Importance Of Surface Preparation In The Powder Coating Process
Powder coating is considered as one of the best and most effective ways of providing a new look to the objects as well as protecting them from resistance and external environmental factors. It is one of the most in-demand processes required in the metal cutting or manufacturing industries.
If you are a technician, then you might be knowing that powder coating any object requires a complete stage-wise process and it needs to be done in a perfect way. The objects that would be powder coated will have to undergo a pre-treatment in order to ensure that the powder coat is applied perfectly. If you are not providing any proper treatment to the objects, then you will not be able to provide the best powder coat. The final coat will not be durable, and you would have to compromise on the bond that the powder coat layer forms with the surface of the object.
What Would Happen If You Are Ignoring Pre-treatment Before Powder Coating?
If you are neglecting the pre-treatment of the surface of the object (whatever type of metal it may be), it will have a negative impact on the strength and appearance of the product. There might be chances that the surface develops bubbles and bumps in the coat, which will eventually lead to the peeling of the powder coat. Besides the aesthetic flaws, there might be various other serious issues with an improper powder coat, which may lead to corrosion, oxidation process, and decrease in the service life of the object.
If you want the objects to last longer and have better strength, then it is quite essential to ensure that powder coats are applied with perfection.
What Are The Important Processes Involved In The Preparation Of The Surface For Powder Coat?
1. The First Stage – Disassembly:
In this stage, if the products have multiple parts, then all these parts would be disassembled. The parts that are sensitive to the heating and blasting process are separated from the main object.
2. The Second Stage Of Pre-treatment – Stripping and Cleaning:
In this stage, all the traces of the oil, grease, or any sort of oil stains will be eliminated by making use of proper cleaning solutions. If such oily or greasy contaminants remain on the surface of the object, it will completely ruin the layer of the powder coat.
3. The Third Stage – Pre-Baking & Outgassing:
This step is not required for every metal surface or object. Usually, this step will be applicable for those metals that have a porous surface. These metals can easily absorb the dust and oil stains from the surface. For instance, metals like cast iron and aluminum generally would require to undergo this process.
4. The Fourth Stage – Sandblasting:
The process of sandblasting is highly beneficial because it removes the roughness from the surface, cleans it from all types of dust and dirt, and makes it ready for application of the powder coat. For the sandblasting process, you would require expert skills. It is quite essential to understand what parts need to be sandblasted, and what sandblasting material is required to achieve smoothness.
5. The Fifth Stage – Masking The Surface Of The Object:
Once you have completed all the stages, the final process is to ensure proper surface masking. The objects are now extremely clean, and you need to handle them with extreme care without adding any slightest bit of dirt onto them. Not even a fingerprint mark should appear on the surface, or else it will ruin the final finish of the powder coat. Applying masks will help in protecting the surface.
Summary:
While you are focusing on the pre-treatment, you will have to consider a lot of things such as the material of the object, the quality of the object, the material required in sandblasting, and the condition that needs to be maintained for pre-treatment as well as powder coating.
Besides this, you need to ensure what type of cleansers, rinses, or sealants you would be using to achieve great results. When you are vigilant about all these things, it would be helpful for you to ensure what level of bonding would be achieved and the strength of the powder coat on the surface of the object. So always make sure that you are not ignoring the pre-treatment process before you apply the powder coat.