Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----
Powder coating and the automotive industry
1998
Q. Hello,
I'm a Belgian student in automotive technology, and I have to do a paper about "Automotive stuff related to POWDER COATING".
I'm experiencing some problems in my search for information regarding this topic.
Questions :
* What exactly is powder coating, and how is it done (equipment and so on)?
* What is the history of powder coating ?
* And finally: Is it already being used by automobile constructors, body shops, etc.
Problems, advantages, necessities of powder coating ?
Herbert Van Leemputten1997
A. I can't answer all of your questions, but I might be able to get you started. The automotive companies in the USA are using powder coating on a limited basis. I am aware of PPG supplying powder to Chrysler. It is applied after the e-coat and prior to the color coat to add chip resistance. It is electrostaticly sprayed onto the vehicle and heated to about 350 °F.
The leveling characteristics of powder coatings typically cause them to have a less uniform film thickness than liquid coatings. Distinctness of Image (DOI) can also be a problem as powder coats tend to produce a high level of orange peel.
If you don't get the answers you need here, maybe you should contact PPG Industries, if not locally, then in Allison park, Pennsylvania, for additional information. I'm sure they will be glad to assist someone like yourself.
Good luck.
Joe PetersA. Powder coating in the automobile industry is quite popular, even more so than most people realize. The automotive powder applications that are relatively new are of primer and clearcoating. Joe is most definitely correct, Chrysler Corp. has adopted powder coated priming in its Delaware plant, you might check out the Department of Energy web site pertaining to this subject. Also PPG is supplying a powder clear to BMW. With the concerns of VOC's, most auto makers are starting to turn to waterbornes or powders. I hope this helped a little. --Tim
Tim Doscher1997
A. Hi Herbert.
You got good answers on the state of powder coating in the auto industry. As for what it is, that one is pretty easy: it's a way of applying paint-like organic coatings without the use of solvents, by electrostatically applying a powder to the part, then melting and fusing the powder into a continuous coating. It is applicable to both thermoset and thermoplastic materials. The history and how it is done is covered in our library article "Introduction to Powder Coating", generously posted by Mario S. Pennisi. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 5, 2012
Q. Res. sir,
I want to start a powder coating plant so I want to know which type of coating is generally used in automobile industry, and how much will be cost for that plant approximately. Please let me know as early as possible.
I am waiting for your reply.
thank you..
- Pune, Maharashtra, India
July 7, 2016
this text gets replaced with bannerText
Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread