The Environmentally Responsible Choice
Demand Better
Striving to improve is part of our nature. Moving forward – and getting better – can be challenging, fun, frustrating, exciting and ultimately rewarding. Especially when it pays off. Most of us want to improve. We’re always looking for the better deal, the better performance, the better color, the better process – better is best!
So, surely this extends to coatings for the cabinets and furniture we put so much time and effort into creating?
Aesthetics
No matter what the finish, it has to look good. Period. We’re looking for a gorgeous, smooth finish with plenty of design options.
But what if you demand better?
PureClad® powder, is manufactured to display excellent flow, which in turn results in a beautiful finish. If you’re looking for smooth, we’ve got smooth, but what about something different? As well as an array of color options, different gloss levels, from a trendy low gloss to a polished looking high gloss are available. And then there’s the effects. Of particular note are the gorgeous light textures – a subtle design feature that raises the game and delivers a new and exciting finish. What’s more, some technologies like Formica require edge banding and there are aesthetic issues; only slight contouring is possible, and seams are unavoidable. Not so with PureClad® powder.
Demand better.
Technical performance
As well as looking good, of course the finish has to perform.
Connor McGregor said “Life is about growing and improving and getting better”. Ok, so we might not be fighting in a ring, but PureClad® certainly packs a performance punch.
PureClad® powder delivers excellent resistance to cracking & peeling and awesome chip and mar resistance, ensuring both you and the end customer get the low maintenance finish they want for their home. Stain resistance is also key – check out this article that delves into that a little deeper. Needless to say, you can wipe that off the worry list. So far so good, but many of the incumbent technologies can deliver these features.
What if you demand better?
Dedicated R&D development work combined with advances in resin technology and equipment have created a coating that will not only deliver on performance, but will overcome the limitations of the finishes you’re using today.
Formica has a tendency to crack and peel in high-humidity, warm environments, and Thermofoil can suffer from delamination if exposed to humidity – both present in kitchens and bathrooms. PureClad® powder has been created with built in flexibility to accommodate the deformation of wood that occurs overtime, especially in humid environments with significant temperature variation, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
What about UV resistance or color stability? What about heat resistance? Some technologies like Thermofoil, will actually yellow and become brittle in these type of conditions. PureClad® powder delivers excellent UV resistance, and its thermosetting properties also provide excellent heat resistance properties.
Demand better.
Environmental footprint
Environmentally responsible design is a hot topic, and with good reason. We need to get better in this area, and what’s exciting, is that choosing sustainability can now extend to the coating – without compromising on performance.
Powder coatings are well known for their excellent environmental footprint. No solvents or Volatile Organize Compounds (VOCs), reduced energy requirements, superior carbon footprint and significantly reduced waste all come as standard. When you compare them to the finishes we see in stores today – for example Thermofoil causes unnecessary waste, does not easily degrade, and when it does, it gives off dioxins & phthalates; liquid paints come with solvent issues, and Formica has a relatively short service-life – only 10-15 years - and cannot be recycled – there really is no competition.
Designers, consumers and OEMs all want a more sustainable option. PureClad® delivers.
Demand Better.
Efficiency
If you’re a coater reading this, you’re going to be concerned about process and throughput efficiencies. That’s sensible – but demand better.
Whatever the finish it’s got to be quick to apply. Both Thermofoil and Formica are quick to apply and PureClad® powder applies and cures in around 7 minutes. The cure process takes as little as 4 minutes in a catalytic IR cure oven at only 265°F (think of the energy savings) and is sufficiently low to accommodate standard MDF as well as many natural wood materials.
Talking of waste, and efficiencies, in a typical high-production cabinet front coating operation, transfer efficiencies average 50-65%. The rest is waste. What’s more, with the opaque paints used for wood/MDF average around 33% solids and the rest is waste. Powder coating can be reclaimed and recycled, so not only is that an environmental advantage but it also means minimal waste.
Opaque liquid finishes require 4-6 coats (depending on the color chosen), with sanding on every coat except the topcoat. This removes 4-6% of the paint each time, and in the best-case scenarios (excluding UV, which is very limited), each coat needs 10-15 minutes of oven time to cure. That’s a really long, expensive, application process with high energy usage. PureClad® powders deliver the technical performance you need, and in most applications it’s in a single coat.
PureClad® is easy to apply, cost effective, offers robust processing and is safe for people and the environment.
Demand Better. It’s Available.