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Powder Coating Wood

May 19, 2008

I own a metal fabrication company and will be opening a large powder coat company in the next month or so. I have received a couple a calls from customers wanting to know if I can powder coat wood. I didn't think much about it with the first call. But the 2nd call got me to thinking more about it. I have the electro static guns, spray booth and a gas oven. What other equipment would I need to do wood powder coat. Or what applications?


Thanks,

Mike Ainolhayat
powder coat company - Raleigh, North Carolina

Coating wood, I presume you mean natural wood like beech, oak, pine etc is the goal of many PC mfs. A PC material for the top end of the furniture trade is seen by many as one of the growth areas for the mf of powders. Some success using low bake powder has been achieved but unlike PC MDF (one of the success stories) natural wood has an end grain somewhere on its profile ò entrapped air during the cure can cause surface defects. The biggest problem with wood is its inability to stay ridged; there is movement in the finished item, leading to a breakdown of the applied coating. This does not happen with MDF ò its shape stays the same for many years without any internal/external stresses being present. Until a flexible but hardwearing coating that is resistant to staining from the acids and alkalis present in food and many beverages is developed, then successful PC of natural wood will remain out of reach of the applicator for many years to come. UV cured powder seems to be the route that many mf are pursuing, driven on by the offer of potentially huge sales to the top furniture mf around the world.

Terry Hickling
Birmingham, United Kingdom
May 20, 2008