4th April 2024
Your beautiful metal products are put through the wringer. The UK has unrelenting weather, ranging from biting cold to heavy rain, and (very rarely) tropical temperatures. This range of environmental conditions is tough on metals, making them rust and corrode. This is especially damaging to manufacturing businesses that produce metal goods for customers, and this is why protective coatings are so important.
Protective coatings do what they say on the tin. They’re a coating which is applied to a metal surface to protect it from corrosion and rust. Alongside being used in the industrial goods sector, protective coatings, like powder coatings, are also used in the paint industry. Here is everything you need to know about industrial coatings and how they improve the value and lifespan of your products.
Why Industrial Coatings are Used
Let’s say you’re a manufacturing business that produces luxury metal balconies. The value that you can charge for these balconies depends on their quality. Because they’re outside in all weather, they must have corrosion protection. If they don’t, then they’ll become damaged in a few years, lowering the value of your products and even the property, displeasing customers.
This is just one example of why industrial powder coatings, like zinc powder coating primer, are used. They protect metal surfaces and increase the lifespan of metal products.
What are Industrial Coatings Used For?
Coatings are typically used for corrosion protection. The way it works is that the powder contains zinc oxide, which is why industrial powder coating primer is sometimes referred to as zinc powder coating. This zinc oxide acts sacrificially. This means that when the metal is exposed to moisture, it affects the zinc oxide in the zinc powder coating primer, and doesn’t damage the metal surface underneath.
The powder coating process is typically combined with other methods of protecting metal, like hot zinc spraying and hot dip galvanising. Before the powder coating process takes place, the metal surface goes through abrasive blast cleaning. Blast cleaning evens out the surface of a metal and removes any unwanted paint or rust. Once the metal’s surface has been shot blasted, it can then be sprayed in molten zinc with a spray gun, which uses air spray, or it can be dipped in a galvanising tank.
Paint coatings, like powder coating, are added to give the metal an extra layer of corrosion protection and are especially useful in the paint industry, where metal products need a professional finish.
Which Substances Require Special Protective Coatings?
Substances that are expected to be exposed to the environment require special protective coatings, like hot zinc spray. The motor industry is a prime example. Cars are constantly exposed to the elements, so they need corrosion protection if they’re going to last for many years.
Zinc powder primer coating can allow for decorative finishes to be applied on top. It is used in the paint industry, where paint coatings include zinc oxide. These paints both add a decorative finish and act as protection against the elements. For example, you can have bright or metallic red paint coatings for cars or other machinery that both protect against corrosion and look appealing to the eye.
These coloured powder coats are still applied using air spray and a spray gun, just like any other type of zinc powder coating method.
Items that require special protection will also use other coating methods, like hot zinc spraying or hot dip galvanising. HZS and HDG coat metal in a layer of molten zinc which hardens and protects against rust and corrosion.
Types of Protective Coatings on Metals
There are many ways to protect metals both in the paint industry and in the manufacturing industry. The two most effective methods are hot zinc spraying, which involves coating metal in molten zinc from a spray gun, and hot dip galvanising, where metal is lowered into a bath of molten zinc.
First of all, the metal product is shot or grit blasted. Then a molten zinc coating is applied to it. Finally, a powder coat is added to the metal before it’s placed in an oven for its final cure.
You can use any of these methods separately, or you can combine them all to create products that will survive the elements for decades.
Zinc Powder Coating Experts
We use a bespoke method to protect metal products for up to 60 years. This is how we offer our 60-year guarantee.
Organise a free no-obligation quote today by contacting our professional team here.
