How much does Powder Coating cost?

Powder Coatings Ltd – Established over 50 years. ISO 9001 Approved Quality Systems.

How much does Powder Coating cost?

The Size of the Parts

It will not be a surprise to be told that small parts cost less than large ones. Small parts can usually be hung up on metal Jigs or Fixtures that can hold many parts. A recent job we processed was a small Clip about 80mm long. We manufactured 40 Jigs specially for the contract, each Jig holding 350 parts. The cost of this part was £0.11p each. The cost of the Jigs was amortised over the length of the contract.

Small parts are usually within a size envelope of 100mm by 50mm by 50mm. They are normally coated by hanging them on Jigs & Fixtures so that multiple parts can be coated at one time. This is an efficient way to coat parts as the Jig/Fixture becomes one Large Part that can be coated speedily thereby reducing the cost.

At Powder Coatings Ltd we use our experience to work out the optimum size and type of Jig/Fixture. If we stock one that suits your parts we will use existing jigs. If not we can design and make bespoke Jigs/Fixtures that maximise the amount of parts that can be hung on them keeping the cost to a minimum and enabling fast production of the parts.

Larger parts are more expensive and the cost depends on their size & dimensions. Are they two dimensional, for instance a piece of sheet metal 500mm by 500mm?has two dimensions. Or are they three dimensional?

A cost example of a two dimensional part is a piece of sheet metal measuring 500mm by 500mm coated both sides. The surface area of this part is 0.5 of a square metre.

Depending on colour and quantity this would cost in the region of £6 to £8.

Larger three dimensional parts cost more and the cost is dependent upon many other factors that we will discuss later in this article.

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Quick Read; Smaller parts can be placed on Jigs to improve production rate. Larger more complex parts such as items with three dimensions cost more.

The Quantity of the Parts

We can process a wide range of parts from one-offs to many thousands and in some cases hundreds of thousands of parts. The quantity of parts to be coated influences the price significantly.

For instance, a one-off part involves setting up the powder coating equipment, spray booth and oven prior to processing the part. This can take between 5 and 15 minutes and must be calculated as part of the cost. Then the one-off part is processed and after that the cleaning down of the spraying equipment must be carried out, so we are ready for the next job. The actual coating time of the part may only take a few minutes but add to this the set-up time and the reason for the greater cost of a one-off part is apparent.

When the quantities are greater the set-up cost is amortised over the quantity of parts which reduces the piece part cost. Also the density of the work being processed on the production line can be increased so that parts are coated more efficiently and therefore cheaper.

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Quick Read; Larger quantities means cheaper prices

The Specification Required

This affects the cost of coating a part more than any other factor. Most large manufacturing companies will have their own Powder Coating Specifications. These provide detailed instructions relating to the processes that their parts must undergo.

The Specifications will also contain a list of tests that the parts must undergo to check the coating has been carried out correctly and instructions how often sample parts are to be tested

However not all companies quote specifications. They will simply say Powder coat in Colour xxx.

In between Large Company specifications and simple specifications you will find various requests and process details.

In some case a customer will ask for a specific pre-treatment for the metal before Powder Coating. Some of these are shot-blasting (to clean the surface), Chromating (to prepare the surface).

In terms of added cost to a basic Powder Coating Spec. For instance if a basic cost of a part was £2.00 each and the customer requested a pre-treatment that would affect the price by about a third. Similarly so for shot blasting.

A popular specification nowadays is to apply a zinc rich powder coat primer first, then after partial curing of the first coat apply the second coat in the desired colour. This provides a finish that is more corrosion resistant. As to costs, if a basic Powder Coat cost is in the region of £12-15 per square metre then the addition of the zinc rich primer coat can add up to 80% of the base cost.

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Quick Read; Specifications are very important

The Colour Required

The Powders used for Powder Coating range from basic colours such as Black and White costing £3-£4 per kilo through the to the most expensive which are yellows, oranges & reds which can cost around £10 per kilo. Given that you can normally coat about 5 square metres of surface area with one kilo of powder your material costs per square metre coated will range from £0.80p to £2.00.

The above costs relate to Stock powders from the most popular ranges of RAL Classic and B.S.4800 held by Powder Manufacturers in the U.K.

Other ranges such as RAL Design, Natural Colour Systems & BS 381c are not normally held in stock and must be made specially. We can source bespoke powders in these ranges. The costs depend again on the quantity required. For instance, 20 kilos of a bespoke RAL Design powder can cost in the region of £400.

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Quick Read; Standard colours are readily available. Non-standard usually must be produced bespoke

Summary

I hope the above information is a help when you send out enquiries for parts to be Powder Coated.
If you have any questions or for free advice and help, please Contact Us.