What is Powder Coating? Exploring Our Aluminum Finishes
Powder coating gives aluminum components a durable colored or textured finish without liquid paint. The process uses electrostatically charged powder, which is applied to the surface before being cured with heat.
At our Bath manufacturing facility, powder coating is carried out in-house using a computer-controlled coating booth integrated into the production process. This gives us greater control over color application, finish consistency and quality checks, while allowing a wider range of standard and bespoke finishes to be produced for our partitioning and door systems.
In-house powder coating
Bringing powder coating into the manufacturing process gives our production team direct oversight of preparation, coating and curing. Aluminum profiles can be finished in a wide range of colors and textures to suit different interior schemes, including project-specific finishes where required.
Computer-controlled application helps regulate the coating process and supports consistency across components, while trained technicians monitor the finish and carry out quality checks throughout production.
Color and textured finishes
Powder coating allows aluminum framing to become part of the wider material palette of an interior rather than remaining a purely functional element.
Depending on the project specification, profiles can be supplied in a range of standard colors, textured finishes and bespoke shades. This gives designers greater scope to coordinate partitioning and doors with joinery, furniture, ceilings and other architectural finishes.
Environmental and safety considerations
Powder coating differs from conventional solvent-based liquid paint because the coating material contains no liquid solvent. This means the application process can avoid the solvent-related volatile organic compound emissions typically associated with many traditional wet-paint systems.
Our powder coating line also includes measures intended to reduce material waste and energy use. A cyclone powder recovery unit allows suitable overspray powder to be recovered and reused, while waste powder is collected by specialist contractors for appropriate disposal.
The curing and drying ovens have also been insulated as part of our energy-management and heat-retention measures.
As with any industrial coating process, appropriate controls and personal protective equipment remain necessary. Trained personnel use protective clothing, eye protection, masks and gloves when operating the powder coating equipment.
Durability
Once cured, the powder coating forms a continuous finish over the aluminum surface. Depending on the coating specification and exposure conditions, powder-coated finishes can provide good resistance to chipping, scratching, chemicals, weathering and corrosion.
The required coating system should always be selected to suit the intended application, environment and performance requirements of the project.
Powder recovery and bespoke colors
Our cyclone powder recovery system captures suitable overspray generated during coating so that it can be reused within the process, helping to reduce material waste.
A separate hand-spray booth is used for smaller quantities and non-standard colors. This allows bespoke project finishes to be produced without requiring the main coating line to be changed over for relatively small batches.
Together, these facilities give us greater flexibility over color, texture and batch size while maintaining control of the finishing process within our UK manufacturing operation.
Explore our finishes
See the range of color and textured finishes available across our partitioning and door systems, including standard and bespoke powder-coated options.
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