Application Process of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Powder Coating

FBE powder coating is applied in three essential stages regardless of the shape or the type of steel surface. The application stages are as follows:

1.Preparation: The steel surface is cleaned usually by the Blast cleaning method, which removes all rust, scale, slats, etc., from the surface of the metal. In addition, this method also produces a rough surface known as profile, which increases the effective surface area. It is vital to remove all grease and oil contaminates by using solvent cleaning, burn-off, etc prior to blast cleaning.

2.Heating and FBE Powder Application: Several methods can be used however the most common are induction heating, oven heating, and infrared heating. Fusion bonded epoxy powder is applied using an electrostatic spray gun which uses an ionizer electrode to charge the powder particles, which then adhere to the metal substrate. The inside surfaces of the pipes are coated using a spray lance that moves along the heated pipe coating the entire inside. The melted powder flows into the shape and bonds with the steel. Once the gel time is complete, usually with in a few seconds after the coating application the molten powder will become a solid coating.

3.Curing: Under the heating conditions, the resin will undergo cross-linking, which is referred to as curing. Complete curing occurs by the residual heat on the steel, or with the addition of heating sources.

Fusion bonded epoxy powder has several advantages over conventional liquid coating application which include ease of application, less material waste, quick application, and cure schedules that correlates into faster production rates, and lastly the finished coated pieces are able to be moved soon after the application process.