Powder Coating vs. Wet Painting
Giving metal fabrication a finishing touch is quite challenging due to the various techniques available. The most popular are wet painting and powder coating and though the difference between both techniques can be noticed immediately, both have their own pros and cons. You cannot use both the techniques on all fabricated itemsbut powder coating is more popular because of the benefits it provides to the manufacturer and the customer.
Here are few points that can define the differences of wet painting and powder coating. By checking the following points, you can decide which technique is better for you:
- Powder Coating is Tougher: Since powder coating is applied electro-statically on the surfaces using heat, it is tougher than the other customaryapplications such as wet-painting and plating. There is a wide range of materials like polyester, polyester-epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, and straight epoxy to make powder. The finishing results with powder coating are harder and thicker than the conventional methods like wet-paint. Moreover, powder coating can be done on a wider range of products that may include household items as well as automobile parts which is not possible with paint. Distressed finish effects on fabricated items are also possible only by using powder coating.
- Durability: Since powder coating gives a dense and thick finish on the metal surfaces, it is more durable and long lasting compared to conventional painting. It is resilient to extreme weather conditions because the process of powder coating involves high-voltage-electrostatic-surge which makes it tougher and that is difficult to achieve with wet-painting.
- Easy and Economic: Since powder coating is done in one go; the process is quite easy and quick. It also means less labor and less cost which is beneficial for both, the manufacturer and the customer. While in painting, the required finish demands at least two coats which ends up paying more to the labor and ultimately the customer has to bear the cost.
- More Variety: Powder for powder coating is made using various pigments and the whole process is computerized. It is for this reason that you can get multiple color schemes. The texture of the items also can be achieved in many ways as the powder, which is sprayed on the fabricated items, is manipulated expertly. Although black and white are most popular colors but other colors also can be made with the same results. In traditional painting you can mix colors according to your choice but the results acquired are not that good as they are in powder coating.
- Uniformity: Whether the surfaces of the metal items are horizontal or vertical, powder coating offers uniform finish on the metal surfaces because of the process through which the whole process of coating takes place. Since powder is sprayed and not applied, the process can be finished without drips or any traces of application. While there is always a chance of dripping or bubbling in traditional painting and because of this reason you have to be extra careful while painting.
So seeing the various differences, one can say that powder coating has many advantages over traditional wet-painting. For powder coating on any type of fabricated items, you can contact Maui Powder Works, a reputed company in this field.
