Powdercoating

What is Powder Coating?

Powder coating involves using a solvent free dry mix of plastic resins, pigments and fillers that melt and fuse together when heated at around 220 degrees Celsius. The solid particles of coating are electro statically charged in a spray gun and carried by free flowing low velocity air to the surface of the item to be coated. The electrostatic charge holds the powder particles in place while the part is cured in the oven. The heat of the oven causes a chemical reaction to occur and the powder to cure, creating a highly durable finish.

What can be coated?

Any ferrous or non ferrous object that can hold an electrostatic charge and withstand the heat of the curing process (220 Degrees Celsius) can be powder coated. Powder can be applied to intricate surfaces and still maintain a uniform finish across the entire piece. Powder coating is ideal for items such as:

Aluminum

Window frames, door frames, louvers, shutters

Steel

Table, chair & bike frames, letterboxes, light fittings

Other Common Items

Security Doors, Flashings, Fences & Posts, Car Mags, Trailers, Garden Furniture, Automotive parts, cast iron beds, Wrought Iron Fencing & Gates

Is it Environmentally Friendly?

Powder coating is an environmentally friendly process unlike solvent based wet paint systems. With EPA regulations growing ever stricter, powder coating is fast becoming the technology of choice. Since the powder coating process does not use solvents in any way, VOC emission problems are eliminated.

Durability

Powder Coatings resist cracking and peeling and are extremely abrasion corrosion and chemical resistant, but is not a rust inhibitor. The performance characteristics of powder coating match or exceed the characteristics achieved from conventional solvent based coatings.

Powder coatings rely on a clean, pre-treated surface like any other coating method. Rusty metal deposits must be removed prior to powder coating, as over coating with powder will only mask what is fundamentally corroding metal. Blasting the surface of your material prior to coating provides an excellent surface for the powder coating to adhere to. Blasting also increases the adhesion and durability of the finished product.

Abrasive Sand Blasting

Abrasive blasting cleaning is an economical and fast way of removing old coatings and preparing a surfaces for recoating.

What can be sand blasted?

Any material that needs to be cleaned and prepared for powder coating, painting or other treatment such as:

Steel, Stainless Metals, Brass, Aluminum, Pewter & Silver

Most materials can be sandblasted except for diamond which is harder than all sandblasting media. Metal is sandblasted to remove rust and sharp edges or as a way to enhance adhesion of coatings and adhesives. Wood and brick is sandblasted to remove years of paint, oil and dirt and to produce a clean surface for staining and painting. Certain types of plastic can be sandblasted for decorative effects, but the work has to be done very carefully, as the plastic can be much softer than the abrasive and will wear away quickly.