Powder Coating Aluminum Parts

Powder Coating Aluminum Parts

Aluminum Corrosion Affects Quality

Aluminum is widely used in the manufacture of commercial and industrial parts. The benefits of using this light metal include its high strength, non-toxicity, and ease of forming into everything from extrusions to custom spun parts. Aluminum is also more cost-effective than stainless steel.

While aluminum is naturally corrosion resistant, that resistance has limitations. Over time, aluminum will pit and corrode for a variety of reasons.

Untreated aluminum tends to corrode when exposed to alkaline or acidic environments.

Galvanic corrosion occurs when bare aluminum comes in contact with metals like copper, zinc, and certain types of steel. And while aluminum doesn’t “rust” in a way that causes structural risk, the surface of aluminum does oxidize and tarnish in unsightly ways, degrading the appearance of product quality.

Powder Coating Offers Many Advantages

Ways of preventing aluminum corrosion include painting and anodizing. When used to coat aluminum, painting tends to chip and flake over time. Anodizing is an electrochemical treatment that boosts aluminum’s natural surface oxide layer. This latter method is good, but remains vulnerable to acidic environments and cannot be made in a uniform appearance or a variety of colors.

Powder coating provides a range of benefits when coating aluminum parts, extrusions, and castings.

• A completely uniform and consistent coating with high durability.
• A wide range of color choices for aesthetic appeal.
• Significantly more chip and flake resistant than paint.
• Corrosion resistant in all weathering environments, from factory floor to city streets.
• Affordable, environmentally sound, quick turnaround for large parts orders.

Experience is Critical to Success

What should you look for in an aluminum powder coating partner?

Experience in surface preparation and pre-treatment is critical. Impurities, grease, and oils from the manufacturing process must be cleaned away. Any surface oxide needs to be removed and the surface roughened to improve powder adhesion.

The right pre-treatment for your parts depends on their condition as they arrive for powder coating, and an experienced eye is needed to assure that cleaning and pre-treatment are sufficient to assure proper power adhesion and coating life.

Another consideration is powder coating thickness.  For aluminum, powder coating is best applied in layers of between 2mm and 4mm. Thicker layers risk “orange peel” and pockmark effects.

To find out if Great Dane Powder Coating is the right aluminum powder coating partner for your business, give us a call at 724-537-9709, or visit our Request a Quote page today.

General Benefits of Powder Coating

Powder coating is chosen for many applications because it provides the temperature, corrosion, and chemical resistance needed across a range of manufacturing operations.

• A solvent free application, powder coating results in no emissions from volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• The color ranges available are almost endless in powder coating today.
• Powder coatings looks great and lasts for decades.
• Durable powder coating is scratch, chip, and flake resistant.
• Appliance coatings using powder coat can be anti-microbial, stain resistant, and even finger-print resistant.

To learn more, call Great Dane Powder Coating today at 724-537-9709 or visit our New Powder Coating Customer page.

What Great Dane Brings to the Table

When working with OEM manufacturers, Great Dane Powder Coating has the expertise to build a beneficial relationship that is cost and time effective, both mindful of your budget and aware of how we can help you improve processes.

When manufacturers involve their powder coater in the design process, we can recommend changes that avoid the cost of designing special racking systems for coating and that allow for the most efficient coating process. This can drive down cost and improve turnaround time.

Delivering Coating Excellence for over 28 Years!

At Great Dane Powder Coating, Inc., we have more than a quarter century of experience under our belts. We offer the benefits of a cutting-edge facility and high-end equipment for providing exceptional results.

When you want affordable, reliable, and outstanding results, give us a call at 724-537-9709 or visit our New Powder Coating Customer page today.