Metal Control Solutions for the Paints and Coatings Industries
Contamination from metal fines can compromise color quality, consistency, surface finish, and shelf stability in paints and coatings production. Common sources of metal contamination include:
- Raw material impurities (pigments, powders, resins)
- Equipment wear (from mixers, mills, pumps)
- Recycled materials (returned coatings, solids reclaim)
- Corrosive or abrasive process conditions
MPI’s solutions capture ferrous and weakly magnetic particles in dry powder and liquid slurry applications. They protect high-shear equipment, maintain product integrity, and ensure regulatory compliance for architectural, automotive, industrial, or specialty coatings.
| Process Stage | MPI Product | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Raw pigment/filler intake | Drawer magnet, plate magnet | Remove tramp metal from powders before blending |
| Pneumatic transfer | Pneumatic drawer magnet | Inline cleaning of metal fines in pigment powder transfer |
| Dispersion & mixing | Liquid trap magnet | Protect mills, pumps, and ensure uniform paste quality |
| Pre-packaging inspection | Wedge trap or self-cleaning liquid magnet | Final stage magnetic filtration before drum or can filling |
| Batch rework or return feed | Drawer or liquid magnet | Ensure clean return of used or recycled coating material |
MPI’s magnetic separation products help coatings manufacturers achieve:
- Defect-free finishes and stable dispersions.
- Protection of sensitive equipment and formulations.
- Contamination control across dry and wet phases.
- Compliance with product specs for high-end or industrial coatings.
- Increased production uptime and fewer quality rejections.
Whether you're producing architectural paint, industrial coatings, inks, or automotive finishes, MPI ensures that every batch stays clean, compliant, and consistent.
Turnkey Solutions for Paints and Coatings Industry From Magnetic Products, Inc
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Protects High-Precision Equipment
MPI magnets remove metal fragments before they reach bead mills, mixers, and dispersion pumps, reducing wear and expensive downtime.
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Ensures Smooth Surface Finish and Pigment Dispersion
Ferrous contamination can cause speckling, surface defects, or pigment streaks—MPI ensures consistent particle size and uniform color application.
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Improves Product Quality and Shelf Life
Metal in finished coatings may cause oxidation or catalytic reactions—magnetic separation helps preserve stability and performance over time.
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Withstands Harsh Chemical Environments
MPI magnetic traps and separators are built from chemical-resistant 316 stainless steel and are available with coatings or seals for corrosive applications.
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Handles High-Viscosity Materials
Designed to perform in thick liquids, pastes, or slurries, MPI units maintain flow and magnet contact in even the most demanding fluid conditions.
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Supports Quality Control and Filtration Redundancy
Used alongside sieves and filters, magnetic separators serve as non-clogging, passive defense layers against metal particles that may bypass mesh screens.
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CIP-Compatible and Easy to Clean
Quick-clean and Clean-In-Place-ready designs allow for frequent color or formulation changes without cross-contamination or extended downtime.
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Versatile for Dry and Wet Applications
MPI products can be deployed in powder pigment handling or liquid dispersion systems, making them ideal for multi-phase coating operations.
How Does the Paint and Coatings Industry Use Magnets?
US Customary Units
| MPI PRODUCT TYPE | WHERE | WHY | WHEN | HOW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Trap Magnets (Manual-Clean, Quick-Clean, Self-Clean) | Inline with paint slurries, pastes, and emulsions | Remove metal particles from high viscosity flows without interrupting transfer. Protects pumps, mills, and prevents chemical instability from reactive metals. | Prior to dispersion, grinding, filling, or packaging | Magnetic tubes inside sealed housings capture ferrous debris in flowing liquids |
| Liquid Trap Magnets | In tight or vertical pipeline configurations | Compact design enables magnetic protection in space-constrained process lines. Low-pressure drop and sanitary design for thick or thixotropic liquids. | Before bottling, bulk tank loading, or blending | Liquid flows through an angled chamber with magnetic tubes placed in-line |
| Drawer Magnets | Gravity-fed pigment and powder loading stations | Capture fine tramp metal from dry raw materials (e.g., titanium dioxide, carbon black). Prevents abrasive wear and pigment quality issues. | Before mixing, milling, or dispersing | Magnetic cartridges in a sealed housing filter dry ingredients as they fall |
| Pneumatic Line Drawer Magnets | Inline with vacuum or pressure-fed powder handling systems | Offer low-pressure drop in Clean ferrous fines from high-speed powder transfers. Maintains flow rates and prevents magnetic carryover into mixing tanks. | Between storage silos, feeders, and blending tanks | In-stream magnetic bars pull contaminants from conveyed pigments or binders |
| Plate Magnets and Magnetic Chutes | Dry ingredient hoppers or bulk ingredient transitions | Provide a durable, fixed magnetic barrier in powder or flake flow. Simple, reliable protection for high-volume dry bulk operations. | During early-stage pigment or filler addition | Ferrous particles are pulled from material as it flows past the plate surface |
