It may be considered unusual for a Birmingham Powder Coating Company to provide information about other powder coating companies in the Birmingham Area.
Powder Coatings Ltd have been in business since 1972 and during this period we have learnt a thing or two about most of the other coating companies around us.
This article will save you time if you are looking to have your parts Powder Coated and generally point you in the right direction with I hope some helpful information.
The first key point to remember that not all Powder Coaters are equal.
Yes, they all have the capabilities to Powder Coat Parts however it is important to recognize the various sizes and types of Powder Coating companies.
In very basic terms they can be broken down into the following types;
High Volume Contract Powder Coaters; specialising in the high volume coating of Automotive and other Vehicle Components. Usually these companies have the facilities for Electropainting as well as Powder Coating. The main companies in this sector are Malcolms, Metafin & Profin.
Aluminium Extrusion Powder Coaters; these types of companies specialize in the pretreatment and powder coating of architectural aluminium extrusions. Their facilities are geared to handling long lengths of aluminium that are used for glazing and curtain walling in commercial buildings. The main companies doing this type of work are Vertik-Al, Powdertech and Superior Paint & Powder Coating.
General Decorative Powder Coaters; these companies do not specialise in either of the two types above, however that is not to say that they do not have the facilities to coat high volume automotive parts or lengths of aluminium extrusions rather that they do not specialize in one particular section of the market. These sort of Powder Coating companies have the facilities to coat a wide range of different components large & small, complicated or simple. They will also coat parts for national as well as local companies and be able to collect and deliver over long distances. There are a few Powder Coating companies some good and others not so good and it can be a bit of a minefield to know which one to choose. The good ones who have been in business a long time are Frederick Cooper, Circuit Coatings and not forgetting Powder Coatings Ltd!
Small Powder Coaters; This type of company is usually run by an owner/manager who works on the shop floor along with a few staff. They turn their hand to anything that comes along; Alloy Wheels, Old Car parts, smaller jobs for generally local firms who want a simple coating job. Companies such as Bournes, Sweeney & Sherlock & City Powder Coaters.
Facilities and services;
It is important to understand that some Powder Coaters offer different services and this can be important when you are looking for a Powder Coater.
The main one is how the Powder Coater cleans your parts before coating them;
All parts need the grease and surface contaminants removing before the powder coat finish is applied.
The better-quality coater will have degreasing facilities; for instance we Hot Vapour Degrease all the parts that we process so that the surface finish is very clean before coating.
Some companies will have immersion pretreatment suitable for Steel or Aluminium parts. This process cleans & pretreats surface of the parts.
There are coating companies who have neither of these facilities who believe it or not clean parts by wiping them with a thinners-soaked rag. Beware of this type of company. Your parts will be Powder Coated and will look superficially good for a while however the adhesion and corrosion resistance will be affected detrimentally by the lack of proper cleaning causing future rejects and claims.
Does the company have an approved Quality Control System such as ISO 9001?
Companies that are certified to this standard will have internal systems that record all stages of the coating process with inspection and traceability. Furthermore their plant and equipment will be calibrated so that for instance they know with certainty that if the oven temperature reads 190 degrees centigrade then that reading can be relied upon and the customers parts will be cured to the correct temperature reliably and repeatedly.
The better-quality coater will also have equipment to measure the thickness and gloss level of coatings so that they can confirm the parts are being coated to the correct specification.
Do they have facilities for dealing with rusty or scaly metal. You would be surprised how many coating companies will powder coat on top of rusty or scaly steel. At Powder Coatings Ltd any parts that are rusty or are made of hot rolled steel are Shot Blasted to remove the surface rust or scale.
The above is my basic, personal & uncomplicated view of the market for Powder Coating companies in the Birmingham area. I hope it helps you.