What are the advantages and disadvantages of powder to liquid coatings?

Powder coatings have become a favorite over liquid coatings in applications for both industrial and consumer related markets. Some advantages of powder coatings are that they have been proven to be resistant to chipping, fading, scratching, and wearing when compared to liquid coatings. Powder coatings can also be applied over a wide range of thickness with out running or sagging. Environmental advantages have driven more demand to using powder over liquid because powder coatings do not use solvents; therefore it prevents the release of any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.

Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of powder coatings to liquid coatings, there are still some limitations on the technology. While it is relatively easy to apply thick coatings which have smooth texture-free surfaces, it is difficult to apply smooth thin films. Also powder coatings may break down when exposed to uv rays between 5 to 10 years.

How long will the Teflon non-stick coating last?

We get a lot of questions about the life expectancy of our Teflon coatings. The best answer is it depends on how the product is taken care of during your process. unfortunately, Teflon has been given a bad name in some machine operators eyes because it can be scratched easily. Which will eventually cause problems in the the adherence of the non-stick coatings because solvents and cleaning solutions will get between the coating and metal substrate.

The good news is that there have been several advances in non-stick coatings make up to make it more durable and scratch resistant. For example, there is a ceramic reinforced Teflon that can be considered a wear resistant coating. Operators will still want to be cautious with Teflon or non-stick products making sure to use plastic clean-up utensils, but you should expect a fairly long life our of your teflon or non-stick coating. You can expect a much longer life out of an industrial applied non-stick coating than that of a non-stick tape or spray on.

Once coatings are applied and in operation. You will see a very slow change in the release of the coating that could take years depending on the care of the Teflon. The coating will be at a 100% release day 1, and will continue to release your substrates a little less over time until you would want to get it re-coated again. Again, this slow change in release can take 6 months to a number of years depending on what your process is.

How can non-stick coatings help in reducing down-time?

A typical question we get on our non-stick coatings is how they can help in production. Although there are several areas where nonstick coatings can be useful, maintenance and clean-up are two of the areas we hear most of its success stories.

Non-stick coatings are very easy to clean and stay clean longer. We see a reduction in downtime or clean-up because of this. Using a non-stick coating on a part such as an ink pan in packaging, can provide a 50% decrease in the clean up time when dealing with an ink or adhesive. In the same way, using a non-stick coating on something like a food mold in food processing can cut costs and time in maintenance because these parts can be cleaned on the machine and during processing. Allowing for production to continue running without removing equipment, or spending a longer length of time cleaning the parts.

What can coatings do for automation?

The Automation industry is filled with metal equipment for durability. However, because of the moving pieces in vibratory feeder bowls and hoppers this can cause issues with the parts being manufactured. There are several coatings that can be applied to provide sound deadening and part protection for automation equipment. Coatings can also be applied to provide a textured surface to help parts move along the track of a vibratory feeder bowl. In the same way a non-stick coating can be applied as well to allow parts to slide easier. 

Why use a non stick coating?

A non-stick coating application can be very useful for several reasons. For example, if you are dealing with a product that is extremely difficult to clean or continues to build up on your machinary and equipment. A non stick coating is going to cut your down time and improve your productivity by providing release to difficult substrates. In some cases we have seen down time cut by more than 50%.

A non stick coating is also useful if your working with a product that is very corrosive. Most non-stick coatings are very chemical resistant which will provide your machinary protection in a highly corrosive environment. In most cases a non-stick coating will protect your parts against rust as well. 

These are just a few examples of how non-stick coatings can work for you.