What is Powder Coating?

Powder coating is the term used to describe a unique surface coating process. This process is quite different from painting with conventional wet paint, in that it requires curing which  provides a superior quality and more durable finish at a lower cost with fewer safety and environmental issues.

The powder coating process involves three key steps:

1.  Surface preparation – as required:  Blasting…Surface etching…Phosphate treatment
2. Application of the coating material
3. Heated curing of the applied coating material

Finish Advantages of Powder Coating

• Powder coated parts are generally more resistant to scuffing and marring, so handling-related damage to the finish is reduced.
• Powder coated finishes can usually provide better single-pass coverage than conventional liquid coatings without risk of imperfections
• Powder coating processes can produce much thicker finished coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging.
• The thermal bonding process used in powder coating results in a more durable finish than conventional wet spray painting.
• Challenging areas, such as the sharp edges of fabricated parts, are easy to cover with powder coating.
• Specialized finishes and specialty effects, such as veining, that may be difficult or impossible to achieve with wet painting are often easily accomplished with powder coating.

Environmental Advantages of Powder Coating

•  Readily cleaned prior to full cure. Thus  it is cheaper, easier, faster and safer to rework parts that have obvious application errors
• Conventional powder coating media contains no solvents and over-spray is safe to handle.
• Emits almost no volatile organic compounds (VOCs):
• DOES NOT contribute to air pollution or ozone  depletion.
• Significantly less hazardous waste than conventional liquid coating
• Airborne powder is considered a nuisance dust and does not pose any serious threats.

Process Advantages of Powder Coating

•  Application is faster and more efficient.
• Environmentally cleaner & faster cure.