Coatings for sheet metal are traditionally made with fossil-based oil. But with SSAB’s newly patented method, roofs, drainpipes and facade sheeting will soon be coated with a completely new type of paint where rapeseed oil has partially replaced traditional solvents. The result is a better, and significantly more environmentally friendly, color-coated sheet metal – Prelaq GreenCoat.
One of the first building projects to implement this revolutionary sheet metal coating is a hospital in central Stockholm. The building is historically important for its architectural features and, thus, its exterior can’t be drastically changed. That didn’t stop Arne Jonaeson, founder of a sheet metal working company, responsible for the roofing, from sneaking in some new coating technology. “We chose Prelaq GreenCoat because of its environmental benefits, which were an important aspect of this project,” he says. “The work is no different for us compared to working with other types of sheet metal. This is just as soft and easy to work with.”
Jonaeson first tested Prelaq GreenCoat about five years ago to see how the coating could stand the test of time; today he can testify that it definitely matches any other coating when it comes to keeping its gloss, and that it is just as durable. “The sheet metal business is a bit conservative,” he says. “Not a lot of customers ask for environmentally friendly materials yet, but when I tell them that such products exist and cost about the same price, then people become interested.”