ACT Test Panels LLC

Since 1981, ACT has been supporting the global coatings industry with consistent and reliable test panel substrates and laboratory testing services.

We produce standardized test panels for every need in our ISO-9001 certified production facility. From highly specialized panels made to order with your exact substrate and coating layer needs to more generic panels that are inventoried and ready to ship. All of our test panel products are produced to your industry’s local or international standards and specifications. To serve any market we offer panels with any combination of substrate, pre-treatment, e-coat, primer, and topcoat paints.

Every substrate is available at any combination of manufacturing stages listed below.

Blanking – Raw material with industry standard mill oils is blanked to size to produce bare metal test panels.
Cleaning – Blanked panels may be cleaned per ASTM D609 to remove mill oils.
Blasting – Cleaned panels may be blasted to produce a variety of surface profiles.
Pretreating – Panels may be pretreated with Zinc or Iron Phosphates, Thin Film Zirconiums, Chromate Conversion Coatings (Alodines)
Ecoating – Panels may be ecoated using one of 30 Commercial Electrocoats, including gray automotive and black industrial products.
Priming – Panels may be primed with any primer; water borne, solvent borne, or powder.
Topcoating – Panels may be topcoated using a wide variety of water borne, solvent borne, or powder products.
Our global test panel customer base includes R & D and QC labs form manufacturers of paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and abrasives as well as premium paint and coating application locations that use our consistent panels to audit and confirm their painted part quality and performance.

Every shipment is protected with packaging that ensures all panels are delivered in perfect condition to every corner of the world.

ACT’s Testing Services Laboratory is ISO-17025 certified and specializes in paint and coating performance testing. Painted panels, parts, and sub-assemblies are objectively tested to local, international, and OEM specific test methods and specifications.

Typical testing services include; strip mill qualifications to OEM requirements, pre-treatment and e-coat compatibility of lubes and other indirect materials, salt spray, cyclic corrosion, environmental conditioning/resistance (hot, cold, water and humidity), adhesion, chip resistance, accelerated and natural weathering, and many more.

Our Testing Services team consists of coating industry experts capable of providing Project Engineering and Project Management support to the most complex test requirements and specifications. We likely already understand the test methods and specifications that you need to address, and if we don’t, we will acquire the supporting documents and align your project to satisfy the requirement.