Electrostatic powder coating is a process of applying a dry powder coating to a surface. In this process, the powder particles are electrically charged and sprayed onto the grounded surface. The electrostatic attraction between the charged particles and the grounded surface causes the powder to stick evenly to the surface. After the powder is applied, the surface is heated, causing the powder to melt and fuse together to create a durable and uniform finish. The result is a highly durable, high-quality coating that is resistant to chipping, scratching, and fading. This process is widely used in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, architecture, and furniture manufacturing.
Step 1 Pretreatment
To achieve the best results with your powder coating process, your product needs to be clean—free of dust, debris, oil, rust, old paint or finish material. Anything left on your product prior to coating will affect the powder’s adhesion and durability. That’s where pretreatment comes in.
Step 2Application
Powder coating application is almost always done with a special Powder Spray Gun. In order for powder coating to work effectively, the powder must be electrostatically charged. The only way to apply this charge is with a spray gun designed exclusively for powder coating. Compressed air moves powder through the gun from a hopper or directly from the box the powder is stored in. The compressed air blows powder out of the gun as a tightly formed cloud. As the powder leaves the gun, it receives an electrostatic charge. Once charged, the powder cloud envelopes the part and the powder sticks to the surface of the grounded part (which is one of the reasons why powder coating equipment is so easy for new operators to use).
Step 3Curing
After your product is powder coated, the final step is to place it inside a specially designed Powder Curing Oven. They usually operate between 325° and 450° Fahrenheit. Once the oven is up to temperature, the temperature stabilizes. The coated products are exposed to precisely heated air for a set period of time. Once the curing process is complete, the parts are removed and allowed to cool before being handled.