Blasting & powder coating
Blasting
Blasing is a way to remove dust, dirt and paint residues from a steel object to be treated. During blasting, steel grains are blown onto the object to be treated under high pressure. The blasting agent si sharp-edged so that the surface is deeply cleaned. This creates a pure roughened surface ready for further treatment.
Nibotechnics uses corundum for blasting. This treatment is applied on both ferrous, steel and non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, stainless steel and zinc surface. The weft is soft but very sharp so that the surface is also perfectly cleaned. The consumption of these granules is so high that tey can not be saturated with dirt and grease so that the products archieve a high degree of purity.
After this treatment, the components are very pure, very dry and slightly rough. The combination of these factors gives the most ideal adhesion for powder coating. This can be done in three ways:
- primer powder paint
- metallize
- galvanize
Primer powder coating (optional)
Afther blasting, the products are blown clean from the remaining dust. They are hung up and a primer powder coating is applied. These are baked in the over between 180°C an 200°C. When these come out of the oven, the second layer of powder coating can be applied in the desired color immediately afther cooling.
Metallize
Afther blasing an anti-corrosion layer is applied: a layer with a rough surface that ensures good adhesion of the powder coating to be applied. The metallization is done manually; a zinc-aluminum alloy is sprayed onto the blasted object with a spray gun. The longer the spray is on the same surface, the thicker the layer thickness and this determines the life span of the object. Depending on the aggressiveness of the environment, this metallized layer ensures long-term protection of the steel surface. This surface can now remain so or is covered with layers of paint or powder paint for both aesthetec or even better anticorrosive reasons. It is important that this layer no longer requires an y pre-treatment to apply further layers of paint or powders to it. The slightly rough and porous surface anchors subsequent layers very well.
Galvanize
Galvanisation or hot dip galvanizing is a dipping process in which liquid zinc with a temperature of approximately 450°C, both internally and externally, comes into all corners of the structure or component. Supplied steel products first get a chemical pre-treatment. Then they are immersed in liquid zinc. The steel and the zinc together forrm a zinc alloy. This protective layer is covered by a pure zinc layer. Galvanized products are highy durable, virtually maintenance free and offer a very good protection. After electroplating, the products must be blased before painting in order to obtain a good adhesion.
Powder coating
After the appropriate pre-treatment, the object is powder coated. The powder is electrostatically made and sprayed onto the object with a gun. Because the powder is electrostatec, it remains to the object. After spraying, the sprayed object is heated n an oven heated to 180 to 200°C, depending on the type of powder. The heat does to liquify the powder to a closed hard layer. Once the baking cycle has finished, the layer has all the necessary properties. Afther cooling, your material is ready for use.
Powder coating has the biggest advantage that is is very resistant to abrasion and also a very good impact resistance. During the process, no solvents are released, such as with paints, which benefits our environment.
A distinction is made between epoxy powders, epoxy-polyester powders and polyester powders. Epoxy-polyester powders are used for indoor applications such as medical equipment, furniture and lighting components. Epoxy powders are used as primer to archieve better surface properties. They are generally better chemical resitant and offer a better anti-corrosion protection than polyesters. Polyesters have the properties to be hightly UV-resistant. They are available in a variety of colors including the RAL colors.
Special effects such as textured paints, hammer blows, desigh lacquers and metallics can also be obtained.