For metal fencing, there are two commonly used techniques to apply coats of finish. These are powder coating and baked enamel. Hercules Custom Iron uses powder coating to finish all of our iron and aluminum products. We find that powder coated finishes have a number of advantages over baked enamel finishes. Learn more in our blog about how powder coating works, and why we use it for our products.
Powder Coated Finishes
Powder coating is not paint. The coating itself is a dry powder which is electrostatically charge. This charge attracts it to metal, which also eliminates the need for application of a primer. After the powder is apply, it’s heated in an oven, which creates a thermal bond that creates the finish you see on your fence.
The Process
First, the metal is sand-blasted to a smooth, bare finish, which creates the optimal surface for application of the powder coating.
Next, we apply an anti-rust inhibiting sealer to prevent flash rusting.
Next, we treat the metal with a zinc rich primer to ensure a high quality finish.
Finally, we apply the polyester finish coat, which provides 8-10 mils of protection.
The Advantages
There are a number of advantages of powder coating over baked enamel.
First, it provides a very even finish. You won’t see any runs with powder coating. Baked enamel finishes may show brush strokes or spray patterns.
The thermal and electrostatic bonds make for an extremely durable finish.
The coating can be thicker than a liquid coating.
Unlike baked enamel finishing, powder coating does not produce any harmful volatile organic compounds.
Excess powder can easily be recycled and used in future finishing.
We do all of our powder coating at our in-house state-of-the-art powder coating facility. With our multiple over system, we have the flexibility to powder coat oversize materials. You can learn more about powder coating here, where you’ll find a video on our facility as well as a downloadable powder coating color chart. When it comes to metal fence finishing, the choice is clear: powder coating is the way to go.
For more information about aluminum and iron fences, contact Hercules Custom Iron. We have 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!
Source
http://www.activarcpg.com/activar/news/why-use-powder-coat-paint-instead-baked-enamel