POWDER COATING

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Perforated Metal

Powder Coating is a popular finish for Perforated Metal products, particularly for products used within Architectural applications. Many Perforated Metal materials are suited to Powder Coating including Aluminium, Hot Dipped Galvanised Steel, Pre-Galvanised Steel and Mild Steel.

This coating is a free-flowing, dry powder which is used to create a tough and durable finish, much tougher than conventional paint. It is a thermostat polymer; it is applied electrostatically and cured under heat.

Standard Powder Coating gives a paint thickness of approximately 60 microns. However, dependent on the environment, a variety of Powder Coating applications can be used. For example, in areas with aggressive or extreme conditions, materials can be Powder Coated with a greater thickness (more than 60 microns), as well as undergoing thorough pre-treatment measures. Generally there are two main types of Powder Coating which relate to usage in standard environments and more extreme environments.

Benefits of Powder Coating

• Powder Coated materials have a thick and strong coating without running and sagging
• Generally, when a surface is Powder Coated, there is little disparity between horizontally and vertically coated surfaces in comparison with liquid coated surfaces
• As the Powder Coating’s overspray can be recycled, there is very little waste as almost 100% of the coating is used
• With Powder Coating, there is less damage to the environment as almost no Volatile Organic Compounds are produced
• Powder coatings can product much thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging

Materials

• Aluminium Powder Coating: Generally, Powder Coated Aluminium is finished with a paint thickness of 60 microns. However, for more extreme and corrosive environments a thicker paint finish can be used in addition to thorough pretreatment measures. For products in an extremely aggressive environment, the product may be finished with two coats – a base powder and topcoat
• Hot Dipped Galvanised Powder Coating: Dependent on the environment, a range of options are available including one, two or three coat finishes
• Continuous Galvanised Sheet Powder Coating: This is suited for a range of environments, from more benign to more extreme conditions. To reflect this, a range of options are available including a one coat finish and a two coat finish
• Mild Steel Powder Coating: Perforated Mild Steel can be Powder Coated in a two coat finish

Please Note: As Graepels products are perforated, we often recommend a two-coat finish. This is due to the number of ‘edges’ in a Perforated Metal Sheet which can reach many hundreds of thousands. This gives the best long term finish and heightens the durability of the finished product.