The powder coating process in Preston, WA can have issues, and it is up to skilled professionals to overcome them quickly. In order to assure that projects are completed on time and up to standards, there are troubleshooting techniques to keep workflow going forward. Here are six items that can go wrong during powder coating—and what we do to counteract them:
- Lack of Kv reading: Kv indicates gun voltage, and that helps determine whether the powder is charged enough to bond to the new surface. Technicians are dependent on this reading as it indicates whether the work is being performed successfully. If the gun stops giving this reading, that makes it difficult to assess the success of the work. Normally this is due to loss of power, LED driver issues or internal gun failures. The solution, if it is not linked to a power outage, involves switching out guns while the original one goes out for repair.
- Powder surging from the gun: It is also possible for guns to release too much powder, which is referred to as surging. This can lead to uneven or ineffective application. It often happens if there is a seal issue, a possible blockage or the failure of the powder hose to provide enough compressed air. Technicians may frequently change out the seals quickly or check the lift tube in the gun hopper to solve the problem.
- Powder is drifting: Once charged, powder should go straight to the treated surface. However, it can also drift from the spray booth, which can indicate interruption in the air supply. Changing air filters or cleaning out clogs in the hoses frequently solves this issue. Sometimes, technicians will change all air and cartridge filters so they are on the same schedule.
- Powder doesn’t stick: The most common cause of powder not sticking is low Kv from the gun. If there is not a strong enough charge, the powder will miss the treatment surface. Inadequate grounding also interferes with the powder bonding, as well as electrical contact failure. It is also likely that there is powder buildup preventing application, so troubleshooting this issue can be time consuming due to all the possible scenarios.
- Powder is uncured: Curing is important to achieving effective powder coating. If it is not stored correctly or gets exposed to extreme temperatures, it will not charge or bond with the project’s surface. The best method for dealing with this issue is prevention, and if it does arise, technicians must check the storage facilities for shortcomings.
- Process line performance: This is unfortunately one of the most complicated issues to troubleshoot. It normally involves shortcomings in the cleaning process, so a thorough cleaning will often restore full working order. Otherwise, technicians will need to move onto bath cleanliness, nozzle alignment and other more complex considerations.
Powder Vision Inc is familiar with the powder coating process in Preston, WA and can finish your projects efficiently. Call us today to see what our expert services can do for you.