Wet Paint vs. Powder Coating

Wet Paintis the process of applying a liquid paint to a metal product for protection. A process called Plating is when metal is deposited on a conductive surface. This can be used for many purposes such as corrosion inhibition, decoration, to reduce friction, improve wearability, harden or to improve paint adhesion. When applying wet paint you should first thoroughly clean down the metal object, then wet-spray liquid paint to an even thickness of approximately 15-20 micrometers. Most paints are applied by using a pump, spray or pressurized vessel in order to get an even layer. View Wet Spray Equipment

Advantages:

Paint is available in a wide assortment of colours and paint types, e.g. Polyesters, Acrylics, Silicone Polyesters, 50% & 70% PVDF coatings and Kynar's.
Wet Paint acts as an excellent protectant against the harsh elements that can affect the aluminum substrate.
Wet Paints are water based which means they can be thinned off with water (no spirits needed) and brushed can be cleaned with just soap and water.
Traditional acrylic paints dry rapidly, so there is no need to wait for one coat to try before you paint the next.
Acrylic paints are more flexible than oil or powder paints and they usually leave a smoother finish.
Wet Paint can be formulated to your specific need.

Disadvantages:

A lot of waste is produced during the application process due to over spraying.
Wet Paint is very damaging to the environment because it is has to be disposed as a hazardous waste.
The appearance of your finished product may vary due to the differences in line conditions, spray equipment or everyday process variations.
Wet Paint can take many days to cure, but this also depends on the conditions in the atmosphere.

Powder Coatings Powder Coating is a dry finishing process, based on polymer resin systems, combined with curatives, pigments, levelling agents, flow modifiers, and other additives. These ingredients are melt mixed, cooled, and ground into a uniform powder similar to baking flour. A process called electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) is typically used to achieve the application of the powder coating to a metal substrate. This is the most common method of applying powder. However, they can also be applied to non-metallic substrates, such as plastics and medium density fibreboard (MDF) View Powder Coating Equipment

Advantages:

Ease of application
Minimum waste and associated disposal costs
One coat coverage reduces production time and related costs
Corrosion resistant
Excellence of finish and performance

Disadvantages:

It is very expensive to kit up and maintain, due to the running of the ovens.
Thin films are more difficult to obtain with powders than with wet paint systems.

Colour change is more rapid with liquid paints than with powders. Although, improvements in application equipment and cleaning techniques has reduced this time.
Powders cannot be mixed with one another to obtain different colours.

Sign Up