How to Get Started with Powder Coating

Powder coating is a fun and creative niche market for everyone. TIGER has assisted powder-coating operations all around the world from garages to multimillion-dollar facilities. Here are a few essential items and equipment that is required to help entrepreneurs and businesses set up a new powder coating operation!

Pretreatment (Chemical or Mechanical): Pretreatment is a very crucial step in the powder coating application process. The type of pretreatment will vary significantly depending on what is being powder coated. Blasting and/or chemical cleaning (etching) are the most common practices of preparing the substrate (typically iron phosphate or zinc phosphate). These methods remove soils and create a profile on the substate, which gives the powder a surface to adhere to.

Powder Coatings/Drylac: Depending on what type of project, discover different powder coating chemistries and colors for your substrate. 

Powder Coating Gun: To apply powder coating you will need a powder coating gun and system. There are multiple powder coating systems one can use including cup guns, box feeders, hopper units and large automatic units.

Spray Booth: The two primary forms of powder coating booths are recovery and non-recovery booths. It is essential to have a booth that has a great ventilation system to properly filter out the powder, as you are powder coating. The lighting is also important with 100 kindle from ceiling to floor as the industry standard.

Oven: Powder coating ovens come in all sizes and can be custom-built for operations. The two common choices of ovens used are infrared and convection ovens. It is important to keep in mind when installing an oven that will fit the largest parts. Great air circulation is also critical to ensure the heat is evenly distributed on the substrate.

Racks: Many companies that have fabrication capabilities tend to design their own racks. Sturdy racks to hang the powder coated parts from without being unbalanced are key for proper grounding. 

Protective Gear: Gloves, face mask, goggles, respirator and body suit are recommended for protection.

There is no question the powder coating process can seem daunting at first however with the correct tools and assistance you will be able to start a new hobby or business with the items listed above. For a better understanding, check out this video demonstrating the powder coating process and equipment needed by Doc's Garage Werks!