Whether your goal is to improve the quality or the sustainability of your end products, powder coating is the choice finishing method to achieve long-lasting metal components.
Essentially, a durable powder coat protects the surfaces from excessive wear, weathering and corrosion, keeping your products in service longer and out of the landfill. Simultaneously, powder coating is a more environmentally-friendly finishing process compared to conventional sprayed liquid paints, so the sustainability benefits are twofold.
How exactly is powder coating so much more durable and resilient than those liquid paint options? We take a look at some of the science behind the powder coating process below.
Why is powder coating more durable?
The basic powder coating process revolves around carefully spraying your metal parts with specially engineered, custom-colored powders. That’s opposed to conventional paint methods, which simply spray liquid paint at the surface. Powder coatings result in superior part protection including, including edges, due to thickness protection cannot provide.
After spraying, we carefully oven cure your coated parts to further maximize powder adhesion and long-term protection. Heating and curing causes the powder particles to melt, flow, and form a powder coating of a continuous, uniform film. This cross-linking process creates a strong molecular matrix which translates into a durable metal finish resistant to mechanical stress, rust, and chemical corrosion. The resulting finish is much more durable, robust, and hard-wearing than virtually any liquid paint option. For custom metal parts, that means superior surface protection combined with long-term reliability.
A Resilient, Wear-Resistant Surface Finish
Powder coating creates a hard, durable finish that is resistant to chipping, scratching, and general wear. This enhanced durability makes it ideal for virtually all metal part applications where the end product is subjected to harsh environments and tough operational conditions, along with your everyday cases of moisture resistance and surface protection for frequent handling.
Consistently Uniform Coats that Protect the Entire Surface
Powder coating provides consistent coating thickness for virtually any metal part – even for complex designs with intricate shapes, bends, cavities, and contours. As a result of the specially-engineered extrusion and grain distribution process, powder adheres to the surface in a uniform thickness after the curing process. The result is a smooth and even coat protecting the entire product surface with good edge protection as well.
Resistance to Chemicals, Corrosion, and Weathering
Today’s powder coats are scientifically engineered to provide excellent protection against common chemicals and solvents, along with typical rust and corrosion from moisture intrusion. Whether you’re coating industrial metal parts for high-performance applications or simpler consumer products for everyday use, powder coating gives your products the long-term corrosion resistance needed to stand the test of time.
Performance-Engineered Powder Compositions and Additives
Additionally, specialized powders can be produced for your metal parts if you have unique performance or protection requirements. Basically, powder coatings consist of various resins such as epoxy, polyester, polyurethane, or acrylic, each providing different physical and protective properties. Additives like hardeners, fillers, and even pigments also enhance specific characteristics like surface hardness, UV resistance, and color retention.
That means we can produce powder coated parts with specifically enhanced resistance to moisture, common chemicals and solvents, weathering, and/or mechanical wear and tear. This higher level of protection is crucial for long-term prevention of rust and damage, as well as for simply preserving the aesthetics of your metal products.
Quality American Metal Coating Services Since 1974
Founded in 1974, Winona Powder Coating has grown into one of the Midwest’s premier powder coating service providers for an extremely wide range of metal products. With two locations based out of Etna Green and Elkhart, Indiana, our company has served the metal finishing industry for more than half a century.
