Industrial painting of racking systems: quality that endures over time

In the industrial storage sector, the quality of a racking system does not depend solely on structural design or the strength of the steel. The true long-term durability of an installation is also determined by the surface treatment that protects every component throughout its operational life.

Impacts from handling equipment, pallet abrasions, dust, humidity, and thermo-hygrometric variations continuously stress metal surfaces. In this context, painting is not an aesthetic feature but a functional protection that preserves material integrity, makes damage clearly visible, and contributes to system safety, in line with the maintenance requirements set out in EN 15635 for racking systems.

For this reason, Modulblok has chosen to invest directly in a state-of-the-art automated powder coating line, integrating this process within its own facility as an integral part of its manufacturing logic.

Automated coating: visible quality today, guaranteed reliability over time

Automated coating is not a factory detail, but a deliberate industrial choice: keeping a critical production phase under direct control rather than outsourcing it.

This investment allows every process variable to be managed, ensuring consistent quality standards across thousands of components, regardless of:

• the geometric complexity of profiles
• the variability of production batches
• requirements for customized color finishes

For the customer, this translates into tangible and measurable benefits:

• Uniform surface protection across the entire geometry of the component, even in the most critical areas
• Greater long-term resistance to impacts, abrasions, and dusty environments typical of industrial warehouses
• Surfaces less prone to degradation and oxidation
• Consistent aesthetic quality across all system elements
• Repeatable reliability of results thanks to the elimination of manual variability
• Consistent quality even with customized colors and finishes

Coating thus becomes a factor that directly influences the actual service life of the racking system.

Coating and long-term safety

Throughout the life cycle of a racking system, many risk factors do not stem from design deficiencies but from the progressive surface degradation caused by impacts, abrasions, and environmental agents. When surface protection deteriorates, steel becomes exposed to localized oxidation, material loss, and reduced visibility of damage.

A coating applied uniformly, with controlled thickness and proper polymerization, therefore serves a function that goes beyond aesthetic protection: it becomes a contributor to structural safety over time.

Specifically, properly coated surfaces:

• Make impacts from pallet handling immediately visible, facilitating early detection of damage
• Maintain long-term visibility of critical points (uprights, beams, joints), supporting the periodic inspections required by EN 15635
• Reduce the risk of localized corrosion, which can gradually compromise the load-bearing section of profiles
• Limit degradation in the most stressed areas, where repeated impacts may accelerate metal exposure
• Enable simpler and more targeted maintenance, as damaged areas are clearly identifiable

The quality and uniformity of the coating therefore directly affect the system’s ability to maintain the safety conditions defined at the design stage, facilitating inspection, maintenance, and day-to-day warehouse management.