Powder coating meet just about any requirement for mechanical or chemical resistance and appearence you may have. In the long run, powder coating will save you money.
What is powder coating?
A complete powder coating process consists of:
- Pre-treatment and drying oven
- Powder coating system
- Curing oven
- Transportation system. Transportation system – conveyors, a continuous transport of the objects through the whole plant
The pre-treatment system cleans the objects and prepares them for the coating process. Rust, corrosion and other surface contaminants are carefully removed. Different metals require different pre-treatment methods.
After pre-treatment and drying, the parts are electrostatically charged and powder coated.
An electrostatic powder coating system consists of a (1) powder feeder, (2) powder delivery pump, (3) electrostatic control module, (4) spray gun, and powder recovery system. Powder from a feeder unit is supplied to the spray gun where it is diffused by compressed air into a fluid-like state. An electrical field is generated between the grounded object and gun tip electrode, allowing the powder particles to follow this field and be electrostatically drawn to the object. Electrostatic attraction may even cause the powder to “wrap” around the piece, coating the back side. The independent control of powder and air volumes flowing to the gun allows users to adjust the dilution ratios to achieve the desired powder output and coating thickness.
Small amounts of powder, which did not settle on an item, can be collected by the pump, filtered and then reused.
After this process, the objects are cured in an oven where the powder will melt and flow as an even layer, resulting in a resistant coating which can range from 0.003mm to 0.5mm, depending on requirements. All parts submitted for coating must be able to withstand 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
After the parts have cooled off, they are ready for transportation.
