Powder Coating Equipment Technology and Its Impact in the Automotive Industry
08 March 2022In the past, the automotive industry utilised conventional liquid coatings in finishing various vehicle components. While they can make the components strong and appealing, their after-effects have deterred the industry from using these coatings.
One con of using conventional liquid coatings is they emit volatile organic compounds, which are best known for polluting the environment. They likewise sag after applying them to surfaces, generating vehicle components with inconsistent appearance. These disadvantages alone are enough for the automotive industry to look for a new default type of coating.
A Brief History of Powder Coating Finishing
Fortunately, the automotive industry has found a new way of coating vehicles and their components. This new type of coating is powder coating. Powder coating is a type of coating that is often applied electrostatically. Afterwards, the newly coated surface is cured under heat. It can likewise be cured with ultraviolet light. Generally, the powder coating process can give ample protection to the surface as well as an appealing finish without causing harm to the surroundings.
As for its history with the automotive industry, powder coating finishing was first utilised in coating the engine components of vehicles. In the early 1970s, the automotive industry maximised thin-film epoxy powders in coating coil springs, ensuring that they will become corrosion-resistant. After coil springs, the industry then proceeded in coating steel brackets, tubing, engine blocks, cylinder heads, and other engine parts. A few years later, the automotive industry has maximised safe powder coating in finishing wheels.
The introduction of powder coating finishing to the automotive industry minimises the use of conventional liquid coatings, which are known to be wasteful and harmful.
Modern Powder Coating’s Main Impact
Technological advancements made the powder coating process even better, making it applicable to more vehicle components.
Over time, the modern powder coating process has been widely utilised in not just protecting the engine compartment but also making it appealing. The intake manifolds and fuel injection systems nowadays are coated with powder, making them appealing and long-lasting. Aside from these components, the interior and exterior trim parts of cars have also been finished with powder coating, giving them a unique yet exciting finish that makes the vehicles beautiful. This finish also protects them from ultraviolet exposure.
Other notable components of vehicles that can be applied with modern powder coating include the grilles, emblems, window trims, exterior car accents, and door handles. No matter what their materials are, modern powder coating can easily provide various vehicle parts with a finish that is durable, coherent, resistant to elements, cost-effective, and sustainable.
Quality Finishing with Epac Finishing Products
If you are looking for the best finishing products for your automotive business, you can call us at Epac Finishing Products. As a primary supplier to the automotive industry for the last decade, we have strong experience and knowledge regarding car body painting in OEM factories. We extend this knowledge into the aftermarket with car refinishing.
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