What is powder coating?
Powder coating was invented in 1945 by Daniel Gustin who received the US patent. It’s used to apply a painted finish to metal materials and alloys.
Powder coating is a process that uses high-temperature ovens and spray guns with an electrostatic charge to apply powder particles to materials.
This results in a chemical reaction which creates molecular chains becoming extremely resistant to pigment breakage and seals the underlying material.
Numerous colour shades can be applied to materials. Yellow is a popular choice throughout our product range due to its high visibility.
Powder coating is more durable than liquid paint as the pigment is sealed and bonded onto the material and is less likely to scratch, fade or peel.
What are the benefits to powder coating metal structures and systems?
Its diverse usage - The powdered paint can be applied to many types of metal such as mild steel, galvanised steel, stainless steel and aluminium. Powder coating uses the RAL colour-coded system which produces a huge range of colour shades. RAL colours help to signify branding, colour-coded signals and increase visibility of the powder coated object.
Produces longer-lasting results - Due to powder being sealed and bonded onto the object it gives an extra layer of protection resulting in systems lasting longer against corrosion. It also has high levels of UV resistance and will be far less likely to fade, chip or peel than classic paint.
Warmer to the touch - Powder coated objects are warmer to touch for users compared to touching exposed metal directly. This makes it easier for people to navigate and use systems more comfortably such as stairway or ramp handrailing and is one of the requirements for DDA handrail.
What is the purpose of powder coating?
For aesthetic reasons – As mentioned previously, powder coating is done to the RAL colour code system which means various colours can be used to produce a finished result to the exact specification for installation. For example, if it was requested for handrail to be powder coated purple to fit in with a building's aesthetic features, this is possible to do.
High Visibility – Certain RAL colours produce highly visible results. For example, powder coating Armco Barrier Beam is a high visibility yellow so it is easily spottable for drivers and pedestrians alike and can signify hazardous areas.
To comply with legal obligations – Certain legal requirements request that objects need to be warmer to the touch for disabled users (DDA Act 2005) powder coating will help contractors and companies to meet these requirements. See our DDA blog post here to find out more in-depth information on what is required for DDA installations
Powder coating we offer
At Lockinex we offer our very own bespoke powder coating service to your chosen RAL colours. We also stock certain products of ours in yellow directly ready for purchase. Our Armco Crash Barrier Beams, posts and ends all have yellow powder coating options for high visibility.
Check out our Powder Coated collection here including Armco Barrier and Handrail
Get in touch with a member of our team to find out more about our powder coating services