Frequently Asked Questions

What is Powder Coating?
Is Powder Coating environmentally friendly?
Is Powder Coating durable?
Why Powder Coating?
What about holes and threads and other areas that need to stay coating free?
Can I use body filler?
How is the Powder applied?
Is Powder Coating more expensive than liquid paint finishes?
Does Powder Coating drip, run or sag?
Can you Powder Coat over an existing finish?
Can I Powder Coat over chrome parts?
Does Powder Coating require any preparation?
What kind of metals can be coated?
Can metal parts that are die cast be Powder Coated?
Can parts be coated with clear Powder Coating?
Is there a Powder Coating that fights germs?
Can Powder Coating colours be matched?
Are there different Powder Coating finishes available?
Does Powderworks Ltd use reclaimed powder?
What do I need to do to prepare my items for Powder Coating?
Will the baking process be detrimental to my items being Powder Coated?
Can the thickness of the Powder Coating be measured on an item?
Can wood be Powder Coated?
What is the approximate turnaround time for jobs?
What forms of payment do you accept?

Q. What is Powder Coating?

A. Powder is initially applied as a dry coating. Instead of being dissolved or suspended in a liquid medium, such as solvent or water, powder is applied in a dry granular form. The powder is created by blending the various components (binder, resins, pigments, fillers and additives) and are then ground into a powder form.
Each particle contains within it the necessary components for reforming into the finished coating. After the powder is applied, typically using an electrostatic spray process, the item is placed in an oven where the powder melts and then cures into a continuous and robust coating.

Q. Is Powder Coating environmentally friendly?

A. Powder coating is an environmentally friendly process unlike solvent-based wet paint systems. With EPA regulations growing ever stricter, powder coating is fast becoming the technology of choice. Since the powder coating process does not use solvents in any way, VOC emission problems are eliminated.

Q. Is Powder Coating durable?

A. Powder coatings resist cracking and peeling and are extremely abrasion, corrosion and chemical resistant. The performance characteristics of powder coating exceed the characteristics achieved from most of the conventional solvent-based coatings.

Q. Why Powder Coating?

A. Powder coating offers the consumer a superior finish while adding many performance properties such as excellent resistance to corrosion, chemicals, heat, impact, abrasion, UV rays and extreme weather conditions. Not only is powder coating exceptionally tough and impact resistant but it is more cost effective than most other coating options.

Q. What about holes and threads and other areas that need to stay coating free?

A. High temperature masking can be applied to special surfaces such as threads or high tolerance areas to stop them from being coated. We also use high temperature silicon plugs and caps for threaded holes and shafts.

Q. Can I use body filler?

A. The high oven temperature makes the use of plastic and resin body fillers problematic. Often the filler will out gass through the powdercoating during the baking cycle, causing pin holing in the finished coating.

Q. How is the Powder applied?

A. The application process involves applying an electrostatic charge to the dry powder particles and spraying them toward the item being coated. This is earthed so the positively charged powder particles are attracted to the item being coated.

Q. Is Powder Coating more expensive than liquid paint finishes?

A. The powdercoating process is generally less labour intensive than the wet painting process because of the use of chemicals for pretreating and the one coat application of powder.

Q. Does Powder Coating drip, run or sag?

A. Very rarely, because of the way powder is applied to the substrate using an electrostatic charge, the powder goes on uniformly. The powder is then heated in an oven to let the powder flow and cure to a hard and long lasting finish. The end product is drip, run and sag free.

Q. Can you Powder Coat over an existing finish?

A. Yes and no. There are so many factors that influence the answer to this question that you should phone us and discuss your particular requirements. The answer is very dependent on the condition of the item, the condition of the existing coating and the type of the existing coating.

Q. Can I Powder Coat over chrome parts?

A. Yes but the adhesion will never be as good as if the chrome plating is removed first. Roughing up the surface using sandpaper or some other form of abrasive material can dramatically improve the powdercoat adhesion. Pitted and rusty chrome cause their own set of problems.

Q. Does Powder Coating require any preparation?

A. One of the keys to a long lasting powder finish is in the preparation of the metal (substrate). Powderworks takes great care in this preparation process. We pretreat the metal prior to powder coating to ensure good corrosion protection and good powdercoat adhesion. Each item goes through a procedure of degreasing, etching and chemically pretreating. This process is to ensure that all contaminants are removed from the surface and that the item has a good chemical protective coating. This process will ensure that the items getting powder coated will have the most durable powdercoat finish available today.

Q. What kind of metals can be coated?

A. Parts made from aluminum, steel, brass, copper, bronze, magnesium and titanium can be powder coated. (Some castings may experience out-gassing causing bubbles in the finished coating due to their potentially porous nature).

Q. Can metal parts that are die cast be Powder Coated?

A. Die cast metals can be problematic due to the potentially porous nature of the product. But good quality casting usually do not cause any problems. (Spin cast molded items tend to have out gassing problems).

Q. Can parts be coated with clear Powder Coating?

A. Clear powdercoat is available in both a matt and a gloss finish. The clear finish will keep the likes of freshly polished aluminum rims looking like new.

Q. Is there a Powder Coating that fights germs?

A. Yes. Anti-microbial powder coatings are used to provide a supplemental protection against the growth of micro organisms such as bacteria, algae or fungi. These powder coatings possess high temperature stability and an excellent colour retention. In addition to protecting against micro organisms, anti-microbial powder coatings are durable enough to withstand exterior elements. Anti-microbial powder coatings are NSF and EPA FIFRA approved for drinking water contact and FDA approved for food packaging applications.

Q. Can Powder Coating colours be matched?

A. Powder coating colours can be matched. If the colour required is not within the standard colours available, then the colour (and texture, if needed), can be matched by sending a colour swatch to the powdercoat manufacturer. Extra time should be allowed for this process.

A minimum batch size will apply for special colours. (usually a 50kg batch of powder, which is approximately the equivalent to 50 litres of paint).

Q. Are there different Powder Coating finishes available?

A. Powders come in high and low glosses, metallics, textures, and clear finishes. Powder textures range from smooth, rippled, gritty to wrinkled. Powder textures are good at hiding imperfections on the substrate and or some manufacturing imperfections.

Q. Does Powderworks Ltd use reclaimed powder?

A. Powderworks Ltd only uses virgin powders. Reclaimed powder can contain contaminants which could create imperfections in the powdercoat finish.

Q. What do I need to do to prepare my items for Powder Coating?

A. Remove all permanent marker pen and biro pen markings, glues, adhesive tapes and surplus heavy oils and grease. Drainage holes for the pretreatment process and or jig holes will need to be considered but talk to us first.
Ensure the items to be powdecoated do not come into contact with any forms of silicone, Teflon or graphite, as these contaminants are not readily seen and are very difficult to remove.

Q. Will the baking process be detrimental to my items being Powder Coated?

A. The temperature used to cure the powder is generally less than 200°C. Titanium, steel, aluminum, magnesium are not affected by these temperatures, however if there are any plastic or rubber parts that cannot be removed, these can melt or degrade when being pretreated and or baked – best to check with us first.

Q. Can the thickness of the Powder Coating be measured on an item?

A. Powderworks Ltd uses a powder thickness measurement tool to assure that the correct amount of powder has been applied to your item.

Q. Can wood be Powder Coated?

A. Powdercoat is being applied to medium density fiberboard (MDF) used in furniture, cabinetry, speaker cabinets etc with some success. (but special MDF board is required due to splitting, delamination and distortion problems) Wood itself can be powder coated but the temperature that is required to cure the powder pulls the moisture out of the wood causing many problems with cracking, degassing, distortion (and some saps can become liquid and bleed out and contaminate the powdercoating). Applying powder to wood products is not practical or recommended at this time. New powders are constantly being developed and in the near future wood and even some plastics will become practical to powdercoat.

Q. What is the approximate turnaround time for jobs?

A. We complete all jobs in the order they are booked in and or received. We offer timely service, however we do not rush a job because we take great pride in providing quality work. We try to keep turnaround time to a maximum of 3 days. We will notify you of any delays.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?

A. We accept payment by cheque, cash and internet banking.