KEVOS® MAKEOS · Fabrication
Coating Job Estimate (Coats, Material, Thinner, Labour, Film)
How much coating, thinner and labour does this paint or powder job take for all its coats, what does it cost per square metre, and is the wet film within the sag limit?
Estimate of a coating job: theoretical and practical coverage and quantity per coat from the dry film thickness, volume solids or powder density and transfer efficiency (as the coating coverage tool), the quantity for all coats, thinner added, the wet film thickness to apply per coat against your sag limit, labour hours from the application rate, and cost in total and per square metre.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | choice | Liquid paint or powder. |
| Area to coat | m² | Surface area to coat. |
| Dry film thickness per coat | µm | Dry film thickness for each coat (from the specification). |
| Number of coats | Number of coats of this product. | |
| Volume solids (liquid) | % | Volume solids of the paint from its data sheet. |
| Powder density (powder) | g/cm³ | Density of the powder. |
| Transfer efficiency | % | Share of the coating that ends up on the work (spray method and part shape). |
| Coating price per litre or kilogram | $ | Price of the paint per litre or powder per kilogram. |
| Thinner added (liquid) | % of paint | Thinner added as a share of the paint volume (liquid only). |
| Thinner price | $/L | Price of the thinner. |
| Application rate per coat | m²/h | Area one painter covers per hour for one coat. |
| Labour rate | $/h | Labour rate. |
| Largest wet film per coat (sag limit) | µm | Largest wet film the paint holds on a vertical surface without sagging (from the data sheet). |
Method and formulas
- Liquid: theoretical coverage = 10 × volume solids ÷ DFT (m²/L); powder: 1000 ÷ (density × DFT) (m²/kg); practical = theoretical × transfer efficiency (as the coating coverage tool).
- Quantity per coat = area ÷ practical coverage; total = per coat × coats; thinner = paint × thinner share.
- Wet film (liquid) = DFT × 100 ÷ volume solids × (1 + thinner share).
- Labour = coats × area ÷ application rate.
- Example: 2 coats need 19.231 units and 5 labour hours, about 15.923 per m²; apply 137.5 µm wet.
Limitations
- Flat-surface coverage; rough, profiled or complex steel uses more.
- Excludes surface preparation, masking and curing time.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Quote a painting or powder-coating job
- Order paint and thinner for a project
- Set the wet film gauge reading for the painter
Who it is for
- Estimators
- Coating inspectors
- Fabrication supervisors
What you get
- Coverage and quantity per coat and in total
- Thinner, wet film thickness and labour
- Total cost and cost per square metre
Interpreting the result
- Transfer efficiency is the biggest lever on material cost: electrostatic or airless methods raise it.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1500–1516. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Coating Job Estimate (Coats, Material, Thinner, Labour, Film) calculator
