What’s the best finish for your water bottle? What kind of surface treatment we should choose for different bottles? What are their advantages and disadvantages? In the next article, we will introduce a surface treatment process for you in detail, namely powder coating.
Paint is a traditional method with certain limitations and disadvantages. On the other hand, powder coating is a more advanced method. It is more durable, has a reduced environmental impact, and has a higher quality look.
How Does Powder Coating Work?
Powder coating is a dry finishing process, which is different from the traditional spraying process, which is to spray paint on the surface. It uses the electrostatic method to spray powder coating on the surface of the insulated stainless steel bottle body. Under the action of static electricity, the powder will be evenly adsorbed on the surface of the bottle body to form a powder coating, which is then baked and cured at high temperature under heat or ultraviolet light.
This is a modern painting method that can replace traditional painting techniques. Powder coating is an increasingly popular method of providing protective and decorative coatings on metal objects. Unlike liquid paint, powder paint is a dry material that won’t drip or run when applied.
What is the powder coating Paint process?
1. Pre-treatment
Before applying any powder coating, the surface of the stainless steel bottle must be cleaned and treated to ensure that it is free of dust, dirt, and rust. The surface of the thermos will form a “phosphating layer” that is corrosion-resistant and can increase the adhesion of the spray coating. If the surface is not adequately prepared, any remaining residues and deposits can affect powder adhesion and the quality of the final finish.
2. Application Stage
For most metal objects, the coating material is applied by electrostatic spray deposition(ESD). When spraying, the spray gun moves back and forth horizontally or vertically on the surface of the bottle body, and the speed should be uniform. After applying, any overspray material can be collected through a recycling system and reused in future paint applications. Our stainless steel water bottle factory has an automatic spraying line with robotic arms. Compared with manual spraying, the quality of the product surface is obviously improved.
3. Curing Stage
Stainless steel bottles that are powder coated by ESD must be cured in a high-temperature drying/curing oven. The curing time mainly depends on its size, shape, and thickness, the temperature is usually between 180 ℃ and 230 ℃, and the curing time is between ten minutes and more than an hour. After reaching the optimum curing temperature in the oven, the powder particles melt and flow together to form a continuous film on the surface of the stainless steel bottle, thereby obtaining the desired surface effect of the insulated water bottle.
What Are the Advantage of the Powder-Coating?
The powder coating process is extremely efficient – only one coat is required for most jobs, and a powder coating is less expensive than wet paint, which helps minimize project costs. Greater thicknesses than liquid coatings can also be achieved while maintaining coating integrity. In addition to this, powder coatings require shorter curing, processing, and drying times compared to liquid coatings. This further reduces the production time to complete the product or assembly.
As far as the finish is concerned, powder coating is more durable than most other options. As it cures, the powder forms chemical bonds in the process, creating a durable surface. Powder coatings are more resistant to shock, moisture, chemicals, and extreme weather, providing better protection for products and the colors will remain vibrant. Therefore, it effectively reduces the need for future coating repairs or replacements.
In an era when companies in all industries must comply with environmental regulations, the powder coating process offers an environmentally friendly alternative to liquid spraying and other commonly used metal finishing techniques. In liquid paint, the average VOC level is between 3.5 and 5.5 pounds per gallon, which means that during the application, about one-third to one-half of each gallon of liquid paint is emitted to the environment and atmosphere. Because powder coatings do not contain any solvents, they emit almost no VOCs throughout the finishing process.
Everich Can Meet All Your Powder-Coating Needs
At Everich, our 7000m ² factory contains the most advanced powder-coating equipment and machinery, we know how to powder coat all types of water bottles to any specification. Different surface treatment has different features, we can choose the best way to meet the bottle design and market needs. Contact us for more information and a free project quote today.
To know the complete stainless steel water bottle manufacturing process, please click here.
