If you’ve just finished engineering that design you’ve been working on or have recently bought new alloy wheels for your car, you may now be asking yourself the following questions:
“Painted or powder coated?”
“What will give the best finish?”
“Which is the most durable?”
“How does powder coating work?!”
If any of those sound familiar, fret not. We’re here to explain the difference, how powder coating works and why it is the superior option for metal fabricated parts.
So, what is the difference? Paint is quickly becoming a more traditional approach which has its drawbacks whereas powder coating is more advanced with added benefits such as improved durability, a reduced environmental impact and a better overall finish. We’ve summarised the advantages in greater detail in a previous post, feel free to give it a read here.
Unlike a regular paint process, powder coating is applied by an electrostatic gun, which gives the dry powder a ‘positive charge’ and then sprays it on to the chosen metal surface via compressed air. The electrical charge the powder is given ensures it sticks to the surface evenly and then gets heat treated or ‘baked’ in an oven to solidify the bond. This tends to take around 10-20mins in a 200°C heated oven and then voilà. Once left to cool, you’re left with a tough and uniform coating. Another advantage is that once the powder has solidified, you can add more layers at later stage to create an even thicker and stronger coating.
In terms of durability, powder coating is without question one of the hardest coatings around. The bond created during the treatment process ensures that it is resistant to scratching or chipping and repels any corrosive materials from the metal beneath.
So, now you know how powder coating works. Get your project booked in with us today by calling our Sales Team on +44 (0)2380 254285 or by contacting us by email at sales@redboxengineering.com.
