In most residential and commercial metal fencing, you’ll find the metal is finished with either a powder coating or a baked enamel coating. Hercules Custom Iron finishes all of our aluminum in-house, and we choose to use a powder coating to do so. Why? Simply put, powder coating has several advantages over baked enamel, including longevity, strength, and overall aesthetic appeal. Learn about why we powder coat all of our aluminum fencing in this week’s blog.
Powder Coated vs. Baked Enamel Finishes
What is a powder coated finish?
That beautiful aluminum fence might look like it was painted, but powder coating is not actually paint. What it is is a dry powder with an electrostatic charge. This charge makes it want to stick to metal, so when you apply it to aluminum, it attaches very easily.
Here’s how the process works. First, we sandblast the aluminum in order to create the smoothest surface possible. This is important, because the aluminum needs a smooth-finished surface to apply to. After that, we apply a rust-inhibiting sealer. This prevents flash rusting. After that, the aluminum is treated with a primer high in zince, which gives the finish a high-quality look.
Now, the dry powder is applied, and the aluminum is heated in an oven to a very high temperature. What this does it create a thermal bond to make the powder’s bond with the metal even stronger. The product comes out of the oven, is allowed to cool, and that’s that!
Why is powder coating better than baked enamel?
The biggest advantage is the quality of the finish. Enamel finishes can run, show brush strokes, or spray patterns. Powder coatings never run and are always uniform and even.
Powder coatings are also stronger than baked enamel finishes. The dual thermal and electrostatic bonds of the powder create an incredibly strong bond with the aluminum, and the powder can be coated thicker than enamel.
Production of powder coated aluminum is also more environmentally friendly than baked enamel. This is because powder coatings don’t produce harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and any leftover powder can easily be used in the next batch.
Hercules Custom Iron has more than 70 years of experience crafting ornamental iron and quality aluminum in its in-house manufacturing facility. Contact Us today to learn more about how we can help you with your next custom iron, specialty metal or aluminum project! Also, be sure to follow Hercules Custom Iron on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!