One of the most popular finishing techniques employed in industrial and manufacturing processes is powder coating. This thermostatic layer is great for achieving an attractive finish while providing your products enhanced longevity due to the durability of the coating. Nonetheless, while powder coating can be applied on a range of metals, this finish is not suited to all surfaces. And if you do not know what materials will not work well with powder coating, you could waste both your time and energy trying to finish them with this technique. The following piece looks at the various surfaces that can be powder coated as well as what considerations should be had prior to embarking on the powder coating process.
What metals can be finished through powder coating?
The fundamental characteristic of the powder coating technique is that the particles that are applied onto the surface of the product are electrostatically charged. Thus, they have a high affinity to the surface once the coating cures. For a surface to viable for the powder coating process, it needs to be thermally resilient so that it can withstand heat during curing. Secondly, the surface should also be capable of holding an electrostatic charge. Some of the metals that will achieve superior results once powder coated include aluminium, steel and some steel alloys too.
What surfaces cannot be finished via powder coating?
Other than heat resistance and the material's ability to hold an electric charge, you also have to consider any additional fillers that have been incorporated onto the surface. For example, the presence of resin or plastic on the surface will make powder coating challenging because the particles will be incapable of adhering onto the surface. In addition to this, the additional fillers will not be able to bear the heat that the surface is exposed to during the curing process. In addition to metals that contain these fillers, other supplies that will not be successfully powder coated include timber, rubber and plastic materials.
What considerations should be in mind before powder coating?
Although the surface that will be finished via powder coating does not have to be brand new, it is essential to make sure that it has been prepped for the process. For instance, old metallic surfaces that may have succumbed to mild corrosion should be polished clean before you can coat them. Additionally, if the material was coated with a different substance, such as paint, it should be buffered to its original surface.