Powder Coating

Powder coating applies a durable, uniform polymer finish to metal parts using electrostatically charged powder and heat curing for strong, corrosion-resistant surfaces.

Overview

Powder coating is a dry finishing process where electrostatically charged powder is sprayed onto grounded metal parts, then oven-cured to form a continuous, tough polymer film. It delivers thicker, more impact-resistant coatings than most liquid paints, with excellent corrosion resistance, good edge coverage, and a wide range of colors, gloss levels, and textures.

Choose powder coating for metal parts that see outdoor exposure, handling abuse, or cosmetic scrutiny, especially at low to high production volumes where batch or conveyor systems make sense. It works well for weldments, frames, brackets, and enclosures as long as you design for hanging, electrical grounding, and clearance for coating thickness. Tradeoffs: limited precision on coating thickness, potential Faraday cage issues in deep recesses, and curing temperatures that can distort thin sections or damage heat-sensitive assemblies. Masking and color changes also add cost, so consolidate color variants and define critical masked surfaces clearly on the drawing.

Common Materials

  • Low carbon steel
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Aluminum 5052
  • Stainless steel 304
  • Galvanized steel

Tolerances

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Applications

  • Automotive wheels and suspension components
  • Outdoor furniture and architectural railings
  • Industrial frames, racks, and weldments
  • Electrical and electronics enclosures
  • Appliance and machinery housings
  • Bicycle and powersports frames

When to Choose Powder Coating

Use powder coating when you need a durable, corrosion-resistant, cosmetic finish on metal parts and can tolerate a few mils of thickness buildup. It’s ideal for welded assemblies, structural parts, and housings in small to high volumes where batch or line processing is practical. Favor it when impact resistance, outdoor durability, and decorative appearance matter more than micron-level thickness control.

vs Anodizing

Choose powder coating over anodizing when you need thicker, more impact-resistant protection, a broader range of opaque colors, or to finish mixed metals that can’t all be anodized. Powder coating also hides minor surface imperfections better, which helps on weldments and lower-cost extrusions that haven’t been cosmetically machined.

vs E-Coating

Choose powder coating over E-coating when appearance and film build are critical, such as visible consumer-facing parts or where you want textures or specific gloss levels. Powder coating is better for thicker, decorative layers; E-coat is often used as a primer under powder when you need extreme corrosion resistance, but powder alone is usually enough for many industrial applications.

vs Chromium Electroplating

Choose powder coating over chromium electroplating when you don’t need a metallic chrome look but want a more environmentally friendly, lower-regulatory-burden process. Powder coating avoids hexavalent chrome issues, offers many color options, and provides better impact resistance on structural parts, though without the mirror-bright decorative metal finish.

vs Zinc Electroplating

Choose powder coating over zinc electroplating when the part is visible to the user or will see abrasion where bare zinc would quickly look worn. Powder coating provides thicker, more attractive, and more abrasion-resistant films, especially valuable on outdoor products, machinery covers, and consumer goods, rather than purely functional fasteners or hardware.

vs Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)

Choose powder coating over PVD when you need robust film thickness, lower cost per unit area, and don’t require ultra-thin decorative or functional metallic coatings. Powder coating is better for large structures, weldments, and general industrial parts where durability and color flexibility matter more than nanometer-scale control or specialized functional layers.

Design Considerations

  • Call out required coating thickness range and indicate if it is functional or cosmetic-only so shops can set line parameters correctly
  • Specify and clearly dimension masked areas for threads, fits, grounding points, and critical bores; assume 0.002–0.005" total buildup where not masked
  • Provide hanging holes or features in non-cosmetic areas sized to support the part’s weight during coating and curing
  • Avoid deep narrow pockets, sharp internal corners, and tight gaps where Faraday cage effects can prevent full coverage
  • Increase clearances on mating parts and sliding fits to account for coating thickness, or design for masking of those interfaces
  • Define cosmetic classes (A/B/C surfaces) on drawings so the coater knows where to prioritize coverage quality and defect control