NEWS

To understand why burn-off and blasting are the solution, we first will delve into what industry service we are referring to, and why it affects them.

E-coat and Powder coat are two common coatings used in many industries.  Toys, medical, agricultural, automotive, aerospace, furniture, mining and others all use one or both of these coatings.  

E-coating (electrocoating, electrophoretic deposition) is an immersion wet paint finish.  It uses an electrical current to attract the paint particles to the metal surface. 

Powder coating is a spray method.  This application method uses a spray gun, which applies an electrostatic charge to the powder particles, which are then attracted to the grounded part.  

When paint defects occur during either of these coating procedures, the first thing usually inspected is the grounding.  There needs to be some kind of connection from the part to the earthen ground, i.e the racks or hangers used to hang the parts.  If the contact between the part to be coated and the hook it is hanging on does not have good metal to metal contact, the charge will not pass through as easily and the coating suffers.  So, without going into great detail about the workings of these coatings, clean racks/hooks are essential. When coating parts, build up occurs on these racks/tooling and must be removed.  Also, improperly coated parts will need to be stripped to be re-coated. This is where Latem Industries Limited can help.

Removing e-coating and powder coating can be difficult.  The choice of method often depends on the substrate, environmental concerns, and timeline.  Each method has advantages and disadvantages that must be considered.  Listed below are a few options for paint removal.

Chemical Stripping:  Using chemical strippers designed specifically for removing coatings.  They usually contain solvents such as methylene chloride or other potent chemicals. This process may pose environmental and health hazards due to the toxicity of the chemicals.  Proper safety precautions and disposal protocols are crucial.

Thermal Methods:  Heat can be used to remove coatings.  Typically done in a burn-off oven, this method melts the coating off.  Parts must be able to handle the high temperatures required to remove the paint.

Media Blasting:  More effective on e-coating, powder coating sometimes proves too durable to be removed in this manner.  Media or water is propelled at a high speed onto the surface, removing the coating.  This method may cause surface roughness or profile changes.

Mechanical Methods:  By grinding or sanding the part, eventually the coating is removed.  This process is very time consuming and labour-intensive.

Latem Industries Limited offers both burn-off and blasting as methods to remove e-coat, powder coat and liquid coatings from both parts, tooling and racks. 

Contact us for more information.