What is Powder Coating?
At Caster Concepts, powder coating is applied as a free-flowing dry powder. Unlike conventional liquid paint, it doesn’t require a solvent to suspend the binder and filler. An electrostatic process applies the coating, and heat cures it to flow and form a smooth ‘skin’. The powder may be a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer.
Advantages:
- Powder coating emits zero or near zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds – bad for the atmosphere and your health!)
- Powder coating creates a much thicker, tougher finish than conventional paint.
- Powder coated surfaces show fewer defects, such as sags and runs.
How does Powder Coating Work?
Powder is applied to a part through electrostatics:
- The spray gun imparts a positive charge to powder.
- We electrically ground the parts before coating.
- The difference in electrical charge attracts powder to part.
- The powder builds up on the part until it fully insulates the electric charge.
- We place the part in an oven to cure once it is fully covered in powder.
- The powder melts into a uniform film and cures into a hard, solid surface.
- All booths and ovens are 30 feet long x 10 feet wide x 10 feet high
- The oven operating temperature up to 500°F
- We coat parts in over 6,500 different colors!
Once cooled, the oven bakes the parts to an attractive, durable finish and prepares them for shipping.
