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Paint vs Powder Coating – Which is Best for your Needs?

Paint vs Powder Coating

When looking at wet paint vs powder coating for a surface coating to provide lasting protection and a cosmetic finish, both processes are commonly chosen as an effective and affordable finish. However, It isn’t always clear which process best suits your needs, so we’ve detailed some of the key benefits and drawbacks of both wet paint and powder coating.

The Process

When preparing the parts, the process is identical, with the method usually dictated by the condition and materials of the product. For example, Steel parts cut with oxygen would typically undergo a shot blasting and pre-treatment regardless of whether the end result is a paint or powder coating finish.

Application

This is where the differences start. While wet paint requires a coat of primer to aid adhesion, powder coating works through an electrostatic charge, which causes the powder to coat the product in an even coat. Powder coating then requires oven curing to harden the coating, whereas wet paint simply requires time to air dry. Another key difference is in the application of the paint. While powder coating allows for easy application due to excess paint not having the required electrical conductivity to adhere to the product, wet paint requires a higher level of skill by the applicator to ensure even coats with no drips or inconsistencies.

Benefits of Paint vs Powder Coating

When comparing paint vs powder coating, both methods can produce a protective and cosmetic finish. However, each process has characteristics that make it more suitable for specific use cases. The infographic below lists some of the main benefits for each process:

 

wet paint vs powder coating comparison

We hope that this gives you some insight into how each process might suit your needs, if you require any more information about the processes or would like to enquire about your own project, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! For news and updates, remember to follow us on our social media channels.

ISO Standards

We are proud to have attained certification for Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Management for our Shotblasting, Powdercoating, Paint spraying, Metal spraying, and Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) for Commercial, Industrial, Automotive and Rail metalwork.

Proud to have worked with:

  • APB
  • Broadcrown

Great reasons to use Pym&Wildsmith

Wide range of services for a complete metal finishing package

Facility for large scale items up to 6.45 metres

Quick turnaround times available.