Pretreatment Duration
How can I shorten the pretreatment time for my batch powder painting operation?
Share
Q. I have seven tanks in the pretreatment process I use for my batch powder painting operation:
1. Degreaser
2. Water
3. De-ruster.
4. Water
5. Water
6. Zinc phosphate
7. Water
Can you please give me some advice on how I can shorten my pretreatment time?—L.M.
A. Unfortunately, what you have listed are the minimum steps that are necessary for a conversion coating. Possibly, the segment that offers any possibility to shorten the overall cycle would be if you could eliminate the de-rusting step. This would only be possible if you could control and eliminate the rust from your upstream manufacturing process. First examine the incoming parts or sheet material. Are they coming in the door rusted? If so, can you work with your suppliers to change this or have them perform the de-rusting before you receive the parts? If the rust is occurring within your manufacturing process, you can work to eliminate it through the use of in-house light oils or indoor corrosion inhibitors and reducing the amount of in-process time the parts are allowed to sit between processing steps.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Understanding Infrared Curing
Infrared cure is gaining increased attention from coaters as a result of shorter cure cycles and the possibility of smaller floor space requirements when compared to convection oven curing.
-
Anodizing Vs. Powder Coat
I am an engineer on a large yacht build project and urgently need information and advice on choosing a finish for the aluminum deck plates in the engine room.
-
The Powder Coating Process
Powder coating is one of the most durable finishes that can be applied to industrial manufactured products, and offers excellent corrosion protection and is very safe because of its lack of volatile organic compounds. To understand the powder coating process you should start with the fundamentals.
