Surface finishing of metal components is an essential process to prevent rusting, ensure the durability of parts, and be a decorative feature. Both wet praying and powder coating are options for achieving this finish, but the two processes have unique differences.
Although their chemical composition is almost the same, wet paint contains solvent which powder does not, which keeps it in liquid form. In contrast, powder coating is applied as a dry powder and needs curing at high temperatures to set.
Powder coating is increasingly becoming the paint option for metal components, but why are people moving away from wet spraying?
There are many advantages of choosing powder coating over wet spraying, such as:
Powder Coating is more environmentally friendly
The powder coating process releases no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which are found in wet spray paint. These are highly harmful to the environment.
Cost advantages
Powder can prove to be a more cost-effective option as it involves fewer man-hours to achieve a finish. Much of the process is automated and the coverage of powder is generally more even and consistent, requiring much less touching up.
Durability
The curing process involved in powder coating creates a thick, solid coating on the surface which is hard-wearing and long-lasting. Atlas powder coating offers 1000-hour salt spray resistance in our powder-coated products.
Variety of textures
Often, customers will require a specific finish dependent on the application of the final product. This is much easier to achieve through powder coating than wet spray. The type of powder can determine a different texture, for example, sand texture or leatherettes, where wet spray would generally require additional processing to achieve this.
More time efficient
The curing process involved in powder coating is much faster than wet spray. Once cured, the part will need to cool down to be handled (5-10) mins but can be used immediately after. Wet-sprayed products can take up to 5 hours to fully dry and be usable.
