ANDREWS POWDER COATING

Weather your interest is restoration, show applications or industrial wear, we strongly believe that preparation is the key to long lasting, quality powder coating. Read our article in Motorcycle Cruiser magazine! http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/powdercoat/
1.	Depending on the base material (substrate), we will carefully clean off any pre-existing powder coated or painted surface by chemical stripping or utilizing sandblast media ranging from mild to aggressive granulations, or using glass beads for other color effects. (what does sandblasting do, and what is glass beading?) During this process, all rust and metal corrosion is removed so that when your piece is finished, it is better than brand new! If the part you bring to us is already powder coated, we will take every step to avoid sandblasting to remove the existing finish, and instead suggest that the piece be chemically stripped of the coating. The reason for this is that IF the piece was properly prepared and sandblasted the first time it was powder coated, the coating should be so difficult to remove that your part could potentially be ruined in the removal process. Properly applied powder coating finishes SHOULD NOT be able to be sandblasted off easily! What if my parts are chrome plated?
2.	Next, the parts get pre-baked. We feel that pre-baking parts is one of the characteristics of a high quality coater. The pre-baking temperature is approximately 20 degrees hotter than the actual powder coating baking temperature. This process bakes out any impurities that may be lurking within the pores of the metal (a process called ‘outgassing’). If these impurities are not pre-baked out, they can, and will, bubble up and out during the final curing process, causing unsightly blemishes in your powder coated finish! Bubbling up can further make it probable that your powder will start to chip and cause entire sections of coating to fall off.
3.	If you have parts that require some of the surfaces to be polished during the finishing process, we will give them a solvent bath and another pre bake to remove any of the fingerprints your parts may have accumulated during polishing.
4.	Masking is followed by an additional chemical cleaning “wipe down” step, removing finger prints or debris that may have gotten onto your parts.
5.	Next, the masked parts make their way to the powder booth where they are hung on electrically grounded racks. The powder is given a 30K-90K volt charge, and using a special electrostatic spray gun, the powder is sprayed onto the part where it adheres to the material, much like the way dust clings to a tv screen. This process applies the powder in a smooth and even coating. At this stage, the powder is still just that- powder- and can be completely blown off by an air hose or wiped off with your finger!
6.	Once coated, the racked parts are rolled into one of our two convection style ovens. Powder coating experience has our entire staff fine tuned to proper curing times and techniques. Different sizes of parts, different metals and even substrate thicknesses and powder composition dictate the temperatures and time your piece(s) spend in the oven! Remember, the metal of your individual part must become hot enough to melt the powder at its’ proper cure statistic for optimum adhesion!
6A.	Unlike liquid paints, powder coated candies, silvers and metallics require multiple coats of powder. With candy colors, usually a layer of silver is applied to the part first (base coat). Andrews Powder Coating, Inc. and all high end coaters will always wait for the parts to cool down to the ambient temperature from applying the base coat before application of the second color, or top coat. Spraying powder on hot parts results in uneven coverage and an inferior finish. Special considerations and calculations must be made with 2 stage finishes to ensure that there isn’t any over or under curing!
7.	After curing, the parts are removed from the oven and allowed to cool. There is no ‘drying’ time, like liquid paints!
8.	Your parts are then put through final QC inspection and packaging. Your parts are ready for pick up or delivery immediately!

Read our article in Motorcycle Cruiser magazine! http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/powdercoat/