One of the advantages of powder coating services over traditional wet spray paint systems is that the paint is applied as a dry powder which allows for much higher coating thicknesses. In addition, since powder coating is a dry process it does not utilize any liquid solvents for application, resulting in zero volatile organic emissions. During application the powder paint is fed via compressed air through an application system. The spray gun in the system applies an electrostatic charge to the powder particles as they exit the spray nozzle. The charged powder particles are attracted to the grounded workpiece where they are deposited. Since they are applied dry, a much higher thickness can be applied without the common drips or sags of wet spray paints.

The coated parts are then transferred to an oven where the dry powder cures and transitions from a dry state to a liquid state to a fully cured solid state. During the curing process the liquefied paint reacts and cross links to form long-chain polymer molecules that are very resistant to breakdown and chemical attack. The specific cure cycle of the powder coat paint depends on the powder used but generally takes between fifteen to thirty minutes. Typical powder coating cure temperatures range from 275F for low-cure powders to as high as 450F.

Powder coating services have several advantages over traditional wet spray painting as follows:

• Powder coating can produce much thicker coatings without drips, runs or sags compared to conventional wet-spray paint. Typical single-layer powder coating thickness ranges from 0.002 to 0.004 inches. Double coat applications can achieve thicknesses as high as 0.010 inches. Greater mil thickness coatings equate to better corrosion and wear performance.
• Baked powder coatings are generally tougher and more resilient to impact than traditional wet spray paints.
• Powder coating is a green process that does not use volatile organic compounds for application. Powder coating produces virtually no hazardous waste.

The properties of industrial powder coating services are a primary function of the specific paint resin selected. For example, epoxy resin systems have the highest hardness and chemical resistance but should not be selected for exterior applications where UV stability is a concern. The resin chart below provides a qualitative comparison between properties and performance of the various common powder resin systems. Advanced Plating Technologies engineering group can provide full technical support ton ensure proper selection of a undercoat, primer and final resin system to engineer a powder coating system specific to your application.