Powder coating can create a perfect and durable finish for any metal or plastic surface. It is composed of mixed, heated, and ground compounds to form a powder similar to baking flour. This powder is then sprayed onto the surface using a spray gun and a special process called electrostatic spray deposition. If you wish to powder coat but are unsure where to begin, this guide is designed to assist anyone interested in learning the powder coating process. Powder coating is carried out in three steps, namely:
- Pretreatment
- Application
- Curing
Pretreatment
Your product must be clean, that is, free of debris, oil, dust, corrosion, and old finish material or paint to obtain the greatest results. Before coating, anything remaining on your object will damage the powder’s adherence and durability. This is where pretreatment comes into play.
If the powder coated object has too much debris (laser scale, rust, or old paint), a Blast Room will be necessary. A blast room is an enclosed space where coarse material is propelled against the face of your object using compressed air.
If any component of your objects’ surface is covered with oils, chemical residue, or solvents, a wash station would be your best consideration. A wash station is a place where you can spray your components with chemicals or a detergent as a pretreatment agent like iron phosphate. Cleaning items with steam or hot water and then chemically treating them is a typical practice. Even though the components have been blasted already, a wash station can greatly enhance the finished quality.
Application
A unique Powder Coating Machine, commonly known as Powder Spray Gun, is the basic tool to apply powder coatings. The powder should be electrostatically energized so that the powder coating can work effectively. A spray gun developed specifically to perform powder coating should be used to apply these charges.
The powder is fed into the gun via compressed or pressurized air directly out of the powder box or from a hopper. The powder is then blown out from the gun in a densely formed cloud by compressed air. An electrostatic charge is applied to the powder as it leaves the powder gun. The powder cloud surrounds the component once charged; then, the powder adheres to the grounded part’s surface.
Curing
The last part of the process is to put your powder-coated product inside a custom-designed Powder Curing Oven. The temperature ranges from 325 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in the oven stabilizes after it reaches the desired degree. For a specific amount of time, the coated items are subjected to precisely hot air. The items are removed from the process and left to cool down before they are handled.
Infrared emitters are used in certain ovens to preheat the surfaces of coated items, although these gas or electric catalytic ovens can be expensive to buy and operate. Electric heating components or LP-fueled heat systems are more typically used in ovens.
As we have seen above, powder coating is carried out in three major steps. Master these steps if you want to get into this business. Take your time and give your best.