The 3 Steps of the Powder Coating Process

Powder coating is a unique process of finishing that serves as an alternate route to conventional wet paint. Many of our everyday appliances and vehicles are powder-coated, resulting in a shiny finish.

Here are the three steps of powder coating:

1. Sand Blasting

To prep the item’s exterior to be powder coated, the metal must first be sandblasted. Sandblasting removes any rust, dirt, debris, and/or corrosion from the surface, as well as any existing paint or powder-coated finishes. Any metal can be sandblasted— such as iron, alloys, steel, and aluminum.

2. Surface Prepping

Once the surface has been sandblasted—and all debris, corrosion, rust, and/or paint has been removed from the surface— it is then prepped. Prepping involves applying a specialized metal prep chemical solution, which neutralizes the impurities on the surface and cleans off any remaining debris, while also preventing rust and corrosion. There are many types of solutions that can be used to improve the surface of the metal before it’s coated, depending on the specific type of metal.

3. Powdering

Once the surface has been fully prepped and is completely dried, it can be powder coated. An electrolysis process is used to apply the powder coating, which allows the metal to be positively charged so that the powder can be attracted to and bond with the metal.