? Where is your part right now?

Not made yetOne shop: we machine or form the part and coat it in the same order. Powder coating adds 60 to 100 um, so threads, fits and bores are planned around the film instead of being discovered after it is cured.See the processes we run →Already madeSend the finished parts and say which surfaces have to be coated. Every surface that must not be coated has to be masked, because the film does not come off an unmasked face afterwards.Check if my parts qualify →Still comparing finishesPowder is a thick, cured, pigmented film. It is the right answer when the surface has to survive weather and handling - and the wrong one when a tolerance has no room for 60 to 100 um.Which system do I need? →

SURFACE FINISHING

Powder Coating Service

60-100 um film Black or white Gloss or semi-gloss 3 metals published

A dry powder is sprayed electrostatically onto the part and then cured in an oven until it flows into a continuous film - published at 60 to 100 um, in black or white and in gloss or semi-gloss. It is chosen for wear, corrosion and UV resistance rather than for a decorative metal look, and because it is a thick film, the thickness is a design decision as much as a finish choice.

Get a quote Which metals does it suit?

60-100 umPublished film thickness for this process

Black or whiteThe two published colours, at 20% or 90% gloss

Gloss or semi-glossThe published texture range

3 metalsSteel, stainless steel and aluminium as published

A spray operator applying dry powder coating to a red steel component inside an enclosed coating chamber — Powder is sprayed as a dry powder and only becomes a film in the oven - which is why the coating booth and the curing oven are two separate steps in the same line.

Where it fits

Coating is the last step - and the film is cured, not dried

Powder does not dry; it flows and cross-links in an oven. So the part has to be finished, cleaned and masked before coating starts, and it has to tolerate the cure temperature afterwards.

STEP 1Machine or form and de-burrThe film is thick enough to soften marks but not to fill a step or a weld spatter

STEP 2Clean and pre-treatThe published process starts with surface preparation so the film can adhere

STEP 3Mask what stays bareThreads, fits, earthing points and any face that must stay conductive

STEP 4Spray and cureYou are here - powder is applied electrostatically, then cured in an oven

STEP 5InspectThe published inspection step looks for bubbles, sags and missed spots

The order matters for two reasons. The film is 60 to 100 um, so anything with a fit has to be decided before coating rather than after; and the part has to take the cure temperature, which rules out some assemblies and heat-treated parts. See drawing notes.

Metal parts hanging from a jig at an angle inside a powder coating booth before the curing oven

Parts are jigged and earthed: the powder is attracted to the part, which is why the coating reaches faces a spray gun cannot see directly.

An alloy wheel being coated with dry powder from a hand-held electrostatic spray gun — The published process is an electrostatic spray, which is what makes the powder wrap around the part instead of landing only where the gun points.

An operator applying powder coating to large steel rings hanging on a jig in a spray booth — Film thickness is set by how long the part is sprayed and how it is cured - which is why the published range is a band of 60 to 100 um rather than a single figure.

Fit check

Can we coat your part? Three things decide it

The metal, the masking list, and the cure. The second one is where most coating orders go wrong, because the film goes everywhere it is not masked.

Substrate

Published list - steel, stainless steel and aluminium are the three materials in our table for this process
The published description also mentions plastics and composites
That wider list is being confirmed - ask before you quote on it
Tell us the alloy, not just "metal" - aluminium and steel need different pre-treatment

Give us the material and we will confirm it against the published scope.

Masking

Threads and press fits must be masked - the film is 60 to 100 um
Earthing points and any face that must stay conductive have to be masked
A masked face stays bare metal; an unmasked one is coated and stays coated
Blast or chemical stripping is the only way back, and it may damage the part

Send the masking list before the parts arrive. See drawing notes.

Cure and geometry

The film has to be cured in an oven, so the part has to tolerate the cure cycle
Heat-treated parts, springs, soldered assemblies and inserts are the usual problems
Deep recesses and faraday-cage shapes coat less evenly than open faces
The film adds 60 to 100 um on every coated face

Tell us about heat-sensitive features and tight tolerances before quoting.

Specifications

Powder coating: a 60-100 um cured film in black or white, gloss or semi-gloss

Every value below is what we publish for this process. Where the shop has not confirmed a figure, the line says To confirm rather than a guess.

Film thickness

60-100 umAs published for this process, cured

Materials (published table)

3 listedAluminium, stainless steel and steel

Other materials named in print

To confirmThe description mentions plastics and composites; the table does not list them

Colour

Black / whiteThe two published colours, each available at 20% or 90% gloss

Texture

Gloss or semi-glossThe published texture range for this process

Application method

Electrostatic sprayThe published method; a fluidized bed variant is also described

Published properties

4 statedDurability, efficiency, versatility and environmental friendliness as published

Cure cycle (temperature / time)

To confirmThe cure temperature and time a part has to tolerate is being confirmed so it can be specified before quoting

The line that matters most: the film is 60 to 100 um on every coated face. On a free surface that is a finish; on a thread or a press fit it is the whole tolerance. Decide which features are exempt before the parts are made, not after they come back.

What it adds

The film grows the part by 60-100 um per coated face - plan the fits around it

This is a coating, not a conversion layer: material is deposited on the surface in a film roughly thirty times thicker than a chromate layer. The numbers land exactly on the features that have no room for them.

Where it acts	What changes	Why it matters	What to do
Threads	Film bridges the flanks	A coated thread will not take its nut - 60 to 100 um is far beyond a thread tolerance.	Mask all threaded features.
Press fits and bearing seats	Film builds on the wall	Interference fits are designed in microns; this film is two orders larger.	Mask every press fit and bearing seat.
Earthing and contact faces	The face is insulated	A cured powder film is a dielectric - a coated earthing point is no longer an earthing point.	Mask earth points, bonding faces and shielding contacts.
Sealing faces	A film sits between the faces	Gaskets and o-rings are designed to seal against metal, not against a cured film.	Mask gasket faces and o-ring grooves.
Recesses and faraday-cage shapes	Coverage falls off	Electrostatic spray reaches inside a recess less easily than an open face.	Tell us the depth of any recess that has to be coated on the inside.
Outer cosmetic faces	Colour and texture appear	This is the benefit: a durable, coloured, weather-resistant film over the whole coated surface.	No allowance needed - this is the duty the coating was specified for.

The thickness range is published; the cure cycle is not, and it is being confirmed. The masking rules above hold regardless of both.

Tell us which features must keep their exact size and we will mask them before coating.

Get a quote

Which system

Three published routes to the same film - the part picks the route

Our published process describes an electrostatic spray and also a fluidized bed variant, and the reasons to choose one over the other come from the part rather than from the finish.

Parts suspended from a jig inside a powder coating booth being sprayed with dry powder

Electrostatic spray

The default route

The published method: powder is charged and sprayed at an earthed part, so the powder is attracted to the surface and wraps around it. It suits assemblies, frames and parts of almost any size, which is why it is the route most work takes.

Best for: frames, enclosures, brackets, batches of parts on a jig

Not for: a recess the gun cannot see into - electrostatic attraction reduces as the recess gets deeper.

A hand-held electrostatic spray gun applying powder to a metal wheel in a coating booth

Fluidized bed

The dip variant

Our published description also covers a fluidized bed process, where a pre-heated part is dipped into aerated powder and then cured. Because the film builds from the heat of the part, it is a route that suits parts where a heavy, even film matters more than a thin one.

Best for: pre-heated parts, wire goods, parts needing a heavy even film

Not for: parts that cannot take the pre-heat, or a part where the thinner end of the range has to be held.

A black powder coated panel showing the difference between a gloss and a semi-gloss cured surface

Gloss versus semi-gloss

The published texture choice

The published colours are black and white, and each is available at 20% or 90% gloss. That choice is not only cosmetic: a semi-gloss surface hides surface waviness better than a high gloss one, which matters on a large flat panel.

Best for: large flat faces (semi-gloss), visible hardware (gloss)

Not for: a colour outside black and white - those are the two published colours for this process.

Tell us the part and what the surface has to survive, and we will confirm the route, the colour and the gloss level.

Get a quote

Pick or avoid

When powder coating is the right call - and when it is not

Pick powder coating when

The surface has to survive weather, UV and handling and a durable film is the point.
A thick, coloured finish is wanted rather than a metal appearance.
The part is steel, stainless steel or aluminium - the three published materials.
The part can take the cure temperature and can be masked where it matters.
The faces that must stay bare can be identified in advance, because the film does not come off afterwards by accident.

Avoid powder coating when

A tolerance has no room for 60 to 100 um - a plated or a conversion layer is thinner. See electroplating or chromate.
You want a metal or anodized look rather than a painted one. See anodizing.
The colour has to be outside black and white - those are the published colours for this process.
The part has deep recesses that must be coated on the inside, or is a faraday-cage shape.
The part cannot tolerate the cure - heat-treated, soldered or temperature-sensitive assemblies.

Not sure whether the part needs a powder film, a wet paint or a plated layer? Send the drawing and say what the surface has to survive.

Get a quote

Design constraints

What decides whether the coated part comes back usable

Four variables: the film thickness against your tolerance, the masking list, the cure cycle, and how the powder reaches the surface.

Film thickness versus tolerance

The published film is 60 to 100 um per coated face. On a press fit or a thread that is the whole tolerance - decide which features are exempt before the parts are made.

The masking list

Masking is the main quality variable in coating. Threads, fits, sealing faces, earth points and any face that must stay conductive all have to be listed. Unmasked means coated, and there is no easy way back.

Cure temperature

The film has to be cured in an oven, so the part has to tolerate that step. Springs, thin sections, soldered assemblies, heat-treated parts and temperature-sensitive inserts are the usual problems - declare them at quoting.

Reachability inside a part

Electrostatic attraction falls off inside a recess. A deep bore or a blind pocket coats unevenly, and a partly coated bore is worse than an uncoated one for a precision fit.

Surface under the film

The film is thick enough to soften a fine texture but not to hide a step, a weld spatter or a deep scratch. Machining and welding quality still show through a cured film.

Colour and gloss as a process marker

Black or white at 20% or 90% gloss are the published options. On a shop floor the finish is also how a coated part is recognised during inspection - say which one the batch is.

Drawing notes

What to write on the drawing so the film lands where you meant

The masking list and the tolerance allowance are the two lines that decide whether the part assembles after coating.

1.  POWDER COAT THE FOLLOWING SURFACES:    ____________________________________________  (SEE VIEW A)2.  COLOUR:  BLACK / WHITE  (DELETE ONE)    GLOSS LEVEL:  20% / 90%   (DELETE ONE)    FILM THICKNESS: ______ um  (PUBLISHED RANGE 60 TO 100 um)3.  MASK THE FOLLOWING BEFORE COATING:    - ALL TAPPED HOLES AND THREADS    - PRESS FITS AND BEARING SEATS    - GASKET FACES AND O-RING GROOVES    - EARTH POINTS AND BONDING FACES    - ____________  (ANY FACE THAT MUST STAY BARE)4.  DIMENSIONS ON COATED SURFACES ARE    BEFORE COATING / AFTER COATING  (DELETE ONE)5.  DO NOT SUBJECT TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE ______    THE CURE IS PART OF THE PROCESS.6.  INSPECT: FULL COVERAGE, NO BUBBLES, SAGS OR    MISSED SPOTS, MASKED AREAS CLEAR OF FILM.

Examples only - replace every blank with your own requirement. The masking line matters most: unmasked threads and press fits come back oversize by the film thickness and no longer fit.

Which metals

What we coat - the published table, and the materials that are still being confirmed

Our table for this process lists three metals. Our published description names a wider scope that includes plastics and composites. Both are shown below, with the wider list marked as still being confirmed rather than presented as fact.

Material	Powder coating	Notes	Use instead
Steel	Yes	In our published specification table for this process.	—
Stainless steel	Yes	In our published specification table. Stainless is normally left bare or passivated where corrosion is the only duty.	—
Aluminium	Yes	In our published specification table. Aluminium needs its own pre-treatment before coating.	—
Plastics and composites	To confirm	Named in the published description of the process but not in the specification table - being confirmed.	—
Parts with a tight tolerance	Choose thinner	A 60 to 100 um film is too thick for a fit that has no allowance in it.	Chromate
Parts needing a metal appearance	Different finish	Powder is a pigmented film, not a metal surface.	Anodizing

Send the drawing with the material on it - if the film thickness is a problem for your tolerances, we will say so before you order.

Get a quote

Applications

Where a cured powder film is doing the work

The published industries for this process are automotive, architectural, appliances, furniture and general manufacturing. These are the three cases behind those words.

A black powder coated automotive alloy wheel photographed against a dark background

Automotive and transport

Wheels, frames and chassis parts are coated because the film survives stone chips, road salt and UV - and because it is a single cured layer rather than several paint coats.

A set of powder coated metal louvre panels for architectural use, stacked before installation

Architectural and construction

Louvres, cladding panels and balustrades are coated for exterior weathering. On a large flat panel a semi-gloss finish hides surface waviness that a high gloss would show.

A group of powder coated household appliance parts including an oven and refrigerator panels

Appliances and general manufacturing

Appliance panels, furniture frames and general metalwork are the volume end of powder coating: durable colour over steel or aluminium, without a paint shop in the same building.

QA and documentation

What you get back with the parts

Purchasing usually needs paper as well as parts. Here is what we can state today and what is still being confirmed.

Available

Visual inspection

The published inspection step checks for bubbles, sags and missed spots across the coated surface.

Available

Dimension check

Coated parts are measured against the drawing where a tolerance was stated, because the film changes the size.

To confirm

Film thickness record

A measured per-batch film thickness record against the published 60 to 100 um range is being confirmed.

To confirm

Adhesion and durability testing

Adhesion (cross-hatch or equivalent) and outdoor durability testing are being confirmed against a named standard.

Powder coating, paint and surface finish in detail

Longer answers on the questions this page only has room to state.

What is powder coating?

The background on the process, the powders and what makes the film cure rather than dry.

Types of powder coating

How the powder chemistries differ and which one suits which service condition.

Powder coating vs paint

The comparison to make before specifying either - coverage, durability and edge behaviour all differ.

Powder coating applications

Where the process is used in volume, with examples by industry.

Powder coating aluminium

Aluminium needs its own pre-treatment before coating - this covers what changes.

Anodized vs powder coat

The two most-confused finishes for aluminium, compared on hardness, colour and thickness.

FAQ

Powder coating FAQ: the questions engineers ask us

What is powder coating?

A dry powder is sprayed electrostatically onto an earthed part and then cured in an oven, where it flows and cross-links into a continuous film. Our published thickness for this process is 60 to 100 um, in black or white at 20% or 90% gloss.

How thick is the coating?

The published range is 60 to 100 um per coated face - roughly thirty times a chromate layer. That is why threads, press fits and sealing faces have to be masked or allowed for. See what it adds.

Will it fit my tolerance?

Only if the tolerance was set with the film in mind. A 60 to 100 um film is the whole tolerance on a press fit. Decide which features are exempt before the parts are made - the film cannot be selectively removed afterwards.

Which materials can be coated?

Our published table lists steel, stainless steel and aluminium. The published description also mentions plastics and composites, and that wider scope is being confirmed. See the material table.

What colours are available?

Black and white, each at 20% or 90% gloss, are the published options for this process. For any other colour, ask - it has to be confirmed rather than assumed.

Does powder coating protect against corrosion?

The published description claims resistance to wear, corrosion and abrasion, and that the film is durable and long-lasting against high temperature, chemicals and UV. No salt-spray figure is published, so specific corrosion testing is being confirmed.

Can I paint over powder coating?

The film is a finish in its own right and a cured powder surface is not a primer. If you need printed graphics or a second colour on top, say so at quoting so it can be confirmed rather than discovered at assembly.

What happens to the faces I need bare?

They are masked before coating. Masking is the main quality variable in this process: an unmasked face is coated, and getting back to bare metal means blasting or stripping, which can damage the part. See drawing notes.

How do I get a quote?

Send the drawing with the material, the colour and gloss level you need, and the masking list. Contact the team with the part details and we will come back with a quotation.

Get your powder coating quote

Upload a STEP, IGES or PDF drawing. Tell us the material, the colour and gloss level, and which features must keep their exact size - we will come back with the coating and the masking together.

Get a quote Machine it first

What to send us

Drawing - 2D and 3D files (STEP, IGES or PDF).
Material - steel, stainless steel or aluminium.
Colour and gloss - black or white, at 20% or 90% gloss.
Masking list - threads, fits, sealing faces and earth points.
Temperature limits - anything that cannot take the cure cycle.
What happens next - assembly or storage, so the hand-over state fits.

All uploads are secure and confidential. Engineers review and reply with a quotation and lead time.