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POWDERCOAT TEST PROCEDURES NEEDED

I AM THE QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER OF A MANUFACTURER OF EXHIBITS AND FURNITURE THAT IS SETTING UP A BATCH POWDERCOATING OPERATION. IN THE PRETREATMENT STAGE, AFTER DEGREASING I NEED TO TEST THE PARTS FOR CLEANESS PRIOR TO PHOSPHATING. HOW DO YOU PERFORM THE WATERBREAK TEST AND IS THIS THE PROPER TEST? ALSO I NEED A NONDESTRUCTIVE TEST FOR ADHESION AFTER THE POWDERCOATING IS CURRED. PLEASE HELP ME!

HAL STACEY
O8O STUDIO - TAMPA, Florida, USA
2006

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The waterbreak test is visual, immediately after the parts exit the washer, look at THE WAY the water runs off of the part. It should run off in a solid sheet with no beading or voids(voids and beading are indicative if an unclean area).

There are no non-destructive test for cure. It's typical to paint a representative sample of the material that you make you product out of so that you can do the destructive testing on it without destroying a production part. Another common method of cure testing is to do the test in an area that is not visible after the part is in position, e.g. the bottom of a chair.

Sheldon Taylor
supply chain electronics
Wake Forest, North Carolina
2006