Above: More manufacturers are choosing powder coating for its durability, finish quality and smaller carbon footprint.

New technologies and new markets open doors for the free flowing powder

July 2015 - Dirt and charcoal mixed with spit or animal fat comprised some of the first pigments prehistoric artists used to depict abstract signs, human figures and animals on the porous surface of cave walls. But it was 1718 before Marshall Smith invented a machine that could grind pigment faster and more efficiently. Thomas Child operated one of the first American paint mills and, in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Co. produced the first ready-to-use paint in a tin. 

The Cleveland, Ohio-based Fortune 500 company manufactures and distributes paint, liquid and powder coatings and items germane to those products lines to industrial, commercial and retail customers in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It has enjoyed four consecutive years of record sales, a portion of which can be credited to industrial fine finish liquid coatings and the market’s smaller cousin—powder coatings. 

Several factors have pushed powder further into the limelight in recent years. Admittedly the dry finishing process is not bullet proof but it has shown itself to be more durable than its counterpart, boosting its popularity with metals suppliers and their customers. 

Mechanical properties and economics also make powder attractive. Some attribute powder’s expanding appeal to its near-zero emission of volatile organic compounds and ability to produce less hazardous waste. Overspray can be recycled, raising powder’s total yield to nearly 100 percent.

Trending

Market reports project the powder coatings market will reach $12 million by 2019, growing at an annual rate of 6.5 percent between 2014 and 2019. The forecast is no surprise to Sherwin-Williams.

“Liquids are still king but powder is coming onboard,” says Ron McMahon, global market development director for powder coatings. Powder consumption worldwide is estimated at 4 billion pounds. “Over the last year we’ve seen an average compounded growth rate of 5 percent with a projected rate upwards of 8 percent.”

Changes in federal regulations have more companies paying attention to powder in an effort to be better stewards of the environment. 

“Customers also want something that can help them differentiate their product in the areas of cosmetic appearance and performance yet help them control costs,” McMahon says. “A lot of these markets previously were serviced by liquid but new technologies and market segments are creating more applications for powder.”

Customers also want a large array of colors, shorter lead times and greater access to stock colors. Sherwin-Williams offers 76 standard RAL high-gloss colors and a policy that promises two days’ delivery from the initial order or it’s free. 

Consuming segments

General and fabricated metals constitutes Sherwin-Williams’ largest market segment for powder. Heavy equipment, agriculture, automotive, HVAC, appliance, aerospace, furniture and custom applications also source powder from Sherwin-Williams. 

In addition to multiple colors, the company has noted demand for black and white. “A lot of our customers have basic requirements for a wide selection of different shades, glosses and textures in black and white,” says McMahon.

Partnering with manufacturers may be the most important facet of serving the burgeoning powder market. “Supplying powder coatings is one thing,” he says. “The ability to be near customers—like a neighbor—can make all the difference.”

Seventy-three technical support centers populate the North American landscape; they are staffed by more than 200 highly trained service representatives. Sherwin-Williams is also a one-stop shop for powder equipment and products from mixing machines and respirators to solvents and rags. 

“We provide a very consistent powder coat product,” says McMahon. “Outfitting customers with the right equipment and ensuring that operators are trained is equally important. Because at the end of the day, if the powder isn’t spraying right, no matter how good it is, the customer won’t be back.”

Sherwin-Williams’ design engineering team adds another layer of service that can help customers evaluate and improve work flow processes by conducting in-depth audits to reveal a coating operation’s hidden inefficiencies and bottlenecks. 

Improving performance

Many large manufacturers perform finishing work themselves, according to McMahon. “They have an in-house staff to handle that. But a lot of smaller shops don’t have an expert on hand. That’s one way our partnership allows us to step in. We can help those small to mid-size shops achieve professional finishes at a level above what they might be equipped to do.”

New product development is based in large part on listening to customers talk about what they need. Typically powder coatings are polymer resin systems that are combined with curatives, pigment leveling agents and other additives. Melted, mixed and cooled, the resulting powder is applied to the metal substrate with an electrostatically charged spray gun. Parts enter a curing oven and are baked at between 300 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

At the 2015 Powder Coating Show held in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this year, Sherwin-Williams featured Powdura OneCure for heavy equipment and general metal finishing projects. The two-layer, one cure, dry-on-dry coating system helps finishers reclaim time and money by eliminating steps.

The mono-bake system is a high-performance alternative to conventional single coat and two-bake powder primer and topcoat systems, McMahon says. “It’s about helping customers improve quality, workflow and production while reducing energy use, labor and maintenance cost.”

Finishers also need less capital equipment, reducing cost and saving space with a smaller footprint.

Using the mono-bake process, “high-quality powder coating is made easier yet finishers also see improved edge coverage and better corrosion resistance than two-bake powder coating systems,” according to McMahon.

The company is also receiving requests for powder with a lower curing temperature, he continues. Development of this type of product will “open the door to powder coating of special aluminum alloys and other heat-sensitive metals where use of standard powder could cause distortion.” 

Giving industries like aerospace and automotive greater access to powder coating products with a lower cure temperature means improved corrosion resistance to moisture and chemicals along with superior durability. 

It also means these manufacturers can sustain a smaller carbon footprint. 

“Sustainability is supported through continuous improvement practices to lower powder usage during parts production,” McMahon notes. “Sometimes such innovations mean we sell less powder. But at the end of day if the customer succeeds and we help them solve a problem or overcome a challenge, that’s what it is all about.” MM