Engineering Design
The system has to be right before the first coat goes on. We specify the coating that suits your asset's real environment — with complete technical documentation.
The wrong specification is the biggest risk in a coating project
Most premature coating failures don't start at application — they start at specification. A system specified for a C3 environment and applied in a real C5-M environment will fail early no matter how good the application was. A primer incompatible with the topcoat will crack. A DFT below spec leaves pockets of incubating corrosion.
Sherwin-Williams P&M's Engineering Design service removes that exposure. Our team works alongside the specifier from the design phase — reading the environment, the asset, the service conditions and the applicable standards — to recommend the right system, with complete technical documentation.
“From Spec to Protect”
P&M's slogan sums up the approach: the work starts at the specification, not at the sale. Real protection is only delivered when the system is right from the outset.
Scope
What Engineering Design covers
Corrosion Environment Analysis
Categorization of the real environment under ISO 12944 (C1 to C5-M) or NORSOK — based on site data, inspection history, exposure type and the chemicals present.
- Survey of operating-environment data
- Identification of aggressive agents (chlorides, SO₂, H₂S, humidity)
- Corrosivity category classification with technical justification
Coating System Selection
Recommendation of the full system (primer + intermediate + topcoat) with per-coat DFT, total DFT, application method and expected service life — justified against the standard.
- Compatibility between system coats
- Per-coat and total DFT calculation
- Service-life and total-cost estimate
Technical Documentation
Technical documents for bidding, specification dossiers and project approval — following the standards required by the client or regulator.
- Coating specification per asset and environment
- Inspection plan and control points
- Data sheets and MSDS for the specified products
- Descriptive report for bids and contracts
Bid Support
Technical support throughout the bidding process — from drafting the specification dossier to the technical review of competing proposals.
- Technical specifications for tender documents
- Equivalence analysis of competing products
- Support in technical meetings with clients
- Technical opinions for system approval
Process
How it works in practice — the process
- 01
Project briefing
We map the asset, the environment, the service conditions and the applicable standards — in person, by video call or through a technical form.
- 02
Analysis and categorization
Our team reviews the data and categorizes the environment under ISO 12944 or the applicable standard — with documented technical justification.
- 03
System proposal
We deliver the full specification: coating system, per-coat DFT, application method, precautions and expected service life.
- 04
Review and approval
We review the specification with the responsible engineer and adjust it to project-specific requirements or operating constraints.
- 05
Final documentation
We hand over the complete technical documentation: coating specification, inspection plan, data sheets and product MSDS.
- 06
Follow-through
We connect the specification to field technical support — making sure the specified system is the one actually applied.
References
Standards used in the Engineering Design service
Corrosivity categories C1–C5-M — the universal basis for specifying systems by environment.
For offshore projects and O&G platforms — the most demanding standard in the sector.
Surface preparation and inspection standards — accepted on industrial and infrastructure projects.
Brazilian technical standards for coating systems, flooring and anticorrosive protection.
Cathodic protection, coating inspection and corrosion control in industrial environments.
Request Engineering Design
Describe the asset, its environment and the service life you expect. We come back with the specification categorized against the standard, with complete technical documentation.
- ISO 12944 or NORSOK categorization
- Full system with per-coat DFT
- Documentation for bidding and audit
Request Service — P&M LATAM
Fill out the form. A technical specialist will contact you within 1 business day.