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HOME POWDER APPLICATIONS FEATURES POWDER COATING 101 TOP 10 FIELD ISSUES

Powder Coating 101 Top 10 Field Issues

22 August 2013 | BOB CREGG, SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR BUILDING PRODUCTS, SHERWIN-
WILLIAMS

Figure 1.Cloud phenomenon. When too much powder is

sprayed into the ion cloud, or when it is sprayed at too high a velocity, the powder will not pick up a charge as
efficiently and uncharged powder will drift around the booth.
Figure 2. Preventive maintenance including cleaning, inspecting, repairing and replacing components on a
scheduled basis is a leading indicator of powder coating success.
Powder coatings have become the finish of choice in industries ranging from heavy equipment to electronics
and from outdoor recreational products to appliances. Key advantages that powder coatings have over liquid
coatings include a solvent-free workplace, lower overall line costs and ease of cleanup. Powder coatings also
can help finishers with their sustainability efforts, as they have zero to very low VOCs and offer overspray
recycling capabilities and product waste that can generally be disposed of in conventional landfills (applicable
regulations should be checked for proper disposal methods).

Proper maintenance and spray techniques are essential to ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in any powder
coating process. Falling into bad habits is easy and often goes unnoticed, but can result in efficiency losses
and quality issues. And while supervisor benchmarking of operations is a great best practice for keeping a line
running as smoothly as the day it was first installed, even the most productive powder coating lines can
experience issues.

When it comes to getting the most of powder coating, the issues listed below are not the only ones that need to
be addressed but are certainly 10 of the most common. Proactively identifying potential problems before they
occur can save time and money.

1. A Well-Grounded Recommendation

Most electrostatically sprayed powder coatings are given a negative charge out of the powder gun, while the
part itself is grounded. This ground provides the opposite charge and attracts the powder to the part, but the
part itself must be properly grounded for this to occur. A poor ground affects the transfer efficiency and results
in improper film build. Proper maintenance practices can help to prevent this from occurring.

For example, poor film build may be caused by dirty hooks those insulated by powder buildup over time.
The hooks must be kept clean or replaced if they are beyond the point of being cleaned. The number of
passes a hook can make after cleaning will vary. Periodic checks of the ground will help to determine the
proper cleaning schedule.

Also, good contacts must be maintained throughout the system. The conveyor line that the parts hang from
should be separately grounded to ensure that proper ground gets to the part. Non-conductive contacts may
develop as a result of poor maintenance practices, reducing or eliminating ground and thus preventing powder
from being attracted to the part. To confirm proper resistance, a 500 volt megaohm meter should be used, and
the resistance value should be < 1 megaohm.

2. More is Less

The key to quality powder coating is to spray just the right amount of powder with the minimum amount of air
necessary. Excessive feed air pressure and powder volume will not result in faster or better coated parts, and
generally speaking, the finish, the spray guns and the booth may be compromised as a result.

If so much powder is being blown that the far end of the spray booth cant be seen, its likely that too much
powder is being conveyed through the gun. A typical powder gun utilizes an electrode at the end of the gun tip
to emit negative ions into the air. The powder coating is then sprayed through the ion cloud that is created,
developing the negative charge. When too much powder is sprayed into the ion cloud, or when it is sprayed at
too high a velocity, the powder will not pick up a charge as efficiently and uncharged powder will drift around
the booth (see Figure 1). A powder gun works most efficiently with an even, soft stream of powder coming from
the gun nozzle allowing the powder to pick up the proper charge and adhere to the part.

While some wear on the pumps and spray gun parts is expected, blowing air at high velocity generally leads to
premature wear and, potentially, impact fusion (fused grains of powder that fly from the gun as an already-
cured mass that cannot be re-melted). System components and parts should be inspected regularly for wear
and replaced when necessary to maintain efficiencies and finish quality. Powder supply lines to the guns
should be free of kinks and have minimal bends. The gun should be cleaned at least as often as the
manufacturer prescribes and potentially more often if operating under harsh conditions. The cost of properly
maintaining equipment is far less than the potential losses that often result when maintenance is ignored. The
desire to speed up a line and try to increase output must be tempered with the reality of the equipments
capabilities. Optimal pressures can be set by regular consultation among the lines applicators and technical
service personnel from the powder coating and equipment manufacturers.

3. Clean Air Act!

 The importance of air quality to powder coating should not be underestimated. Many of the problems
experienced in a powder coating spray installation can be directly traced to poor compressed air quality.

Airborne moisture, oil and particulate matter such as dirt or dust have the greatest influence on air quality in the
coating process. The presence of any contaminants can cause poor finish quality, a premature failure of
cartridge filters, destruction of internal system components, poorly fluidized powder due to partially plugged
fluidizing membranes and, potentially, a ripple effect of several of these concerns that will ultimately cause
powder handling problems throughout the system.

Compressed air, by its nature, may be moist and may contain oil. Depending on conditions, particulate matter
may also be present. Quality air would constitute:

Oil content of 0.1 ppm or less

Dew point of 38 degrees Fahrenheit or less

Particulate matter that does not exceed 0.3 microns in size

A desiccant air dryer and filter should be employed within the air delivery system to remove those elements
before they reach the powder system. Regular audits of these air delivery components will ensure they can be
replaced or replenished as necessary before impacting finish quality is compromised.

4. (Particle) Size Matters

One of the primary benefits inherent to powder coating is the ability to reclaim and reuse spray that does not
adhere to parts. However, trying to coat with only reclaimed material is both inefficient and costly.

Every powder coating is manufactured to a particular size range. That same range needs to be maintained to
ensure proper coating thickness, finish quality and transfer efficiency regardless of whether it is virgin or
reclaimed powder. Particles become smaller as they are continuously reclaimed and reused, which inhibits
them from properly fluidizing and holding the proper charge. This can reduce transfer efficiency to 50 percent or
less. Larger reclaimed particles, on the other hand, can cascade off the parts being coated, falling to the booth
floor and resulting in a transfer efficiency of 30 percent or less. The best way to maintain the optimal particle
size distribution is to constantly add virgin material into the system as reclaim is used to achieve the optimal
transfer efficiency. Powder suppliers can help determine the correct virgin to reclaim ratio for the powder being
used.
 5. Dont Get Mixed Up

Improper color changeovers can lead to cross contamination that can, in turn, lead to rejected parts.
Changing colors provides the opportunity to not only clean the entire system but also to ensure that spray guns
and components are set up and operating properly. With certain types of powder products, there is more of a
risk of contamination hazard than with others, as they may be highly incompatible with other powder products.
Two different powder coatings may be incompatible due to various formulation differences such as resins,
texturing, additives or other raw materials included in the formulation. For that reason, it may be advisable to
have dedicated hoses for specific colors and/or textures to avoid contamination issues.

General cleanliness is also often the root cause behind color contamination. Deferring upkeep until the entire
booth and system components are covered, with excess powder on the floor, will generally result in
inconsistent finish quality and/or color. Excess powder often leads to powder migration throughout the process
area, enhancing the potential for color contamination as cleaning becomes more difficult. It may also cause
powder to escape into the buildings air conditioning system, which can cause wear on these systems, create
an unpleasant work environment, and present a poor physical appearance should customers visit the facility.

6. Treat em Right!

Coating quality will only be as good as the quality of the surface to which it is anchored. Poor pretreatment
practices may create adhesion, corrosion resistance and impact resistance problems on coated parts.
There are varying pretreatment technologies available to finishers, each fitting specific needs. For example,
pretreatment for an office desk would most likely not be the same as that for a bicycle frame. Knowing the
pretreatment needs of each substrate is critical.

Insufficient and/or inadequate pretreatment can lead to a number of issues, including:

Loss of adhesion

Pinholing/outgassing, resulting in small holes in the finish

Laser edge issues, stemming from products cut with lasers and the resulting scale, which affects surface
technology

Flash rusting due to improper removal of surface oils

Weld pullaway, in which powder will actually pull away from a weld
 Premature coating failure in harsh environments such as salt air

Applicators should work with their pretreatment and coating suppliers to ensure that the right pretreatment is in
place when they make changes in the type(s) of product being coated, substrates, or in the coating technology
used. In short, the coating is only as good as the substrate to be covered.

7. The Price Is (Not) Right

All powder coatings are not the same. Purchasing only on price per pound and specific gravity is not a formula
for real savings. Rather, it is better to understand the price per square foot covered, or the applied cost.

Basing purchase decisions solely on price per pound and specific gravity ignores key performance and process
standards, such as the coatings durability, UV resistance, uniformity of particle size, or whether the powder
coating contains fillers or off-specification resins. It also takes the batch-to-batch consistency out of the
purchase decision, which is an important consideration in maintaining overall finished goods quality. Powder
that varies in particle size greater than 10 microns can lower transfer efficiency and requires higher average
film coverage on complex parts. The result: more pounds of powder required to coat parts.

There is no set number for transfer efficiency, as this depends on what is being coated. Perhaps the best way
of understanding the true cost is to ascertain the current transfer efficiency and determine the applied cost
basis not just the powder cost. Considering the applied product cost and overall performance at the
recommended film thickness will allow finishers to see the true cost when making product choices.

8. The Ideal Forecast: Cool & Dry

All powder coatings require a cool, dry storage environment. Ideal storage conditions are at temperatures
below 80 degrees and humidity levels under 50 percent, and low-cure powder coatings may require even
cooler temperatures. In locations prone to hot, humid conditions, air conditioned storage is a good option.
Because powder coating is a hygroscopic material, it absorbs moisture readily. When exposed to excess
moisture, the coating will have a tendency to cake. Storing the material in thick plastic bags is generally not
enough, and air conditioned storage remains the best option in high-humidity areas.

Powder stored in excessive heat may be damaged to the point where flow is inhibited. Extreme heat can cause
powder to cure and fuse in storage, resulting in a sandpaper-like finish once applied. The higher the
temperature, the faster such damage may occur.
9. Follow the Recipe

There are really only three outcomes when it comes to curing the powder coating: the proper cure, under-
curing, or over-curing, with temperature and time being the key variables in the process.
Temperature pertains to the part being coated, not the oven temperature. For example, 10 at 400 means 10
minutes at 400?F metal temperature not 10 minutes at 400?F oven temperature. The best way to verify the
oven and part temperatures is to use an oven recorder to chart both the temperature of the part and the oven
air. This should be done constantly, as conditions may change quickly. For example, a part may fall off the line
and block air flow, resulting in a change of temperature. Establishing a temperature recording log is a wise
practice to ensure quality finished part production.

It is important to note that the full performance properties of the coating are achieved only when the film is
properly cured. While proper curing is always the goal, under-curing is the next preferable outcome instead
of over-curing as under-cured parts can be put back into the oven to achieve a full cure. Under-curing that is
not addressed can result in poor adhesion, reduced impact resistance, poor gloss quality and reduced
flexibility.

Over-curing can result in discoloration, which may eliminate any opportunities to recoat and/or to apply any
decals or pad print inks. Some powders can withstand double the time in terms of over-curing, but others are
less forgiving.

Every powder coating has a set cure schedule of time and temperature as recommended by the supplier.
Powder coating suppliers can recommend a solvent rub test method that can be used to determine full cure on-
line.

10. Formula for Success: QC + PM

Powder coating success is highly dependent on an organizations commitment to produce quality parts.
Developing and adhering to a well-thought-out process that includes proper coating techniques is fundamental
to that commitment. But the influence that quality control and preventive maintenance practices have
throughout the organization should not be underestimated.

Each coating process should have written performance specifications that include standards for performance,
color, gloss and texture. By establishing a well-defined quality baseline, each and every employee throughout
the process can easily identify inconsistencies, defects, and other concerns and quickly pull those rejected
pieces.

Preventive maintenance including cleaning, inspecting, repairing and replacing components on a scheduled
basis is a leading indicator of powder coating success (see Figure 2). When repairs and replacements are
needed, it is a wise investment to use only OEM-manufactured or -sanctioned spare parts or materials.
Although lower cost replacements may be available, these knock-off or pirated parts might not be designed to
the exacting standards of the manufacturer. Use of these parts may void warranties. Worse, use of non-
approved components could lead to system failure or rejected parts the cost of which can far exceed the
savings on replacement components deemed just as good.

Coatings line employees should be trained on how the overall coating system performs and the proper system
maintenance. It is important that they recognize any variations or problems early on and understand that it is in
everyones best interest to report issues as quickly as possible. Activity checklists are helpful in this regard, as
some components and settings are best checked daily, while others will require weekly or monthly attention.
Color change is another point when maintenance may be indicated. Establishing a method of operational
consistency regarding maintenance helps employees understand what is expected of them.

Conclusion - Perfect Powder Coating

Establishing protocols and procedures for powder coating systems is a necessity to ensure a well-run, efficient
operation; however, this need not happen in a vacuum. OEMs and finishers should look to coatings
manufacturers to add value beyond product sales offering expertise to save them time and money. From
process solutions and improvements to equipment recommendations and engineering support, coatings
manufacturers can provide customers with resources to help their powder coatings operations grow and thrive.

For more information, please contact Bob Cregg at rpcregg@sherwin.com

ABOUT SHERWIN-WILLIAMS BUILDING PRODUCTS

Sherwin-Williams' Building Products Division offers a full assortment of production finishes to satisfy a wide
range of variables relating to application, curing, finish durability, appearance, environmental requirements,
"green" sustainability initiatives, and cost. This comprehensive lineup ranges from enamels and polyurethanes
to powder coatings and coil and extrusion coatings.