One-Coat Topcoat Technology

Production Bottlenecks Solved with One-Coat Topcoat Technology

At Intercoat Paints, we don’t just supply coatings — we solve business-critical manufacturing challenges for manufacturers of all sizes across the UK.

A leading UK kitchen and bathroom cabinet manufacturer approached us with a serious production issue linked to their existing water-based topcoat supplied by a well-known global brand. Their challenges included:

• Three-coat application required to achieve coverage on highly pigmented dark colours (blue, green, burgundy)
• Extended process times due to 10-minute dwell times between coats
• Soft film formation even after two hours of stoving, leading to contact marking on shaker-style MFC and oak doors
• Increased rework and higher costs, reducing throughput and overall efficiency

The result: production bottlenecks and significant efficiency loss.

Their brief was clear: Deliver a one-coat topcoat system that achieves full coverage, superior finish, and outstanding durability — fully compatible with their Cefla automated robotic spray line.

The Intercoat Solution: AQ100 1K Water-Based Topcoat

Using our AQ100 WB Topcoat, we delivered a step-change in performance:

• 1-coat full coverage – even on deep, highly pigmented colours
• Perfect colour match (ΔE 0.2)
• Flawless flow & finish on shaker-style MFC and oak doors
• Reduced stoving cycle from 2 hours to 1 hour
• Fully cured film – zero brush marking from drying racks
• Increased throughput + reduced costs + zero compromise on quality