Painting of metal fences: necessary equipment
Despite the rather wide scope of application of powder paint, still the most popular elements painted with it are bulky metal products that are used in the open air and should serve users for a long time. As an example, we can name metal fences, gates and fences. They are ideal and durable when paired with a powder coating.
Where does such a demand for powder paint come from and what are its advantages?
Any metal products are always about reliability and durability. It is much more profitable to install a metal fence once than to change wooden boards that have already been cut off from moisture every few years. Thus, when we know that this or that thing will be used in the open air, under the influence of atmospheric factors, especially under the active influence of sunlight, it is worth considering that the period of its destruction will be reduced several times. And this does not only concern wood, or plastic. This also applies to metal products. Without proper protection, they are very vulnerable, prone to oxidative reactions that lead to corrosion and destruction of the top layer. And this is only the beginning, and then – the formation of holes. And if you think that special metal alloys do not require coating, then you are deeply mistaken, because over time, slowly and surely, the same rust awaits them.
Thus, all metal structures require additional coating, and powder paint does an excellent job with this. The peculiarity of powder paint is that its thin layer has anti-shock and anti-corrosion properties more effective than three hundred layers of any other paint. This is directly due to the application and polymerization technology, as a result of which we obtain the desired coating.
The main advantages of powder paint are its cost-effectiveness, because its consumption for coating the product is quite low, and besides, powder recovery is possible, which allows you to paint again with the same material twice.
Powder coating equipment and conveyor line
And now about a very important aspect, the equipment. First of all, it should be remembered that powder paint requires special equipment for its application. Its role is not only in the application of coloring particles and the formation of the coloring film, but also in performing all processes in such a way as to simultaneously accelerate production and prevent possible defects. To do this, you need to figure out how to paint large, almost unmanageable, elements, such as metal door profiles. Correct use of the appropriate equipment will provide you with the desired uniform and durable coating.
It is clear that elements such as gates or any metal structures, to a greater extent, do not require jewelry work when painting, therefore, the painting process is usually performed immediately at the production site, where the thing itself is produced. For this, a special conveyor line is installed that will transport the product from the beginning to the end of the dyeing process. Thus, the employee will not need to exert at all. Usually, in large factories, the powder coating line is more automated, and the worker only checks the proper functioning.
The conveyor line must have such stops on the way to perfect coverage:
Surface preparation line
For this, various equipment can be used, depending on the degree of pollution. For example, to get rid of oily stains, it will be enough to treat with special solvents that degrease and prepare the surface. In this case, equipment for surface preparation by immersion is installed. It usually contains special containers of liquids, an auto operator and a dryer. Auto-operator is a special mechanism that holds a part, moves it between solutions in time, delays it for the required time and transfers it to drying. After that, the part is blown off, dried and, in the end, it is ready for powder application.
There are situations when remnants of previous paint, grinding dust are noticeable on metal products. In this case, a jet cleaner is needed, equipped with a special immersion bath and a tunnel with sprayers that supply degreasing solutions under pressure. At the end, the part is blown under the fans.
Spray chamber
There are several types of spray chambers. In general they are all manufactured from sheet metal and may contain equipment for both automatic and manual powder application. It is important that from the middle the chamber must be well lit, equipped with hoods for normal air circulation, have a control panel, and also have transport elements, so that it will be a full-fledged element of the conveyor line. Sprayers and the efficiency of powder supply to them will also be important, because when it comes to large metal profiles or metal structures that may have recesses, gaps, holes, etc., correct settings of air pressure and supply are necessary so that defects do not form. Spraying occurs only inside the chamber in order to be able to recover the powder, and to easily clean the devices from paint residues.
It is important to choose the correct size of the chamber, based on the dimensions of the product itself that will be painted. Products must fit completely into the spray booth to achieve an even coating.
Polymerization chamber
Depending on the scale of the product, as well as the production capacity and free space, the designers create an ideal project for placing the line in such a way that, occupying the minimum number of square meters, the maximum can be squeezed out of it, so the polymerization chamber should be located at such a distance that under no circumstances did powder particles not get in and the ventilation passages were not closed, and not too far away for the part with electrified powder particles to immediately enter the polymerization stage. The polymerization process is carried out at a temperature of 120-250 degrees. The temperature accuracy depends on the type of paint. The air in the oven is heated to a certain temperature by passing through a heat exchanger located on the side wall of the chamber, which ensures the safest and most uniform heating of the air in the polymerization chamber.
Each stage of painting is integral and each is an important link in the powder coating system. All equipment requires fine tuning and control, and even automated powder coating lines must be closely monitored by a worker. Moreover, any equipment from time to time must be checked for suitability, since long work, as well as interaction with heavy lifting products, can damage something. First of all, this is the safety of workers and quality products. It is much more convenient when production of the same type of products of similar sizes is created. Then you can adjust all equipment to the same size, serial color and any other features.
