Powder coating and the benefits associated with this method of finishing have been profitably utilised for decades. The technology involved and the powder used have been developed and refined to the point where, today, more or less any product can be powder-coated. A new technology using UV-powder, IR/UV-ovens, modern powder application and powder recovering systems makes it now possible to powder coat heat sensitive material such as in this case MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard).

Powder coating offers a number of advantages:

The benefits of powder coating in general can be summarised as follows:

• Powder doesn't contain any solvents
• Powder doesn't produce any paint-sludge
• Powder over-spray is recovered and reused in the powder cycle
• The exhaust air from the recovery system can be returned into the work area
• Powder coating allows a high degree of automation
• Powder coated surfaces are very resistant to chemical and mechanical demands

Additional advantages with UV-curable powders:

The UV technology also offers a number of specific advantages compared to the thermo-curing system:

• Better surface quality because melting and curing take place in separate steps
• The extremely compact oven system needs less space
• Lower energy consumption because of very short melting and curing time

Specifications

By:
Lars Karlsson
TRIAB / TRI INNOVATIONS AB
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