FAQs About Powder Coating Services

Wood grain powder coating is a decorative surface finish that combines the realism of natural wood with the durability of metal. It replicates authentic wood textures and colors using a specialized dye‑sublimation technique, delivering the warm aesthetic of wood without the fragility or maintenance issues. 

This process yields a finish that looks and feels like wood but performs like metal—offering superior resistance to corrosion, UV exposure, moisture, wear, and impacts. Plus, it significantly reduces maintenance and improves longevity compared to natural wood.

The life of the coating depends on the application. For corrosion and abrasion coatings, two months may suffice; however, 2-3 years is not atypical. For outdoor applications, five to seven years with minimal color and gloss reduction is usual; however, for patio furniture, rust may occur at welds within 1-2 years. High-end architectural applications meeting AAMA 2605 specifications can be warranted for 10 to 20 years. For electrical applications such as bus bars, coatings may last as long as 10-15 years. In general, the life expectancy of powder coating is longer than paint, making it a more reliable finish.

Average cold application to a flat plate would be 1-3mils or .001″ to .003″. Application to a warm part can result in 3-5 mils. Spray or fluid bed dip on a hot part can achieve 8-12 mils, and multiple coats, depending on the powder resin, can yield a thickness over 125 mils or 1/8 inch.

All powder-coating applications begin by either fluidizing the powder with compressed air or by vibration of the powder. Finely ground plastic powder is placed in a reservoir that is attached to an air plenum. The plenum and reservoir are separated by a porous membrane, which allows only air to pass through it. When clean, compressed air enters the plenum, it moves through the membrane and aerates the powder, giving it a fluidized quality. In this fluidized state, the powder may be pumped like a liquid to a spray gun. There are two primary methods of powder coating: Electrostatic Spray and Dipping.

Electrostatic Spray: The most common method of powder application is electrostatic spray. The powder is pumped, using compressed air, from a fluidized reservoir through a spray gun. At the tip of the gun is a wire from an electrical power source, usually high voltage with micro amperage. The electricity from the wire creates a “corona” field around the tip of the gun. When the powder passes through the corona field, the powder particles pick up an electrical charge. When these particles come in contact with a grounded metal part, they are electrostatically attracted to that part. The powder sticks to the part until the part can be placed in an oven, where the powder melts and cures to the part.

WATCH OUR VIDEO ON ELECTROSTATIC POWDER COATING

Watch Video

Fluid Bed Dipping: Another method of application is called “fluid bed dipping”. The part is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic. The part is then dipped into the fluidized reservoir, and the powder in contact with the part melts onto it. When the proper amount of powder has melted onto the part, the part is removed, any excess powder is blown off, and the part is placed in the oven for final curing. Our largest fluid dipping bed is 8’ long X 3’ wide X 4’ deep.

WATCH OUR VIDEO ON FLUID BED DIPPING APPLICATION OF POWDER COAT

Watch Video

As with paint, there are an infinite number of colors and textures available, many of which are stock. Two common color standards that many suppliers use for color specification are RAL colors and Federal Standard colors. Unlike paint, powder cannot be made a pound at a time, so color matching is often more costly. Fortunately, there are many different powder suppliers, and they each have their array of colors and textures. The RAL Color Chart is available below for your convenience.

RAL Color Chart

There are two main types of powder coatings: Thermoplastic and thermoset. Thermoplastic powders flow when they are heated, but do not fully cure or crosslink. After they cool, if they are re-heated, they will re-soften. They never completely set up. Thermoset powders cure when they are heated, and their resins crosslink, finishing a chemical process that cannot be reversed.

The basic powders are epoxy, urethane, nylon, vinyl, and fluoropolymers. Each of these resins has its inherent strengths and weaknesses, depending on the application.

Henry Ford would have had a hard time as a powder coater. There are probably over 50 different ways to make something black. There are at least 20 different shades of black, and each powder supplier has several. There is flat black, low gloss black, varying percentages of gloss black, full gloss black, black texture, black wrinkle, black hammertone, etc. There is also black epoxy, black polyester, black nylon, black hybrid, etc. So, if you just want it black, you may still have to answer a few questions.1As with all manufacturers, environmental concerns are paramount. One of the reasons that the powder coating industry is growing is the fact that most powders contain no VOCs. They are non-flammable, non-toxic, non-hazardous inert plastic powders. There are no regulatory constraints involved with the powders directly. As far as wastewater is concerned, our batch cleaning uses iron phosphate, which requires disposal through a licensed industrial waste management company. All other processes are in full compliance with environmental regulations. We utilize a Henkel Bonderite NT pretreatment system, which is a sustainable, non-polluting, and widely accepted municipal wastewater treatment program. All non-process and off-line wastewater is sent directly to municipal sewer plants for treatment.

Even though the material and process costs of powder coating are higher than they are for paint, powder remains competitive. Government and environmental regulations have greatly affected the handling and disposal of paint and paint waste products.