A successful powder coating process begins with the right preparation.

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As a finishing shop with a reputation for exceptional work, we take great care to ensure all parts receive the highest quality coatings. Whether we’re coating new industrial parts on one of our large conveyor systems or refreshing the coat on a cherished antique item, pretreating is an essential first step in our workflow.

But the truth is that good preparation begins before customers even place an order. We’ve found that asking our customers to clarify their goals for powder coating up front is key to us meeting—and often exceeding—their expectations. The more specific information we have about your part, the easier it is for us to deliver powder coating results you’ll love. 

Let’s review the top 5 questions we have for customers who need powder coating services. We’ll also share the steps we take in our shop to guarantee the best final results.

Top 5 Questions We Ask Customers

The answers to these simple questions help to streamline your project and get you beautifully finished parts quickly: 

1. Which surfaces of the part or item are we coating?

Providing drawings or other documentation for our team to reference is one critical step customers can take to ensure excellent results. When we see clear notations indicating which areas should be coated and masked, we can coat your parts quickly and accurately.  

2. Is your part or item capable of withstanding high-pressure cleaning, extreme abrasion, and heat? 

Powder coating is most commonly used to finish metal parts, but it can also work well for glass and some ceramics—provided the materials can withstand extreme pressure, abrasive sandblasting, and high temperatures. We don’t recommend powder coating plastic. 

It’s also important to consider the condition of the part or item because the success of powder coating depends largely on the condition of the material’s substrate. Items such as vintage automotive parts or antique toys often have significant corrosion. If the material’s substrate is extremely rusty or brittle, the part likely won’t survive abrasive sandblasting or the 400-degree heat used to cure powder coating. 

Not sure if powder coating is safe for your part or item? Just ask!

3. Do you need a flawless finish? 

When a material’s substrate is strong enough to be powder coated but still fairly rough, preparation techniques like cleaning and sandblasting may not be enough to create a pristine finish. If your primary goal for powder coating is to obtain an aesthetically pleasing finish, know that there may be slight imperfections depending on the original condition of the part or item. 

If your primary concern is functionality and you request powder coating services to enhance corrosion resistance, you will still gain the desired result despite minor inconsistencies in the finish.

4. Will your part be used indoors or outdoors?

There are many different powder coating types to choose from, and each yields different results. 

Epoxy, for instance, is an excellent choice for indoor parts, but it performs poorly in outdoor settings. If your part will be outdoors in a highly corrosive marine environment, for instance, you’ll need one of the most durable coating types. 

5. What color preferences do you have? 

Are you trying to match the color of another part? If you bring the finished part into our shop, we can usually match it. Otherwise, it’s best to come in and look at our powder coat color samples. 

Although you can view samples online, the colors won’t look quite the same on a screen as in person. 

Link to YD Powder Coating

Our Powder Coating Preparation Process 

Once we know all the details about your part, we begin our extensive pretreatment process. This process differs for personal items vs. industrial parts.

Personal items such as vintage automotive parts or antique toys are first sandblasted to remove rust and other imperfections before being cleaned and prepped for powder coating services. 

For industrial parts, however, the process begins with our washing system.

Our 3-stage washing system 

First, we put the part through a chemical treatment process to remove grease or other contaminants. Then we run it through intermediary and final rinses. These steps create a clean, smooth surface and enable superior adhesion. From there, we dry the part and carefully apply masking in preparation for powder application. 

Ultimately, our 3-stage washing system ensures that the powder coating will retain its quality for years to come. 

The Applied Powdercoat Difference

Our shop has the capacity to powder coat up to 500 industrial parts at once—and all jobs, big or small, benefit from our exhaustive pretreatment process. 

While shops that operate on a smaller scale may provide adequate powder coating services, they often lack the equipment to prepare industrial parts sufficiently for superior results. A smaller shop, for instance, may use a more basic preparation process than our 3-stage washing system. Their pretreatment may be effective in the short term, but it won’t necessarily promote long-term adhesion. As a result, you may have to get your parts recoated within a relatively short time frame. 

By choosing Applied Powdercoat, you know you’ll get the maximum life out of your powder coating. A little preparation goes a long way! Ready to experience the Applied Powdercoat difference? Request a quote today!

The Guide for Buying Industrial Powder Coating Ovens

A user-friendly and energy-efficient powder coating oven is the most important investment for any firm using them. For an instance, a business might have invested in a random voltage-regulated powder coating oven. However, if it fails to cure the part perfectly, what’s the point? Every stage counts, when it comes to creating a perfectly cured part. Hence, it is important to make certain considerations, before investing in an industrial powder coating oven. With such abundant varieties available for purchase, it is important to make a checklist of factors to concentrate on. What are these factors? Read this post to know more.

Tips for Buying Industrial Powder Coating Ovens

The following tips will ease your selection:

1. Purpose of Utilization: A single design may not work for all powder coating projects. Thus, you need consider:

• Who are your typical customers?
• Which industry do you serve the most?
• What parts are you going to powder coat?
• What is the average length and weight of the parts to be coated?
• What is the volume of the parts to be coated in a day, week, or month?
• Are you working with small batches or large batches?
• What is the storage space available in your facility?
• What resources are available at your facility such as – gas supply, or electrical supply?

2. Technology Features: This is one of the most important factors of consideration while deciding on the type of powder coating oven.

• What is the heat application method? There are several direct heat application ovens available for consideration. These ovens provide easy curing, but have certain disadvantages. Also, direct heat ovens aren’t suitable if you are working with complex parts. Hence, it is always advisable to select an oven that combines infrared and convection heating efficiently. These ovens provide superior finishes than many direct heat ovens, and are ideal for parts with concealed surfaces.
• What are the means of air circulation? The oven must have a means of air circulation, such as a circulation fan, a blower, or a forced air burner. This enables fast curing, and helps avoid formation of hot spots.
• How safe is the oven? Overheating and loss of heat are two primary concerns for any facility operating a powder coating oven. It is going to be the same for you too. Thus, you need to ensure that the oven is tightly welded from both sides. This helps prevent warpage of the exterior and interior skins, as well as heat loss. The oven must have an automatic shut down or be equipped with alarm, which announces overheating. A proper construction and advanced safety or indication features are two important factors that will help you avoid workplace accidents caused due to overheating.
• Is the controller analog or digital? Heat control is the important aspect of a curing oven. Hence, digital controllers are an ideal choice for powder coating projects. These ovens allow you to achieve precise temperature measurements.
• Is the oven equipped with high-quality parts? An oven is made of several parts, including enclosure boxes, controllers, gas burners, etc. Each part plays a key role in the performance of the oven. Hence, it is important to ensure that only high-quality parts are used.

All the above-mentioned considerations will make the selection task easy for you. The oven being a big investment, it is always better that you approach an industry expert, while buying it. Armature Coil (ACE) is an industry expert and manufacturer of powder coating ovens. The ovens by ACE are designed to meet high demands of various industrial coating processes.

About Scott Heran

Scott Heran has been part of the business since he was young and attending industry association conventions with his parents Bob and Jean since he was eight years old.Scott has worked in a sales capacity at ACE for over 20 years. Scott graduated from John Carroll University. Married to Teresa, he is the proud father of two children and two grandchildren.

For more information, please visit Industrial Powder Coatings.

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