The Finishing Touch: Arnette’s Shot Blasting & Painting for Power Components

At Arnette Pattern Company in Granite City, IL, we don’t just build power industry components—we finish them to last. Our in-house shot blasting and industrial painting services transform raw, welded transformer tanks, internal frame kits, and generator end bells into field-ready assets built to endure decades of weather, voltage, and wear.

From precision steel shot blasting to multi-coat micropoxy systems, every step is controlled under one roof across our two facilities. This isn’t an afterthought—it’s the final layer of quality that keeps utilities coming back.

Why Steel Shot Blasting Beats Sandblasting—Every Time

We use high-performance steel shot blast systems, not outdated sand media—and the difference is night and day.

Steel shot blasting offers several clear advantages:

• Reusable media with 10x or greater cycle life, unlike single-use sand that creates high waste.
• Cleaner workspace, with minimal dust and easy containment compared to the silica hazards and messy cleanup of sandblasting.
• Consistent profile, delivering an SP-10 near-white finish every time, while sand degrades and produces variable results.
• Faster throughput thanks to automated wheel blast systems, whereas sandblasting is slower and more labor-intensive.

Our wheelabrator-style blast booths hurl precision-grade steel shot at welded surfaces, stripping away mill scale, weld spatter, and contaminants in minutes. The result is a uniform anchor profile—typically 2.0–3.0 mils—that ensures maximum paint adhesion, critical for transformer tanks exposed to rain, UV, and thermal cycling.

And because our media is recyclable, we reduce waste, lower costs, and keep the shop floor clean—no silica dust, no disposal headaches.

The Painting Process: Precision, Protection, and Pride

Once blasted, components enter our climate-controlled paint booths, where every stage is executed for performance and perfection.

1. Pre-Clean: MEK Wipe-Down (Safety First)

Every surface is hand-wiped with MEK solvent to remove oils, grease, and residual blast media.

• PPE is mandatory: full-face respirators, nitrile gloves, Tyvek suits, and proper ventilation protect our team from MEK’s aggressive vapors.
• Why it matters: one missed spot can cause adhesion failure. Every weld, corner, and flange is inspected before paint touches steel.

2. Primer: White Micropoxy Base Coat

The primer is applied using air-assisted pressure pots for even coverage and minimal overspray.

• High-build micropoxy primer fills minor imperfections and creates a durable, chemical-resistant barrier.
• Cures to a smooth, high-adhesion foundation, essential for long-term corrosion protection.

3. Top Coat: Thin-Film Grey Polyurethane

The final layer is a thin-film polyurethane top coat applied at 2–3 mils DFT in utility-grade grey that matches OEM specifications while minimizing material weight.

• Applied top-down, wet-on-wet to prevent runs, sags, or orange peel.
• Our painters control gun distance, fan pattern, and overlap with surgical precision for a flawless finish.

Pro Tip: Overspray equals rework. Every technician is trained in fluid pressure, air cap selection, and trigger control to ensure no drips—and no callbacks.

Built for the Field: Durability + Aesthetics

These aren’t showpieces—they’re substation workhorses. That’s why we obsess over:

• Mill thickness compliance, verified with Elcometer DFT gauges.
• Salt spray resistance exceeding 1,000 hours per ASTM B117.
• UV stability with no chalking or fading for 10+ years.
• Visual appeal, including clean lines, no runs, and no holidays.

A transformer tank rolling off our line in Granite City looks factory-fresh on day one—and stays that way through Midwest winters and Southern summers.

Why In-House Finishing Wins for Power OEMs

Choosing Arnette’s in-house finishing means better quality, speed, and accountability:

• Full traceability with one PO and one partner—no vendor mix-ups or finger-pointing.
• 48-hour turnaround post-weld, compared to typical 1–3 week outsourced lead times.
• Zero transport damage—no scratches, dings, or freight claims.
• Custom color matching, not limited to standard paint options.

From waterjet-cut plates to painted, crated, and ready-to-install assemblies, we control every mil, every minute, every detail.

The Final Word: Finishing Isn’t Optional—It’s Legacy

At Arnette Pattern Company, shot blasting and painting aren’t the last steps—they’re the lasting impression.

A perfectly welded frame kit means nothing if the finish fails in year five. That’s why we invest in steel shot systems, micropoxy coatings, and skilled painters who treat every transformer tank like it’s powering their own hometown.

Because in the power industry, the finish isn’t just skin deep—it’s survival.