POWDER COAT PROCESS

I Wayan Gede Arthana

Powder coating is the process of coating a surface in which a powder material is

applied using an electrostatic or compressed air method, or sometimes a fluidized bed.
The applied powder is then heated (cured) in an oven to its melting point, after which
it flows to form a smooth film which dries to a firm, durable finish very resistent to scratches,
cracking, peeling, UV rays and rust.
The entire powder coating process involves several steps. Very generally:
 after determining the substrate you are working with, begin with the cleaning
step -abrasive blasting or chemical cleaning to insure the substrate is free of
any oils, dirt, rust, mill scale, etc;
 The substrate must be fully cleaned to avoiddefects in the finish and rejects by
the customer resulting in lost income and time.
 a pretreatment step (an important step not done by all coaters) during which
the product is treated with a pretreatment chemical or conversion coating,
usually phosphate or zinc based, to further protect it and improve the surface
for powder adherence;
 rinse, rinse, rinse..dry completely then
 Mask areas don't want coated. This is done with high-temperature
tape specially designed for powder coating, and/or caps and plugs.
 Rack the items. Now ready to coat.
 Select coating. Choosing the right coating for application and end use of the
item is very important. A variety of powder formulationsexists to choose from
depending on the type item you will be coating.
 powder coat the parts, usually done with anelectrostatic gun, corona or tribo,
in a powder booth, but sometimes in a fluidized bed;
 finally, FULLY cure the powder in the oven, usually convection cure
ovens generally at 375-400 deg. F, 15-20 minutes (varies), in an infrared oven,
or a combination of both.
 Failing to preheat and cure the part properly can result in several kinds of
defects such asoutgassing.