The History of Powder Coating

Powder coating is one of the most effective ways to create an attractive, protective layer on a wide range of products. While powder coating is extremely common, few people understand how this interesting process came about or the advances in technology that have been made since the process was invented.

If you’ve heard of powder coating, but aren’t sure what it is or how it originated, you need to spend some time learning about the interesting history of this service. Here are a few facts about the history of powder coating that should help you understand more about this useful service.

 

Powder Coating Beginnings

In the modern era, powder coating is used all over the world. However, this process traces its roots back to Germany. Before the 1940s, the only way to apply organic polymers to a metal base was spray coating. However, this process simply wasn’t as effective as it could be.

Realizing this, a scientist from Germany named Dr. Erwin Gemmer created a new method for applying thermostatic resins using a fluid-bed application. In 1953, Dr. Gemmer applied for a patent for this process, and two years later, he finally received his patent.

The fluid-bed process created by Dr. Gemmer held sway between 1958 and 1965. The layers created by fluid-bed application were generally very functional and were mainly used for abrasion and corrosion protection, as well as electrical insulation. There were also several different types of coating materials. Liquid-bed application was popular in both Europe and the United States during this time period. However, the powder coating process would soon be improved in a big way, changing the history of powder coating forever.

 

Improving the Process

While the liquid-bed application process was mostly effective, it didn’t quite serve commercial needs, especially because it was difficult to control the thickness of the layer that was created. Fortunately, in the 1960s, there was a giant leap forward in the powder coating process: Electrostatic application.

While electrostatic application had already been used in liquid paint, it was not common for powder coating until this time. Thanks to the creation of new powders and a refinement of the application process, powder coating could now be easily and effectively applied electrostatically. This advancement in the powder coating process led to several advantages.

First, application was much easier, as a spray gun could be used to evenly apply the powder across the surface. Secondly, it was now possible to fine-tune the thickness of the layer the coating would create.

Once it was possible to apply powder coating electrostatically, the use of this process exploded across the world.

 

Take Advantage of Powder Coating

Now that you know a little bit about the history of powder coating, it’s likely that you may want to schedule this process for your products. If so, then you should get in touch with the team at AR Powder Coating.

AR Powder coating offers a wide range of services to customers in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas. Our team can tell you more about the history of powder coating and can explain why powder coating is the right choice for your products. Contact us today.