The Powder Coating Process
What is Powder Coating ?
Powder coating is a type of dry finishing, where a thin layer of polyester or epoxy powder is applied to an object with the use of a gun, and then baked into a hard finish, using an electric charge, until it is uniformly smooth. It’s typically utilized to provide a strong finish that lasts longer than paint. Powder coating outperforms wet paint because it forms a stronger bond during curing, making it more resistant to chipping, scratching, and other forms of wear.
How Our Powder Coating Process Works ?
The Powder
Powder coatings are comprised of polymer resin systems, combined with curatives, pigments, leveling agents, flow moderators and other additives. Prior to beginning the powder coating process, these components are mixed, cooled, and ground into a fine powder, with a similar texture to flour.
Pre Application
Before an item can undergo the powder application it must first be treated to remove any debris and rust on the surface. At Atlantic Powder Coating, we use a phosphate wash during our powder coating process, which effectively removes anything from the exterior whilst neutralizing the PH and priming the metal for the powder.
The Application
Our powder coating process uses electrostatic spray deposition (ESD), to adhere the powder to the metal substrate. This is carried out using our high-tech spray guns, which apply an electrostatic charge to the powder particles, attracting them to the grounded surface of the metal.
Curing
Once the powder has been applied, the item then undergoes the curing process. This is where the addition of heat in our powder coating process causes the coating to ‘melt’ and chemically react to produce long molecular chains, resulting in high cross-link density. These chains are resistant to breakdown, which is what makes powder coated products so durable.
The Benefits of Powder Coating
Compared to traditional wet paint methods, powder coating can offer incredible benefits for the item
Durable
Powder coating is resistant to chips, dings and corrosion and abrasions.
Versatile Applications
Can withstand extreme weather conditions and harsh environments and is used in a wide variety of industries.
Environmentally Friendly
Powder coating releases less hazardous waste and harmful gases (VOCs) into the atmosphere, and with our state of the art paint recycling feature, the paint overflow is reduced and our waste is drastically minimized.
Time Efficient
Without having to wait days for the paint to dry, items that are powder coated are ready to go immediately after the curing process
To find out more about how we use this process to provide clients with exceptionally high-quality finished items, contact our team here.