Reinventing the Wheel

Corrosion is a fleet-eating problem on commercial trucks that costs the industry $4 billion annually. When the American Trucking Association called for improved corrosion protection in 2005, Accuride accepted the challenge and responded with the trucking industry's first powder coated steel wheel to come with a corrosion warranty.

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Powder Developments for Heat-Sensitive Substrates

What is influencing the course of powder coatings on unconventional substrates? From low-temperature UV powder coating to ultra-low bake powders to plasma treating for surface preparation, this article talks about what’s happening in this segment of the industry.

Posted in: Curing/Ovens, Pretreatment/Surface Prep, Raw Materials, Substrates

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So, What's Next?

Lately I have been asked by more than one party, “What future trends are in store for the powder coating industry?” It has been a while since someone wondered out loud what the future might hold for our fair technology. Let’s dust off the crystal ball and have a look.

Posted in: Curing/Ovens, Pretreatment/Surface Prep, Raw Materials, Substrates

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A Blast Into Powder Coating

When a mobile blasting company saw so much of its product having to be outsourced to be finished, the owners decided to expand the operation, enter the powder coating finishing industry, and become a custom coater itself.</

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Bonus Profiles: Part Preparation

Before a part can be powder coated, it has to be properly prepared. Proper pretreatment is crucial for coating adhesion, and proper masking ensures that the finish is applied exactly where needed. This Bonus Profile section features advertising companies that can help you find the pretreatment and masking solutions to help you coat the job right. Be sure to let them know you found them in Powder Coated Tough!

Posted in: Pretreatment/Surface Prep, Racking & Masking

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A Partnership That Paid Off

Faced with the inability to meet corrosion and salt spray testing requirements, they needed some answers quickly. Their customer, a large OEM, required 96 hours of ASTM B-117 salt spray protection on bare steel tubing. One of Hubbard-Hall’s corrosion experts, Larry Ensley, Technical Director, came on site to evaluate the situation. After analyzing their process and running some tests, Larry came up with a solution. By applying Metal Guard 510, a water displacing rust preventative, over Hubfos 150, an iron phosphate, over the bare steel tubing they were able to meet the required 96 hours of ASTM B-117 salt spray protection.

Posted in: Pretreatment/Surface Prep, Testing Equipment

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In-House Powder System Offers Flexibility For Fabrication

When it comes to metal fabrication, L&W Engineering in Middlebury, Ind., is said to be one of the best in the business. With humble beginnings in 1975, L&W has experienced significant growth in the past 40 years, now building quality parts for a multitude of unique customers and earning annual sales in the $40 million range. The company is able to assist customers in every stage of the process—from research and development (R&D) to packaging and delivery.

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What's Cooking In Chemical Pretreatment?

On the television show “Chopped,” accomplished chefs compete by preparing meals using a mystery basket of unorthodox and difficult-to-work-with ingredients. The chefs’ experience and ingenuity is needed to whip up recipes when they don’t have access to a full pantry of ordinary items. Today’s pretreatment chemists face the same kind of challenge. How do they develop effective pretreatment using only a basket of strange new ingredients? Like chefs, these chemists’ years of experience and ingenuity allow them to create the perfect recipe. So, pull up a chair and learn about three specific avenues of research in the chemical pretreatment kitchen.

Posted in: Pretreatment/Surface Prep

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