.
Certs, records and what we do not claim
On request, each job can ship with a certificate of conformance stating what was done to the parts, the powder manufacturer and product code, the powder lot number, cure temperature and time, and film build readings. Most shops need that paperwork to close out their own traveler. We would rather give it to you than have you ask twice.
We do not claim certifications we do not hold. If your purchase order flows down a specific quality-system or special-process approval, send the flow-down with the quote request and we will tell you plainly whether we are the right shop for that part. For work that does not carry those requirements, which is most bracket and housing work, we are a close, fast option. Colors called out by federal standard or RAL number go through color matching and are saved by part number.
How ordering works for machine shops
Send the drawing with the finish callout, quantity and due date. We quote the same business day and flag any feature we have questions about before we quote, not after. Standard turnaround is 2–3 business days. Rush is available when the schedule allows. Repeat part numbers get saved specs and standing pricing, and shops shipping steady volume often move to scheduled runs under our OEM production setup.
Most of this work comes from Ogden and Layton, close enough to drop off a tote between setups. Parts come back counted, bagged or separated by part number, and packed so machined faces do not touch. Repeat accounts can get pickup and delivery on scheduled routes. Ask, or send the print through the quote form. Fab shops feeding the same customers may also want our fabrication shop page.
Parts we see
- 6061 and 7075 aluminum brackets
- Machined housings and electronics enclosures
- Ground support equipment panels and frames
- Fixtures, tooling plates and test stands
- Instrument covers and bezels
- Cast aluminum and cast iron housings
- Steel mounting plates and weldments
- Small-lot prototype and first-run parts
Finishes we recommend
- Fine-texture or matte black on aluminum brackets and enclosures, per drawing
- Color to a federal standard or RAL number called out on the print
- Film build held to the mil range on the drawing, gauged and recorded
- Aluminum-specific pretreatment in place of steel phosphate
- Outgassed castings with an outgassing-forgiving powder or primer
- Masked threads, bores, bearing seats and grounding points per print
Threads come back clean. Bores come back on size. Nobody has to chase anything, including you.
Services for this work
Nearest service areas
Machine shops & aerospace: questions
Straight answers. The full list covers cost, durability, substrates, minimums, and pickup.
All questions →Can you provide a certificate of conformance with each job?
Yes, on request. The certificate lists the parts and quantity, the process performed, powder manufacturer and product code, powder lot number, cure temperature and time, and film build readings where a range is specified. Ask for it on the purchase order or quote request so it ships with the parts and not a week later by email.
Are you AS9100 or NADCAP certified?
We do not claim either. If your purchase order flows down a quality-system registration or special-process approval, send the flow-down with your quote request and we will tell you directly whether we can accept that work. For the many machined parts that only call out color, gloss, film range and masking, we coat to the print and document it.
How thick is the powder coat on a machined part?
A typical single coat is 2 to 4 mils, or roughly 0.002 to 0.004 inches. That is thick enough to matter in a slip fit or a tapped hole, which is why those features are masked. If your drawing specifies a film range, we gauge parts against it and record the readings. Tighter ranges than standard powder allows are discussed before quoting.
How do you keep threads clean during coating?
Threads are plugged with high-temperature silicone plugs sized to the hole before coating, and external threads are capped or taped. The plugs come out after cure, leaving clean threads that do not need chasing. Mark every threaded feature on the drawing. If a thread looks like it should stay bare and the print says nothing, we call first.
Can you powder coat cast aluminum housings without pinholes?
Usually, yes. Castings hold gas in their porosity that escapes during cure and leaves pinholes. We outgas castings by heating them above cure temperature before coating, and use an outgassing-forgiving powder or primer where needed. Very porous castings may still show a few pinholes, and we will tell you if a part looks like one of those before coating it.
Send us the part.
Dimensions, quantity, color, when you need it. We'll quote it today.Dimensions, quantity, color, when you need it. A photo helps. We'll quote it today.