What is powder coating?
Powder coating is a method, environmental friendly of applying a decorative and protective finish a wide range of parts. A several of colors, glosses, textures and special effects coatings are available.
Why is it environmentally friendly?
Powder coating is recognized as an environmentally friendly process because it doesn’t use solvents or chemical carriers like wet-paint systems. Because powder coating relies on the electrostatic charge to hold the paint to the work piece, powder coating eliminates VOC emission problems.
What materials can be powder coated?
Metal and any material that can conduct an electrostatic charge. Mild steel, galvanized and electroplated steel, aluminum, stainless steel and most other steel alloys can be powder coated.
How durable is it?
Powder coating is very resistant to cracking and peeling and provide high corrosion, abrasion and chemical resistance. Powder coating meets or exceeds the finish performance characteristics of solvent-based wet paint coat and the durability is superior to solvent paints. If quality and durability are important to you, Powder Coating is the best protection for almost anything of metal.
What is clear coat protection and why is it important?
Powder coating can be used as a clear coat, similar to clear coat wet paint, to protect metal without adding color. Clear coating resists the natural oxidation that will occur from exposure to the elements. A clear coat can also be added on top of any color coat for extra protection, luster and depth.
What if the piece has heat sensitive components?
They have to be removed so they won’t get damaged by the high temperatures of the oven, that can reach up to 430 degrees.
Do parts have to be cleaned and rust free?
Yes, we glassblast and inspect every piece we receive. Glassblast removes any old finishes, rust, dirt and anything else that might obstruct the powder coating process. It also etches the surface of the piece for better adhesion of the powder. Things such as rust, oil, grease and dirt pollute the powder and weaken the bond between the metal and the powder.
We have the facilities to properly remove any grease or oils that may be on your piece.
Can you powder coat pieces that have been previously treated?
Yes. We remove any old finish, dirt, rust, grease and anything else that might be on the surface of the part to let it ready to recoat.
Can you powder coat pieces that have been previously wet spray-painted?
Yes. It doesn't matter what kind of finish was originally on the part. Once we glassblast the previous coating to bare metal, it is an excellent candidate for powder coating.
Should I have my parts sandblasted before bringing them to you?
Although you can have your part sandblasted before you bring it to us, we do not recommend it. After a part is sandblasted it is bare and exposed to the elements. Any moisture in the air will cause your part to rust. Although this may not be very noticeable to the naked eye, it will be present. The presence of this microscopic surface rust will compromise the adhesion of the powder. For this reason, we cannot guarantee the adhesion of the powder on any parts that are sandblasted by an outside company.
When we finish glassblasting a part, it is immediately sent to our climate controlled paint booth room. There it is prepared and immediately powdered. This minimizes the time your metal piece is exposed to the elements, and guarantees the best possible adhesion of the powder.
Can you leave certain areas like threading or holes of the pieces bare?
Yes, we can. Special high temperature masking can be applied to most surfaces such as threading or tolerance areas to avoid coating. We may also use high temperature silicone plugs to protect galleries, threaded holes or shafts as needed.
Can you do small custom type jobs?
Yes, we can. Each customer holds equal importance to our business. Small jobs are handled with the same care of service as any other job.
Can you do large, long running jobs?
Yes we can. Our large racks and our oven capacity allow us to run most large quantity jobs fast and efficiently.
What if some of the pieces don't meet my expectations?
Please inspect your parts once you receive them from our facility. If you happen to discover something wrong with your piece, please notify us immediately. If the error is ours, we will gladly re-powder your piece with no additional charge to you.
What is glassblasting?
It is a method to clean metal. We use a blast of glass and water to clean the metal. The glass blasting can remove virtually any type of coating from any material very quickly.
Can glassblasting cause warping like sandblasting can?
Warping occurs when the metal heats up due to friction from dry abrasive. Our machine of glassblasting will not cause warping, because the water reduces friction and heat. In fact the temperature of the metal being blasted usually comes down about 10 degrees from ambient.
Since water is used, won't it rust metal?
We use a rust inhibitor called HoldTight 102 to prevent flash rusting for up to 72 hours. This extremely effective rust inhibitor is added to the blast water to prevent flash rust during blasting, and then used to rinse after blasting is complete.