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Selection of the Application Package

Selection of the Application Package

There are several factors that must be considered in determining the proper application package. The size and shape of the part The variety of parts to be run The variety of powder chemistry and colors to be run Desired film thickness Production output Design line speed Size of the product opening Available capital The part size and configuration will determine the product opening into the booth. The maximum part size is also needed in the selection of the number of automatic guns and their placement, the selection of gun movers and gun attachments, or the determination of the number of manual operators in a particular system. The correct number of guns for a particular application depends largely on the vertical surface to be coated but the shape of the part and the line speed are also factors. Basically, the number of guns should consider how much surface will be coated in a given time period and select enough guns to coat it without above average output per gun. A rule of thumb formula for determining the number of guns required considers: Design Line Speed Coating Thickness Required Part Size Product height x line speed x mil thickness x the number of sides needing guns, divided by difficulty factor, rounded up to an even number. Difficulty Factor: 240 extreme 300 medium 360 simple Example: 60" x 10 FPM x 1.5 mils x 2 300

= 6 guns

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Powder Coaters Manual 1/98

Selection of the Application Package

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One pound of powder covers 192.3 sq. ft. at 1 mil thickness at 1.0 specific gravity and 100 % utilization. Factoring the variables of actual thickness, specific gravity of a particular powder and the actual transfer efficiency will provide an idea of the coverage that can be expected from a pound of powder. Testing has shown that low outputs provide higher transfer efficiency. The powder charges better and is less likely to blow by the part or rebound off the surface. So in the selection of guns it is important to avoid using too few guns with high output per gun. Efficiency is improved with the correct number of guns that will allow the system to operate below 30 pounds of output per hour, per gun. Proper performance in powder coating depends upon the powder particles having an electrostatic charge and the substrate being properly grounded. The charge on the powder particles will determine how well the powder adheres to the part and the rate of film build. As a charged layer of powder accumulates on the surface it develops a force which resists further deposition. The rate of film build is also related to delivery pressure, gun to target distance, particle size, the time of exposure in the spray zone, gun voltage and the volume of the powder delivered.

Generally, higher voltage will produce heavier films Gun to target distance should be 6" to 12". Generally, a closer position will produce a heavier film and possible back ionization If delivery pressure is too high it will blow powder past the part, if it is too low the powder will not get to the part, it will be pulled into the reclaim system. A coarser grind of powder will produce a thicker film The rate of film build diminishes with longer exposure, however there is still an increase of film with prolonged exposure Typically, a larger volume of powder delivered will result in quicker film build This does not necessarily mean that there is greater transfer efficiency. If a larger volume is delivered the percentage of efficiency may remain the same or decline, applying more powder but also over-spraying more powder. In addition, since a larger volume of powder sprayed will mean more cumulative charge on the part surface in less time there is a greater risk of back ionization when larger volumes of powder are sprayed.
Powder Coaters Manual 1/98

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