Powder Coating is mainly used for drying, free-flowing, and thermoplastic or thermoset coating. However, it melted, and toughened into coating. However, the powder coating finishing method is mostly suitable for variety of materials which include plastic, metals, glass, and MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). The process can offer decorative and functional surface coating in a variety of different colors, textures, and finishes which is not willingly obtainable with conventional liquid coating processes.

ESD (Electrostatic Spray Deposition) and Fluidized Bed Application are two major methods of powder coating. Though, powder coating process has some benefits over liquid coatings, par

Powder Coating is mainly used for drying, free-flowing, and thermoplastic or thermoset coating. However, it melted, and toughened into coating. However, the powder coating finishing method is mostly suitable for variety of materials which include plastic, metals, glass, and MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). The process can offer decorative and functional surface coating in a variety of different colors, textures, and finishes which is not willingly obtainable with conventional liquid coating processes.

ESD (Electrostatic Spray Deposition) and Fluidized Bed Application are two major methods of powder coating. Though, powder coating process has some benefits over liquid coatings, particularly in high or dense traffic coating applications. However, it is not suitable for manufacturing uses such as for large or thin coatings.

The provisions and requirements requested from specific powder coating application such as substrate materials, application environment, turnaround times, costs, size helps to recognize the kind of powder coating process which is most appropriate to use.

About powder coating:

Powder coating process is one of the common finishing process and it is mostly suitable for several substrates such as metal and non-metal. However, the process contains an application, preparations, and curing step, however, it also utilizes a spray booth, spray gun, and curing oven.  

However, for this process to run at optimum capacity and smoothly, service providers and the manufacturers must consider the number of different factors such as the material which being coated and its several properties, and the type of coting powder used.

Overview of Powder Coating Equipment

The powder coating process is basically a dry finishing method which utilizes powdered material for coatings. However, while the powder coating process, firstly the powder is applied to the surface, which is then melted, and hardened and dried with a decorative or pretreated coating.

Powder coating process include 3 types:

• Surface Preparation
• Coating Application
• Heat Curing

The powder coating process offers a huge range of coating thick capacity. As compare to the liquid coating process, the powder coating process offer thicker coatings.

Advantages of Powder coating Process

The powder coating process have the huge number of advantages over several liquid coatings. In includes high capabilities, and durability for more attractive finishes, fast turnaround time, less environmental impacts, and less material costs.

However, as compare to liquid coatings, the powder coatings are highly durable and long-lasting. The powder coating has wider resistance to moisture, impact, chemicals, and wear. It also offers higher protection from abrasion, scratches, fading, corrosion, and general wear. Such properties make them more suitable for higher traffic applications and wider uses.

Another advantage of this process is the wide range of carbon dioxide and solvent emissions, waste material which needs disposal, and surface primer requirements. However, such eliminations restricts the lack of carcinogenic substances and toxic which is being generated within the atmosphere.

The powder coating process have much less costs than the liquid coating process because of it has fast turnaround time and higher coating material utilization. Where, the parts will spends fewer time in inventory which allows finishing service providers and manufacturers to have a quicker turnaround time and less storage requirements.

This process also enables for overspray material which is to be gathered and again recycled rather than wasted. It helps to decrease the amount of wastage product which requires disposal, diminishes the material costs, and increases the utilization rate of coating material.

Powder Coating Limitations:

The powder coating process have the huge number of important advantages than liquid coating, as well as it also has some limitations while coating process. Limitations of powder coating process include a limited range of appropriate coating materials, huge lead times for coatings with color changing, difficulty producing while thin coating, wider cure and dry times for large coatings, and higher costs for start-up.

Several powder coating applications use substrate material that can resist temperature fluctuations. However, even if coating material resist the heat. Obtaining the coating can still to be difficult, mostly for multi-color or thin coatings. However, thin powder coatings are somewhat problematic to produce because it is challenging to resist the powder material which is need to be applied to the substrate while the application stage.

The multi-color coatings are slightly difficult to generate quickly due to ant overspray need to be thoroughly collected and washed from the spray part among color changes; else the process may cause cross-contamination in reused or recycled materials. However, the powder coating process can have considerably low costs and the process may have highly cost-effective.

For finishing services providers and manufacturers starting up, the primary investment in coating material also tends to be higher as compare to the liquid coating because the process needs a specialized spray booth, spray gun, and a curing oven. However, the last two coating equipment parts add significantly to the initial costs and hence, it may make the coating material unsuitable for low budgeters.

Selecting Suitable Finishing Service Providers:

Several manufacturing applications extensively use powder coating processes. The primary production requirements of an application- for example, long run production, one-time production, etc. which helps to recognize the finishing process provider among the leading providers.

However, manufacturers, who are not able to perform in-house operations could be manage through the job shop. However, job shops are exists in all sizes such as from individual to businesses. They also offer lack of coating specialties and capabilities.