Q & A
What is powder coating and how does it work?
Powder coating is a special type of coating. This is applied as a dry powder and then cured in an oven. The area that needs to be coated is grounded and the powder receives a static charge as it is sprayed and is attracted to the ground. This keeps the coating in place until it is oven- cured. These days, due to environmental regulations, most painted metal products are powder coated during manufacturing.
What can be powder coated?
Most objects that are powder coated are made of metal including steel, cast iron, brass, aluminum, galvanized steel, etc. The powder generally cures at a temperature between 350ºF to 400º F; therefore, the product to be coated must be able to handle that temperature. Here are a list of some examples.
- Sheet metal and metal striping
- Aluminium castings and extrusions
- Structural steele
- Industrial equipment
- Patio furniture
- Ornamental wrought iron
- Staircase and walkway railings
- Gates and fencing
- Marine and boat parts
- Automotive, motorcycle/bicycle parts, and wheels
- Garden and outdoor equipment
- Gym and playground equipment
What kind of colors, textures, and special coatings can be done with powder coating?
Powder coats are available in thousands of standard colors, gloss levels and textures. High gloss, semi-gloss, flat and matte finishes are available in most any color. In addition, clears, metallics, hammer toes, wrinkles, transparent, fluorescents, glow-in-the-dark, glimmers and vein/antiques are also readily available. Powders are available to match the RAL color standard and, upon request, custom powders can be ordered to match any sample you bring in.
Special coatings include.
Special coatings include.
- MIL-SPEC Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC) for military applications
- Anti-graffiti for public furnishings
- Heat reflection for exterior blinds and louvers
- "Glow in the dark" applications for when being seen in the dark is advantageous
- Anti-microbial coatings for hospital and healthcare settings
- Thermoplastic coatings: these coatings can be applied much thicker (30 - 200 mils), remain flexible and can be repaired in-situ by re-heating the part to the cure temperature
How is powder coating better than spray painting?
Many characteristics of powder coating make it a superior alternative to wet spray paint, including the following:
Dry Film Thickness - Powder coat is 4 to 200 times thicker than traditional liquid spray paint. Wet paints are applied in thickness of 0.5 to 1 mil (a mil is a measurement of one one-thousandths of an inch, or 0.001-inch). Powder coat is applied in thicknesses of 2 to 6 mills for decorative finishes, and 30 to 200 mils for thermoplastic powders.
Hardness - Decorative powder coat is physically harder than wet paint. This property translates into significantly greater scratch and chip resistance, thus, generally better durability.
Adhesion - Powder coat adheres to the substrate much better than spray paint. Partially a function of the sophisticated pretreatment process that all parts go through prior to coating, the excellent adhesion contributes to chip resistance as well as corrosion resistance.
Flexibility - Powder coat can withstand bending without cracking or flaking. Powder manufacturers publish flexibility test results that demonstrate between 100%-800% elongations before failing!
Corrosion Resistance - Proper pretreatment and powder coat finish selection results in corrosion resistance which can far surpass traditional spray paint. Published decorative powder coat test show salt spray tests of 1000 hours and longer without failure, and, functional coatings are even more corrosion resistant. That's not to say powder coat cannot be scratched, because if you work hard enough, you can scratch anything. With traditional spray paint, the rust at a scratch to the elements will spread and lift the surrounding paint until the finish is ruined. With an appropriate powder coat finish, a deep scratch left in the elements long enough to ruin spray paint will still be a rusty scratch.
Dry Film Thickness - Powder coat is 4 to 200 times thicker than traditional liquid spray paint. Wet paints are applied in thickness of 0.5 to 1 mil (a mil is a measurement of one one-thousandths of an inch, or 0.001-inch). Powder coat is applied in thicknesses of 2 to 6 mills for decorative finishes, and 30 to 200 mils for thermoplastic powders.
Hardness - Decorative powder coat is physically harder than wet paint. This property translates into significantly greater scratch and chip resistance, thus, generally better durability.
Adhesion - Powder coat adheres to the substrate much better than spray paint. Partially a function of the sophisticated pretreatment process that all parts go through prior to coating, the excellent adhesion contributes to chip resistance as well as corrosion resistance.
Flexibility - Powder coat can withstand bending without cracking or flaking. Powder manufacturers publish flexibility test results that demonstrate between 100%-800% elongations before failing!
Corrosion Resistance - Proper pretreatment and powder coat finish selection results in corrosion resistance which can far surpass traditional spray paint. Published decorative powder coat test show salt spray tests of 1000 hours and longer without failure, and, functional coatings are even more corrosion resistant. That's not to say powder coat cannot be scratched, because if you work hard enough, you can scratch anything. With traditional spray paint, the rust at a scratch to the elements will spread and lift the surrounding paint until the finish is ruined. With an appropriate powder coat finish, a deep scratch left in the elements long enough to ruin spray paint will still be a rusty scratch.