Summary for powder coating business Discussion
Powder coating business is the focus of this thread, where Kevin Jennings asks what it takes to start a shop for customers already sending parts out of town. He wants to know how metal is cleaned, what equipment is used to spray the coating, and what oven temperature is needed to bake it on. James Watts advises that SME offers a worthwhile powder coat class for people considering commercial use, saying it can help estimate real costs and is offered several times a year in different locations. When Kevin asks what SME is, James explains it is the Society of Mechanical Engineers and suggests searching online and checking finishing.com’s industry events calendar. In a later answer, the process is outlined: parts are typically precleaned with a 3-stage iron phosphate or 5- or 7-stage zinc-phosphate pretreatment, then electrostatically sprayed with thermoplastic or thermoset powder, and cured in an oven, often around 400 °F depending on the powder.
Q. I am in the fastener business. Some of my customers send there fabricated parts out of town or state to powder coated. So, I am interested in starting my own shop. The only thing I really about this process is that the metal must be cleaned… with what? Then it must be sprayed… how, and what kind of equipment? And last baked on … at what temp and which oven? My questions are fairly simple but I am very interested in this type of business. I am currently doing business with these customers, and they came to me.
Kevin Jennings
– Painsville, Kentucky, USA
2003
A. SME has a nice powder coat class that is great for a person considering a commercial use. Well worth the cost and the time and will really help you know what your final cost will be. It is offered several times a year and in a few different locations.
James Watts
– Navarre, Florida
2003
Q. What is SME? How do I find SME?
Kevin Jennings
– Kentucky
2003
A. SME-Society of Mechanical Engineers. You find them by typing SME into Google.com. Also check out the trade shows by going back to finishing.com main page, scroll down to 6 and look for the Calendar of Industry Events
James Watts
– Navarre, Florida
2003
A. Hi Kevin.
1. The precleaning is usually a 3-stage iron phosphate or 5 or 7 stage zinc-phosphate pretreatment.
2. The parts are then electrostatically sprayed with a fine powder of thermoplastic or thermoset plastic with spray guns specially designed for powder coating.
3. Yes, the powder is ‘baked’, but ‘cured’ or ‘fused’ or ‘melted’ might be better terms, as the gist of the process is temporarily turning the powder into a liquid so it flows together into a coating.
4. Baking temperature depends on the type of powder, but something in the vicinity of 400 ° F might be typical.
But the implication from James Watts posting about SME is that this is not a brand new field where everyone proceeds from the basic science to see what they can do; rather, it’s an established industrial science where, with help from vendors and/or consultants, you implement a system from proven components and proven approaches. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
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March 1, 2013