Seamless Systems, from Pretreatment to Final Cure.

For most metal applications, a finish applied with powder coating equipment is significantly more durable than traditional liquid paint. The reason lies in the chemistry and thickness. Powder coating is applied much thicker than liquid paint, providing a more robust barrier against physical impacts. More importantly, the powder is made of thermal-set polymers that, when cured in an oven, cross-link to form a very hard, dense, and plastic-like shell. This finish is highly resistant to chipping, scratching, abrasion, and fading. While some high-performance liquid paints are very tough, for general industrial and consumer products, powder coating holds a clear advantage in durability.

Powder reclamation is the process of capturing unused powder (overspray) in a spray booth and recycling it for reuse. It is the single most important feature for the economic and environmental viability of an powder coating equipment system. A high-efficiency booth from TIMS COATING uses a cyclonic separator to remove over 98% of the overspray from the air. This reclaimed powder is sieved and mixed back in with the fresh powder from the feed hopper. This closed-loop process means that unlike liquid paint where overspray is hazardous waste, powder overspray is a reusable raw material, drastically cutting material costs and waste disposal fees.

Improving transfer efficiency (T.E.)—the percentage of powder that sticks to the part on the first pass—is key to a cost-effective process. The solution lies in your powder coating equipment and technique. First, ensure a solid electrical ground to the part; a poor ground is the most common cause of low T.E. Second, optimize your electrostatic gun settings. A high-quality gun from TIMS COATING allows you to control both the voltage (kV) and amperage (μA) to create a "soft" powder cloud that wraps the part efficiently. Finally, ensure the gun-to-part distance and travel speed are consistent, which is best achieved with an automated or robotic applicator system.

This is a common myth based on early powder coating technology. While powder coatings are excellent at creating textured finishes, modern formulations and high-performance powder coating equipment can achieve a "Class A" level of smoothness that rivals liquid paint. The key is using a very fine-milled powder, applying it with a precisely controlled electrostatic gun to create a uniform layer, and having a curing oven with excellent temperature stability. The stable heat allows the powder to melt and flow out into a perfectly smooth, glass-like surface before it cross-links and hardens. A modern system from TIMS COATING can absolutely deliver a high-gloss, smooth finish.