Australia Surface Treatments

Trusted by leading global organisations for over 40 years

VISY
Alcoa
Nestlé
Fonterra
Saputo
ARYZTA
George Weston Foods
Allied Pinnacle
Laurent
Mackies Bakeware
American Pan
KAAK
KEMPF
SASA
Latrobe Magnesium
Goodman Fielder
Pfizer
Rio Tinto
Defence Department
VISY
Alcoa
Nestlé
Fonterra
Saputo
ARYZTA
George Weston Foods
Allied Pinnacle
Laurent
Mackies Bakeware
American Pan
KAAK
KEMPF
SASA
Latrobe Magnesium
Goodman Fielder
Pfizer
Rio Tinto
Defence Department
Industries

Food Processing Non-Stick Coating Services

AST provides specialised coating services for food processing equipment used in baking, dough preparation, dough forming, dairy processing, fryer systems and broader industrial food production. Customers are typically seeking improved release, reduced sticking, easier cleaning, lower product build-up, better hygiene outcomes and more reliable production throughput.

AST's Teflon coating systems are manufactured PFOA-free, classified by the OECD as polymers of low concern, and many are FDA compliant for direct food contact under 21 CFR 177.1550 — giving food manufacturers confidence in both surface performance and regulatory compliance.

Loaf pans with AST PTFE/PFA non-stick Teflon coating exiting an industrial bakery oven

Bakeware Recoating & Bakery Equipment Non-Stick Coating Services

Bakeware coating service and bakery-equipment recoating where release, easier clean-down and consistent production cycles are critical.

AST supports industrial bakeries and food manufacturers with bakeware coating services and recoating of baking trays, bread pans, muffin trays, pie trays, perforated trays, wire racks, lids, baking moulds and associated bakery-line components. These applications typically require consistent release, lower sticking, simplified washdown and dependable production performance over repeated cycles. Recoating is also the local-supply alternative to reshoring or replacing imported bakeware.

  • Baking trays, bread pans and baking moulds
  • Muffin and pie trays
  • Perforated trays and wire racks
  • Lids and bakery-line components

See our bakeware coating guide for insights on coating Mecatherm, American Pan, Kaak and Kempf bakeware.

Non-Stick Coating for Hoppers, Chutes and Dough Handling Equipment

Fluoropolymer non-stick coating for hoppers, chutes, dough handling and food-transfer equipment where sticky product build-up creates downtime.

AST's food processing coating services are relevant to bowls, troughs, hoppers, chutes, transfer guides, dough-forming components and other hardware where sticky dough build-up can reduce throughput and increase labour. Hopper non-stick coating and chute lining is a high-volume AST service line.

  • Bowls and troughs
  • Hoppers and chutes
  • Transfer guides
  • Dough-forming components

Easy-Clean Fluoropolymer Coating for Dairy Processing Equipment

Easy-clean fluoropolymer coating services for dairy, cheese and milk-processing equipment where cleanability and food-contact compliance matter.

AST's food-sector capabilities are relevant to milk-processing components, cheese and mozzarella-related hardware, transfer systems and food contact equipment where maintenance effort, hygiene outcomes and easy cleaning matter.

  • Milk-processing components
  • Cheese and mozzarella hardware
  • Transfer systems
  • Food contact equipment

Fluoropolymer Coating for Fryer Components & Food Processing Machinery

Easy-to-clean fluoropolymer coating for fryer components and food processing machinery in demanding operating environments.

AST's fryer-related coating capabilities form part of a broader food processing machinery solution — easy-clean fluoropolymer coatings for production-line hardware that face high temperatures, abrasive product flow and intensive washdown cycles.

  • Fryer baskets and components
  • High-temperature food contact surfaces
  • Production-line machinery
  • Refurbishment of worn fryer equipment

Food manufacturers need confidence that coating work is being carried out by a specialist, not a generalist. AST is the only licensed industrial fluoropolymer applicator in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, with technical and quality audits by Chemours Global. AST also provides a lifetime warranty on workmanship.

Bakeware Recoating

Bake-Cycle Performance & Recoating Economics

Industrial bakeware is a high-cycle, high-wear application — pans see thousands of bake cycles, mechanical handling, washdown chemistry and oven thermal cycling. The right coating system, applied properly, dramatically extends the working life of expensive custom-tooled bakeware and avoids the cost of replacement. Below is what to expect on a well-managed bakery line, and how to think about coating selection.

Typical performance
3,500–6,000
Bake cycles per recoat

AST PTFE/PFA bakeware coatings deliver 3,500–6,000 bake cycles between recoats on well-handled production lines. PFA topcoats reach the upper end; PTFE thin-film systems sit at the lower end of the range with a lower cost-per-coat trade-off.

AST turnaround
7–10 days
Working days from receipt

AST recoats locally in Melbourne — strip, blast, prime, topcoat, cure — typically 7–10 working days from receipt of pan. Compare to overseas-coater refurbishment cycles (e.g. American Pan's 2–3 week service plus international freight in both directions).

vs replacement
~10–20%
Of new-pan tooling cost

A typical recoat costs a fraction of new pan production. For custom-tooled trays, lids and 12-strap sets the difference is decisive. Replacement only makes sense when the substrate itself is structurally compromised.

PTFE vs PFA for bakeware — how to choose

AttributePTFE Non-StickPFA Non-Stick
Service temperatureUp to 260°C continuousUp to 260°C continuous
Film thickness (typical)~20–35 µm~50–100 µm
Bake cycles per recoat~3,500–4,500~5,000–6,000+
Abrasion resistanceGoodBetter — thicker film
Cost per coatLowerHigher
Best fitLower-cycle lines, tin-plate and aluminised steel pans, cost-sensitive runsHigh-cycle production bakeries, GWF / Goodman Fielder / ARYZTA scale, exterior-coated pans, longest interval between recoats
FDA compliance21 CFR 177.155021 CFR 177.1550

AST coats bakeware for major Australian bakeries (Goodman Fielder, GWF, Allied Pinnacle, ARYZTA, Bakers Delight) and for OEM bakeware brands including American Pan, KAAK, KEMPF and SASA — supplier-neutral coating service with consistent results across the major industrial bakeware ranges. See the bakeware coating guide for OEM-specific notes, and how long Teflon coating lasts for the recoat-vs-replace decision framework.

AST & Chemours — a long-standing technical relationship

From 2013 to 2015 AST ran a direct joint venture with Chemours to launch industrial Teflon bakeware coatings into Australia and New Zealand. The JV completed its strategic purpose in 2015, but the close working technical relationship has continued — AST remains the only licensed Chemours industrial fluoropolymer applicator in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, audited annually.

For Australian and New Zealand bakeries, this means access to the complete Chemours Teflon coating system stack — PTFE, PFA, FEP and One Coat liquid systems — with full material traceability, Certificate of Conformity on every job, and a lifetime workmanship warranty backed by an established applicator with 40+ years of industrial coating experience.

In the Booth & On the Line

From coating booth to bakery line

AST coats bakeware and food processing hardware in-house — strip, blast, prime, topcoat and cure — then back into production on bakery lines across Australia and New Zealand.

Teflon spray application of fluoropolymer coating on loaf pans inside the AST coating booth
Loaf pan Teflon application
Close-up Teflon spray application onto a muffin tray
Muffin tray spray, close-up
Baked muffins on a coated tray on an industrial muffin production line
Muffin production line
Stacked Teflon-coated industrial bakeware ready for return to production
Coated bakeware, ready to ship
Spray application of non-stick coating on a food processing hopper
Hopper non-stick coating
Industrial bakery line: baked buns on coated trays on conveyor
Bakery line in production

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bake cycles can I expect between recoats?
Typical AST PTFE/PFA bakeware coatings deliver 3,500 to 6,000 bake cycles between recoats, depending on the coating system selected, the bake duty, and how the pans are handled in service. The upper end of that range is reached on well-handled production lines using PFA topcoats and avoiding mechanical damage from pan stackers, dividers and washdown equipment. AST coats bakeware for major Australian bakeries including Goodman Fielder, George Weston Foods, Allied Pinnacle and ARYZTA, where high-cycle performance and consistent release are operational requirements. Service life depends on operating conditions; AST does not warrant a specific cycle count, but the published range reflects real-world performance on commercial bakery lines.
What non-stick coatings are used on food processing equipment?
PTFE coating (Teflon) is the standard fluoropolymer used for food processing equipment and bakeware where non-stick performance, product release, easier cleaning and food-safe surfaces are the primary requirements. PFA coating is used where stronger chemical resistance or a more robust barrier lining is also needed. Both systems are food-safe and widely accepted for industrial food contact applications.
Should I recoat my bakeware or replace it?
Recoating is almost always more cost-effective than replacement, especially for custom-tooled bakeware. A typical AST recoat — strip, blast, prime, topcoat, cure — costs a fraction of new pan production, returns the pan to as-new release performance, and is usually completed in 7 to 10 working days. Replacement only makes sense when the substrate is structurally damaged (cracked welds, deep dents that affect product shape, heavy corrosion that grit-blast cleaning cannot recover) — in which case AST works with your bakeware OEM to coat the new pans before they enter production.
Can worn bakeware and bakery trays be recoated?
Yes. AST supports both new coating of bakeware and refurbishment of existing trays, pans and bakery equipment where the coating has worn or degraded. Recoating extends the working life of the equipment and avoids the cost of replacement, which is particularly relevant for custom or large-format bakery trays and industrial baking equipment.
What food processing equipment can be non-stick coated?
Common food processing applications include baking trays, bread pans, muffin and pie trays, perforated trays, wire racks, dough hoppers, chutes, rollers, guides, transfer hardware, dairy processing components, fryer baskets and other food contact equipment. AST handles both standard and custom geometries across the food production sector.
Is fluoropolymer coating food safe for industrial food production?
Yes. Fluoropolymer coatings such as PTFE and PFA are inert, non-reactive and do not transfer to food products. They are widely used in industrial food production for bakeware, bakery equipment, dairy processing and other food contact applications. AST uses food-safe fluoropolymer materials across its food processing coating services.
Do AST's fluoropolymer coatings contain PFAS or PFOA?
PTFE and PFA fluoropolymer coatings are classified by the OECD as 'polymers of low concern' — they are chemically stable, non-reactive and do not degrade into the harmful PFAS compounds associated with environmental and health concerns. All Chemours Teflon products have been manufactured PFOA-free since 2015, following the completion of the EPA's PFOA Stewardship Program. Chemours' position, supported by regulatory and scientific assessment, is that fluoropolymer coatings are fundamentally distinct from the PFAS substances of concern and are safe for their intended industrial uses. AST uses only licensed Chemours Teflon coating systems manufactured to these standards.
Are AST's coatings FDA compliant for direct food contact?
Yes. Many Chemours Teflon coating systems used by AST comply with FDA 21 CFR 177.1550 (Perfluorocarbon resins), the regulation governing fluoropolymer coatings for direct food contact applications. FDA compliance means the coating is inert and safe for human consumption. Compliance is product and application-specific — all layers in a multi-coat system must individually meet 21 CFR requirements, and AST applies coatings in accordance with Chemours' specifications to maintain compliance. Regulatory compliance documentation is available on request. Read our guide to food-grade Teflon coating and FDA compliance for full details.
Who provides food processing equipment coating services in Australia and New Zealand?
AST (Australia Surface Treatments), based in Melbourne, Victoria, is the only licensed industrial fluoropolymer applicator in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, with technical and quality audits by Chemours Global and a lifetime warranty on workmanship. Customers include major food manufacturers such as Goodman Fielder, George Weston Foods, Allied Pinnacle, ARYZTA, Fonterra and Saputo Dairy.

Only licensed industrial fluoropolymer applicator in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia

Yearly technical and quality audits by Chemours Global

Lifetime warranty on workmanship

Need a Quote for Your Equipment?

Talk to AST about your coating requirements, operating conditions and performance goals. Our team can review your application and prepare a technical quotation.

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