Can you believe we’re already in the second quarter of 2026? At the rate our process team has been moving this year, we can. In preparation for an even busier Q2, they’ve decided to replace the filters in our robotic paint booth to ensure we continue delivering the same exceptional surface finishes our aerospace and defense customers count on.

It might seem like routine maintenance, and in some ways it is. But filtration is an engineered part of the process. When it’s neglected, the consequences show up on the part and on the people around it.

The most visible impact is surface finish quality. When overspray isn’t properly captured, it finds its way back onto the part. The result can be orange peel texture, running paint, or fish eyes — defects that are difficult to miss and expensive to correct. Filters that aren’t up to the task can also cause incorrect coating thickness, which introduces its own downstream complications.

Then there’s the human side. Paint particulates and chemical vapors that build up and escape an underperforming filter system don’t stay contained to the booth. They become a real exposure concern for the handlers and operators working. Keeping your team safe matters just as much as keeping the part right.

What makes filter selection genuinely complex is how many variables feed into it. The type of material being painted and the volume running through the booth on a given day both affect how quickly a filter loads and how consistently it performs. The physical dimensions of the booth and the rotational positioning of the part relative to the booth wall shape the airflow in ways that compound everything else.

A well-programmed coating robot can only do so much. Give it a poorly filtered environment, and the results will show. Give it the right conditions and the work stands on its own.

That is the kind of detail we build on. Here’s to a strong Q2.