Powder Coating Process for Manufacturers of Metal Parts

Metal parts are coated with a powder that makes a protective covering over the parts. The parts are coated with powder with the help of machines. It is called automated coating and it is done with machines but one needs a large facility for automated coating.

Automated Coating

Manufacturers send a large number of pieces of metal for powder coating but the good thing is that the pieces are of equal size and dimension. Since the pieces are of same size, they can be powder coated with the help of machines. It is the machines that prepare the parts for coating, spray powder on the parts and then take parts to heating.

Advantage of automated coating is it saves time and cost. A large number of pieces can be coated with the help of machines in no time and the coating cost is reduced as the number of pieces is large. The service provider gets bulk order and the manufacturer gets work done on time. But automated system works well only when there are large number pieces to be coated.

Automated coating is used to keep pace with the manufacturing process. For instance, a manufacturer produces 1000 small parts a day. He would want his powder coating service provider to coat the parts as soon as the parts come out of assembly line. The parts would be sent to the service provider where the service provider would coat the parts with powder.

Batch Coating

If the manufacturing is slow then there would be no use of automated coating. Automated coating would prove to be expensive for a small number of metal pieces. Industrial powder coating is also done with batch system or manual. Not all manufacturers move fast. Some manufacturers make big machines and they make one machine a day.

Advantage of batch system is it is manual hence there can’t be any error. Workers prepare the pieces for coating and powder coat the pieces with spray guns. The pieces coated with powder are moved for heating and heated pieces are moved for cooling. It isn't easy but it gives perfect coating.

What is the Best Coating System?

Which coating system would be used depends upon the number of pieces to be coated. If the number of pieces is large then the service provider would use automated industrial powder coating and if the pieces are small in number then the service provider would choose batch system.