Choosing Your Powder Coating Equipment

In previous articles, I have talked about selecting a system or process before choosing your powder coating equipment. After you have established your process and have a rough idea of the timing of each step, you can select equipment to meet your production requirements.

Please visit our website for more information on this topic.

Setting up a powder coating shop involves many variables besides powder or pretreatment. The size of part to be coated, layout of shop to be used, labor, parts per day requirement, staging of racks or parts in process, loading area, and unloading area are all factors that must be addressed when designing a work area.

What’s The Largest Item You Will Be Powder Coating?

The first factor to consider when sizing your equipment is the size of the parts you’ll be coating. Determine the size of the largest part you will be routinely powder coating and use that as the base size for your equipment. If your typical part is small, instead decide how many you want to coat at one time and how large the rack(s) will be to accommodate your throughput.

Once you have those measurements, you’ll need equipment that is appropriately sized for your application. For the powder spray booth, typically you will need 2-3 additional feet around the part so the operator can easily apply powder to the part without walking or spraying outside the booth.

The powder oven (checkout one from Reliant) can usually be smaller than the booth, but you still must account for the size of the rack(s) in the oven. If you are using multiple racks, you will want enough space inside the oven so the racks do not bump against each other and the doors can still be completely closed.

For example: If your rack of parts is four  (4) feet wide, five (5) feet tall, and six (6) feet long, you will want an eight (8) feet wide by ten (10) feet long booth with at least an 8 foot ceiling. This will give you two (2) feet all the way around the part, so the operator does not have to move the rack while powder coating. The additional height above the rack will allow the powder to go around the parts and not get deposited on the ceiling lights. This same rack can go in a six (6) feet high, six (6) feet wide, and eight (8) feet long oven. The smaller oven helps to bake the parts more efficiently.

Shop Workflow and Layout

Exterior dimensions of the equipment need to be known so that you can plan a good shop layout. Make sure you have enough room in your shop for not only the equipment, but adequate turning space for your parts or racks, and staging areas for parts moving into and out of your pretreatment, coating and curing areas.

When laying out your shop, be certain you have enough space to satisfy your local safety code requirements. Code varies from place to place (and I strongly encourage you to make the local code inspector your friend prior to a large equipment purchase) but a good rule of thumb is to make sure all components are at least three (3) feet away from each other and the shop walls or structures. Roof height is also an issue. You want at least three (3) feet clearance above the components and you do not want sprinkler systems (unless rated for 350F) or air hoses running over your oven. Your roof supports can sometimes be closer, but you will need to determine that with your local code authority.

Walkways, emergency escape routes, and staging areas for racks are other factors to consider when planning your shop layout. Be sure and have good access to utilities such as gas and power for the booth and oven. Water should be run to the area where you plan to have pretreatment and cleaning processes. Drains or water capture alternatives are also important; depending on your finishing process, you should plan these well in advance.

How Many Parts Per Day Do You Need To Powder Coat?

Another key factor for equipment planning is production requirements. In a batch system, you are only as efficient as your slowest stage. Typically this stage will be cure time.

Since the average cure time for polyester is metal temperature reaching 400F for 10 minutes, this usually means a 20 minute dwell time for gauges around 18-16 gauge. Quarter inch angle iron can take 30-40 minutes and some castings can take 45-60 minutes to reach the part temperature of 400F for ten minutes. Of course, powders vary in cure cycles as do metals in time it takes to reach their required cure time. I recommend running an oven recorder regularly to set your dwell times to reach optimal cure times.

Figure out your slowest cycle time, I’ll assume curing, although it could be metal preparation. A typical cycle time would be 20 minutes. That gives you 24 cycles times in an 8 hour shift, if you run everything at 100% efficiency. For example, if you do muffler tubes and can rack 100 tubes per cycle, your maximum daily production rate will be 2,400 muffler tubes. If you need more production, you can add more ovens till something else becomes your lowest cycle time, or bottleneck. When labor cost starts to increase too much by adding multiple ovens or booths, then you can look at automatic solutions.

Many beginning powder coaters think of automation right away, but I would almost always recommend trying to achieve your production goals with batch systems first. That way you learn the process and what it takes to achieve a good finish. Batch systems also give more flexibility and adjust to different powders, metals, thicknesses, and process better than automated lines. Now if they have to have 10,000 parts a day, automation is probably the way to go.

Selecting The Right Powder Coating Equipment Checklist

Purchasing the correct equipment can be a little overwhelming, but by identifying the key factors, the equipment purchasing decision gets easier.

For more information, please visit ZHYAO.

Preparation: Am I blasting and/or washing? If yes, then you need a blast booth and/or wash booth.

Preheat/Dry: Do I need to preheat my parts due to pretreat drying, process or out gassing? If yes, then decide whether an extra oven is necessary or if you have capacity with your cure oven.

Size Of Parts And Racks: This determines the size of your equipment and necessary workflow requirements.

Available Area In Shop: This determines the amount of equipment you can fit or whether you need additional shop space.

As the manufacturing industry continues to increase its production efficiency and product quality requirements, traditional manual spraying methods can no longer meet the needs of modern production, making automated powder coating lines an essential solution. As an advanced coating technology, these automated lines have gradually become the preferred choice for many companies due to their high efficiency, precision, and environmental protection. This article will explore why automated powder coating lines should be chosen and explain their industry advantages in improving production efficiency, coating quality, and reducing costs.

1.How does the automated powder coating line improve production efficiency?

The automated powder coating line achieves a high degree of efficiency in the production process through a fully automated operation mode. The system seamlessly connects multiple links such as spraying, conveying, and curing, allowing the production line to operate continuously, reducing the frequent manual intervention and downtime in traditional manual spraying. Compared with traditional manual spraying, the automated powder coating system can complete the spraying operation at a higher speed, and the processing time of each workpiece remains consistent, thereby greatly shortening the production cycle. Automated equipment avoids instability and errors in manual operation by accurately controlling parameters such as spraying amount and coating uniformity, speeding up the production process and ensuring efficient and stable production capacity.

2.How to ensure the consistency and stability of coating quality?

The automated powder coating line ensures the consistency of coating thickness by precisely controlling the spraying process. The powder coating robot or automatic spray gun in the system can accurately perform operations according to preset parameters (such as spraying angle, speed, and powder amount) to ensure that each workpiece surface is evenly covered with a layer of powder coating. This high-precision control method avoids the uneven coating thickness and waste common in manual spraying, thereby achieving stable coating quality.

In addition, the automated spraying system can effectively reduce human errors and coating defects. Compared with the manual powder coating line, the automated system eliminates the problems caused by operator fatigue, skill differences, or lack of concentration, and ensures that each spraying is carried out according to the standard process. The system can also monitor the spraying effect in real-time, and automatically adjust or alarm once problems or deviations are found, thereby reducing the occurrence of coating defects and improving the overall product qualification rate and coating quality.

3.How to reduce costs in automated powder coating lines?

Automated powder coating lines significantly reduce labor costs by reducing reliance on manual operations. The automated system can independently complete multiple processes such as spraying, conveying, and curing, reducing the need for operators, thereby reducing the company’s expenditure on manual labor. At the same time, automated equipment has high precision and efficiency, and can continue to operate without frequent manual intervention, further improving the continuity and stability of production and reducing errors and downtime caused by manual operations.

In addition, the automated system excels in powder recovery and resource utilization. Traditional manual spraying often wastes a lot of powder, but the automated powder coating line uses an efficient powder recovery system to collect and recycle the powder that is not attached to the surface of the workpiece. Through this powder recycling technology, the waste generated during the spraying process is minimized, effectively reducing material costs. In addition, the automated system can accurately control the amount of powder used, avoiding overspray and waste, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency and reducing paint consumption and environmental burden.

4.Why does choosing an automated powder coating line help protect the environment?

Choosing an automated powder coating line can help achieve environmental goals as it significantly reduces harmful emissions and promotes green production. The automated powder coating line uses powder coatings instead of traditional liquid coatings. Powder coatings do not contain solvents, so harmful gases such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will not be released during the spraying process, greatly reducing the impact on the air and environment. pollute. At the same time, the efficient powder recovery device of the automated system can recover unattached powder for reuse, further reducing material waste and environmental burden.

In addition, automated powder coating lines help companies more easily comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The modern coating industry has increasingly higher requirements for waste gas and waste emissions during the production process, and the automated powder coating line significantly reduces the generation of waste by optimizing the spraying process and improving resource utilization. For enterprises, this not only ensures that the production process meets environmental standards, but also enhances the brand’s green image and provides support for sustainable development and market competitiveness.

5.How does the automated powder coating line enhance the competitiveness of the company?

The automated powder coating line significantly enhances the competitiveness of enterprises by improving market adaptability and product quality. First, the flexibility of automated systems enables companies to quickly adjust production processes to adapt to changing market demands. Whether it is diversified small-batch customized production or large-volume standardized manufacturing, automated powder coating lines can handle it efficiently, thereby helping companies seize more business opportunities. In addition, automation systems can also shorten product delivery cycles and improve production efficiency. This rapid response capability is particularly important in fierce market competition.

Secondly, high-quality coatings can effectively enhance a company’s brand image and customer satisfaction. The automated powder coating line ensures the beautiful appearance and reliable performance of the product with its precise coating process and uniform coating effect. Such high quality standards not only help enhance customers’ trust in products, but also enhance the company’s brand value in the market. By providing high-quality products and excellent services, companies can win more loyal customers and gain an advantage over the competition.

The company is the world’s best Automated powder coating systems supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.