5 tips to improve your powder coating application

Posted by on 4 November 2019

5 top tips for the coating professional

There's so much we could cover here, from solving applications or appearance issues, to tips on equipment, quality checks and more. Check out these top tips from experienced coating professionals that cover a little of everything... 

1. Look good – and avoid this!

Picture framing usually occurs around the outer edge of a part or an opening on a part. It is basically a thicker film build around the edges – hence the name. Most of the time picture framing happens when you have too much flow or you’re applying the powder too thickly onto the substrate and it is pulling away at the edges. How to avoid it? Prevent it by paying particular attention to the gun and spray dispersal during the application process. If you are spraying by hand, try not to aim directly at the edges and watch your flow. Adjust the settings on your gun to reduce powder flow, and consider lowering your KVs.

If you coat very large orders or have big returning customers, then another thing to consider is building a dedicated rack that has a rod – basically, a raw bridge to keep the powder from building up too much in the corners. Adding a robber bar around the rack can also help with reducing the number of rejects due to picture framing.

2. Don’t spit! Try this…

Gun spits cause problems. Period.  Most often, too much fluidization is the biggest culprit. Too much fluidization in the hopper creates lots of air bubbles. The flow coming out of the gun is not a consistent mix of air and powder; there is too much air. Powder build up on the tip of the gun, and on the electrode, can also cause spits as can worn out pumps or venturis  or kinks in the hose. Also watch out for humidity affecting the air or water in the airline creating impact fusion or powder clumping – all of which cause spitting. Fortunately, all of the above can be easily fixed with simple good maintenance. Check your equipment, make sure the hoses themselves are not being restricted in any manner.

3. Does your powder have good adhesion?

Making sure the powder has good adhesion, wills tick, will stick for a very ling time, and will not peel away is the key to a happy customer! How do you check? Try a simple cross hatch adhesion test and see how to do it with our easy to follow video!

4. Pump it up - do you keep your pumps in good condition?

The main type of pump used today for powder coatings are Venturi pumps. Pumps are almost the heart of your equipment. They push the air through the powder, shifting it toward the pick-up tubes using negative air pressure. There’s also an atomizer, which mixes additional air into the powder being conveyed through the hoses and aids with consistent flow. Pumps basically control the ratio of powder feed air to atomized air. Maintaining the pumps is super important! Depending on how much you use them, the various parts pumps are made of will wear – and faster than you think. A good habit to get into is to check over the parts every day, as powder is abrasive. Better to find any problems at the start of a shift than for it to crop in the middle of an application. Gun surges, gun spits, and inconsistent flow are some of the issues than can crop up from a faulty or broken pump

5. Know your powder types

Do you know your polyesters from your urethanes? Your super durables from your hybrids? Making sure you offer you customer the right type of PERFORMANCE from your powder, as well as the right color, means a happy, loyal customer. Different types of powders offer different types of performance. Some are great for exteriors – some don’t weather at all. Some will have good chemical resistance, some not so much. Make sure you know which one is best for your customer’s application by checking out our guide or our training video!