Partnering with Foundries Throughout the Midwest

Castings often operate in demanding environments where moisture, chemicals, abrasion, heat, vibration, and rough handling are routine. The coating must protect the part from corrosion and wear while meeting practical production requirements for coverage, cure, part size, weight, color, and throughput.

Winona is a trusted finishing partner for foundries and casting manufacturers because we combine heavy-part coating capability, high-volume processing, flexible batch capacity, and both powder coating and E-coating under one roof. Our equipment and processes are designed to handle the real-world demands of cast components, from recurring production programs to large, complex, and uniquely shaped parts.

A Process Built for Heavy and Complex Castings

Coating castings requires more than putting a part through a standard paint line. Cast surfaces can have complex geometry, varying wall thicknesses, recessed features, machining allowances, threaded areas, and heavy thermal mass that affect how the part is prepared, coated, cured, cooled, handled, and packaged.

Durable corrosion protection for industrial and outdoor service.
Reliable coverage over complex shapes, recesses, ribs, and cast features.
Powder coating for heavy, large, or high-volume cast components.
E-coating for complex parts requiring uniform corrosion protection.
Controlled cure cycles for parts with significant thermal mass.
Sufficient cool-down time before handling, packaging, or secondary operations.
Custom masking for machined surfaces, threads, bores, and critical features.
Color, gloss, texture, and performance options matched to the application.
Fast, dependable turnaround for production schedules.

Winona works with foundries and manufacturers to develop a finishing process around the part’s material, profile, weight, critical features, service conditions, downstream operations, production volume, and required coating performance.

Powder Coating for Heavy-Duty Castings

Powder coating provides a durable, attractive, and efficient finish for a wide range of cast products. It creates a protective barrier that helps resist moisture, corrosion, chipping, scratches, abrasion, weathering, and normal handling throughout manufacturing, shipping, installation, and field use.

Durable protection against corrosion, moisture, and environmental exposure.
Strong resistance to handling damage, abrasion, and chips.
Consistent appearance across recurring production programs.
A specified color, gloss level, texture, or decorative finish.
A low-VOC alternative to conventional solvent-based paint.
A finish that is easier to maintain in demanding service environments.

For castings that require a visible or branded finish, powder coating also offers broad flexibility in color, gloss, texture, and coating chemistry. Winona stocks more than 50 powder options to help foundry customers match their color, environmental, durability, and performance requirements.

A Powder Coating Process Designed for Casting Work

Heavy castings require a powder coating line that can manage the part’s size, weight, geometry, and retained heat. Winona’s conveyorized powder coating operation includes a heavy-duty casting line with an improved GEMA spray booth for efficient powder application, faster color changes, easier cleanup, and reduced powder waste.

Our straight-through 700-foot cure oven is particularly valuable for heavy-duty castings. Its straight design helps avoid the hot and cold spots that can occur in curved oven systems, supporting a more consistent cure across large or thermally demanding parts.

After curing, heavy castings need time to cool before they can be safely handled or moved into packaging or downstream operations. Our integrated Line Two includes 1,200 feet of cool-down area, giving heavy components the space and process time needed to manage retained heat appropriately.

For oversized, heavy, low-volume, or uniquely shaped parts that are not a fit for a conveyorized line, Winona also provides batch coating options. Our team can review drawings early in the process and provide feedback on whether a part is a good fit for our finishing capabilities.

E-Coating for Uniform Coverage

E-coating uses an immersion process: electrical current deposits coating onto conductive metal part surfaces, making it particularly useful for castings with complex geometry, recessed areas, internal features, edges, and other areas that can be difficult to coat consistently through a spray-applied process.

Uniform corrosion-resistant coverage
Protection in tight or recessed features
Controlled thin-film application
Efficient processing for high-volume production
Repeatable results from part to part
A standalone functional finish or a primer beneath powder coating

The process creates uniform coating coverage and controlled film thickness across the part surface, making it a strong option for castings that require dependable corrosion protection and high-volume repeatability.

Winona’s automated E-coat line includes a 13-stage pretreatment process with laser scale removal, zinc phosphate, and RO water. Its 15-degree indexing at tank entry helps minimize air-pocket effects and supports consistent coverage across intricate casting geometries.

E-Coat Primer + Powder-Coated Topcoat

Some casting applications benefit from the combined advantages of E-coating and powder coating. An epoxy E-coat primer provides uniform corrosion protection over the metal surface, including recessed and hard-to-reach areas. A powder-coated topcoat then adds durable exterior protection, color flexibility, abrasion resistance, and enhanced weatherability.

This layered system can be especially valuable for cast components used in corrosive, wet, abrasive, chemical-exposure, or outdoor environments. If the outer powder-coated surface is chipped or damaged, the E-coat primer underneath remains in place to help protect the casting from rust and chemical corrosion.

Casting Applications We Support

Winona works with foundries, OEMs, and manufacturers producing cast components for demanding commercial and industrial applications.

Some of the common casting applications we coat in our facilities include:

Agricultural equipment components
Construction, earthmoving, and road-building equipment
Heavy machinery and industrial-equipment housings
Bearing housings and power-transmission components
Pump, valve, compressor, motor, and gearbox housings
Material-handling, conveyor, and processing-equipment components
Mining, aggregate, and bulk-material-handling equipment
Truck, trailer, fleet, and transportation components
Municipal, utility, and infrastructure products
Outdoor commercial products and site equipment
Specialty fabricated and machined cast assemblies

The appropriate finishing process depends on the substrate, casting profile, part weight, required corrosion resistance, expected service environment, aesthetic needs, machining sequence, and production volume.

The Winona Advantage for Foundries, Machine Shops, and Other Casting Manufacturers:

Heavy Casting Experience

Winona has specific experience coating large and heavy castings for foundry and industrial customers. We understand the importance of part profile, rack loading, thermal mass, cure consistency, cool-down, handling, and production planning when finishing demanding cast components.

Conveyorized and Batch Capabilities

Our conveyorized lines support efficient production processing, while batch options provide flexibility for oversized, heavy, low-volume, or uniquely shaped castings that need a more customized approach.

Better Cure Control for Heavy Parts

Winona’s 700-foot straight-through cure oven helps support consistent cure conditions for heavy-duty castings, while the 1,200-foot cool-down area gives parts adequate time to manage retained heat before the next operation.

Powder Coating and E-Coating Under One Roof

Winona is one of the few regional finishing providers offering both powder coating and E-coating. That means customers can choose the process that best fits their casting or use E-coat as a corrosion-resistant primer beneath a durable powder-coated topcoat.

Color and Performance Flexibility

With more than 50 stocked powders, Winona can help foundry customers identify coating options that meet specific color, appearance, weathering, corrosion-resistance, and environmental requirements.

Quality-Focused Production Support

Winona is ISO 9001:2015 certified and provides supporting packaging, assembly, and delivery services to help castings move efficiently from finishing to machining, assembly, distribution, or final installation.

Custom Quote, Project Review, or Sample Run for Coated Castings

If you need a coating partner with the equipment and experience to finish heavy-duty castings, Winona can help. We will review your part drawings, material, dimensions, weight, required finish, exposure conditions, masking needs, downstream operations, and production volume to determine the right process for your program.

Reach out to receive a custom quote for your project. Talk to Winona’s experts for a detailed project review. We can even provide free product samples or test runs to show you what Winona’s superior quality looks like.

Coatings for Castings and Cast Assemblies