Powder coating is a unique and eco friendly way of fabricating a tougher finish to metals, automobiles and home appliances. It offers a great opportunity to go green and to perform our bit towards saving the environment. It’s idiosyncratic in a way that it doesn’t require a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension form. The method of application of the coating is primarily electrostatic. Generally, thermoset and thermoplastic polymers are employed as ingredients for the powder. The aggregates of volatile organic compounds emitted by powder coating are found to be profoundly low in comparison to those emitted by conventional liquid coatings. Thermoplastic powder coatings can be melted on heating and they also retain the same chemical composition once they cool and solidify. The commonly employed powder coating is nylon coating. On the other way round, thermosets acquire different chemical properties when subjected to high temperature heating as they have cross linked structures.
This process is best performed with the aid of powder coating equipments. The main installation of the coating of the base material is carried out by the equipments. The equipments are effective and reliable and offer remarkable finish.
Overview of equipments
The process of powder coating is carried out under three phases. The pre preparation of the base material essentially includes application of lubrication greases and removal of oil and dirt particles. No major equipments are entailed for this job. In some special cases like sandblasting and abrasive blasting, accurate instruments are employed. Electrostatic or corona gun or generally known as powder gun is the most recurrent equipment used for powder coating. They can be equipped with variety of spray nozzles depending on size and requirement of workpiece. A tribo gun is also utilized which charges the powder by triboelectric friction. They are quite efficient than other powder guns. Every now and then electrostatic discs are also used to apply powder. The whole system i.e. electrostatic powder spray system is also available entailed for complete process which is generally suitable for mass production.
Other equipment required for this modulus operandi is powder coating conveyor which conveys the requirements for powder coating and other finishing applications. They can withstand high temperatures thus preventing contaminants from reaching chain & bearing surfaces. Autocoaters are the equipments used for coating pallets and tablets with enhanced capabilities. Powder coating booths are the equipments built robustly and are entailed with all accessories required. The powder is contained in a chamber and the coating is carried out with extreme perfection. Noteworthy equipment especially employed for powder coating is powder coating oven. It application is done wildly in cases where the product is hanged for continuous transportation inside the oven. Some of the equipments are portable which come with an advantage over others.
Tackling the price factor
The unabridged process of powder coating can be made cost effective. The initial cost of the powder and its application on the base can be easily retrieved against the recycle feature which minimizes waste generation thus reducing the waste disposal costs profoundly. The low operating costs of powder coating technique is also favorable in the long run. Owing to the reduction in emission of voc’s which heat the environment up, the cost of cooling the makeup air is reduced considerably. And this process involves least operator training and supervision for a powder line eventually leading to reduced costs. The finish acquired by the material after being coated is marvelous and it offers resistance to corrosion, heat and abrasion.