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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Powder Paint removal from silicone plugs

I work in a midwestern manufacturing facility where we machine and powder coat pulleys for use in our facility. Our paint spec. indicates that the bores of these pulleys are to free of paint. We have successfuly tried a silicone plug which we pull through the bores and keyway of these pulleys prior to painting them in our powder coat paint system. The problenm we are faced with is the accumulation of baked on powder paint on these silicone plugs, which in turn can reduce the effectiveness of them by allowing paint to migrate into the bores when used repeatedly. We tried bead blasting them and it worked but it apparently abrased the silicone which makes the paint stick even more. Is there a chemical out there that will remove the powder coating from these silicone plugs that we could be using instead?

Mark D. Marisch
Transport Refrigeration - Hastings, Nebraska, USA
2005

Have you tried rumbling these? It could be less abrasive then shot blasting, try some porcelain media in a small rumbler, less labour intensive!

Chris Love
- United Kingdom
2005