FAQs about Aluminium Extrusions & Engineering Services - Edmo Ltd

Our powder coated aluminium extrusion profiles and components are treated to the highest quality. We work within guidelines from the following British Standards:

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• BS EN ISO :(ASTM B 287) Acetic salt spray test
• BS EN ISO Neutral salt spray test
• BS EN ISO / Conical mandrel bend test
• BS EN ISO Adhesion test
• BS EN ISO Thickness test
• BS EN ISO Gloss level test

We are also ISO : accredited for quality management, ensuring you receive only the best quality powder coated aluminium extrusion, and the best levels of customer care.

Yes, we offer bespoke colours for powder coating. Our in-house facilities coupled with the capabilities of our supply partners means we’re almost always able to find exactly the right powder coating solution for your business. If you’re not sure whether we can cater to your specific requirements, please contact us and we’ll be happy to advise.

Not necessarily, no. Extruded aluminium can be finished in a number of ways, including painting, anodising and powder coating. Painting is (we hope!) fairly self-explanatory; anodising involves creating a layer of oxide on the aluminium profile using an electric current and an acid bath; powder coating involves applying a layer of thermo-setting powder that flows into a smooth, hard-wearing layer on top of the substrate. So depending on the context, no: coated aluminium may not always mean powder coated aluminium.

‘Better’ is a word we like to use carefully at Edmo. What’s right for one project isn’t necessarily the best solution for another, which is why we always take a bespoke approach to our customers’ requirements. Spray painting, which uses wet paint, has its plus sides: it’s ideal for products that can’t be heat-treated (this doesn’t apply to aluminium) and can produce a thinner finish than powder-coating, so it may be better for applications demanding a thin surface finish. Finally, it’s generally cheaper than powder-coating, particularly for small jobs. On the other hand, powder coating aluminium gives a more durable finish in just one coat, where wet painting can require multiple layers to achieve the right finish, and is usually far more corrosion and abrasion resistant than spray painting.

If you’d like to chat to us about whether powder coated extruded aluminium is right for your project, please get in touch - we’re happy to advise.

Yes, powder coating aluminium windows, including their frames and components, is one of the many applications we help our customers with. Powder coating aluminium windows helps to protect the metal against the elements and gives the substrate a neat, attractive, and durable finish.

Powder coating aluminium windows can be extremely cost-effective, particularly on larger batch volumes. We also offer a range of complementary services to windows manufacturers, including fabrication, extrusion, and assembly services. For an exact quote, please contact us and we’ll be happy to advise.

Absolutely. Our dedicated powder coating plant is a limited company in its own right. We offer free issue powder coating services to a large number of customers who go elsewhere for their extrusion and fabrication needs.

If you’d like a free issue powder coating quote, please get in touch.

Yes, it does - and we’ll take care of the process. Aluminium - and any kind of metal, for that matter - needs a thorough cleaning before powder coating to remove any debris, grease, and oil.

Cleaning the material prior to powder coating ensures that the paint will adhere effectively and that there won’t be any lumps, bumps, or uneven textures on the item once it’s complete.

We load the items to be coated into a series of baskets. They pass through several cleaning and surface preparation tanks filled with fluids that remove all dirt and chemical residues. Once the cleaning is complete, the items are dried and ready for powder coating.

Powder coating is a fairly simple process - if you have the right skills and equipment. Our dedicated powder coating facility is designed to make short work of the powder coating process. Because it’s a stand-alone facility that deals only in powder coating, each step of the process has its own place.

Firstly, the items to be coated are cleaned in our preparation tanks. They’re then dried and loaded onto a series of jigs, suspended from an overhead conveyor.

The conveyor carries the items to the spray booth, then onto the oven, where they’re baked to set the paint. Once the items have been cured and the paint is set, they continue their journey to the cooling area. Once we can handle them, we get them down from the conveyor, check them to ensure perfect results, then pack them as the customer has requested.

We use two kinds of ovens in our powder coating process. Firstly, the items are placed in an infra-red oven that carries out about 60% of the curing process. We then move the items onto the box oven, which heats them to around 200°C for up to 15 minutes.

This process effectively melts the powder to form a smooth, uniform finish on the substrate. When it cools, it forms a hard-wearing and attractive surface.

You can certainly try! If you go online, you’ll find plenty of powder coating starter kits that include an electrostatic powder coating machine and an industrial paint system spray gun. You’ll also need to buy a small component curing oven. This may be as much as you need to get the results you want.

You need to adhere closely to preparation and curing parameters if you want to get uniform results from your powder coating efforts. It’s not easy to achieve this without considerable investment and experience, so if repeatability is important to you, it’s best to leave powder coating to the experts.

The most obvious benefit is that we have a dedicated powder coating facility right here at our HQ. We’re highly experienced and we’ve got the right staff and equipment to get great results every time.

More specifically, it’s a wise move to outsource your powder coating rather than attempting to do it yourself for a number of reasons:

• Cost-effectiveness: powder coating is a big part of what we do. We’ve already invested in the best equipment and ongoing training, so you don’t have to.
• Time savings: we’re professional powder coaters, which means we’ll get the job done in half the time it would’ve taken you. Plus, our whole powder coating facility is set up to streamline the process.
• Professional equipment: we’ve got state-of-the-art equipment, including cleansing tanks, driers, an infrared oven, a box oven, and a number of electrostatic powder coating guns. It’ll cost you a lot to get the same and take you a lot of time to learn how to use it all.

It depends on what you mean by effective. Painting with traditional wet paint is quick, easy, simple, and cheap. You don’t need any real specialist equipment to do it, and you don’t need a large dedicated area for it.

On the other hand, powder coating gives a far more durable finish. It’s neater, more uniform, and much more hard-wearing than wet paint, and it can actually be quicker to powder coat large items than it is to paint them.

Yes - we’re able to powder coat in any RAL colour (and there are over of them) including gold. We can powder coat your items with a matt or high gloss gold finish - just let us know what you need and we’ll tell you what we can do.

No - we offer high-performance commercial and industrial finishes that are suited to a wide range of demanding applications, including automotive and aerospace.

We don’t provide CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) or military grade powder coating services. If you are looking for this level of coating, please do contact us and we’ll do our best to put you in touch with a reputable provider.

This is one of those “How long is a piece of string?” questions that’s hard to answer. Powder coating costs are calculated on a case by case basis depending on a few factors:

• Whether the job is free issue powder coating or a range of services including powder coating
• The size of the batch
• The size and complexity of the items
• The lead time
• Whether the job is a one-off or contracted

We pride ourselves on offering our customers a very competitive deal - we’re able to beat a lot of our competitors because we have a dedicated powder coating facility.

The best way to get an idea of costs (and let’s face it, we all want that) is to contact us directly for a no-obligation chat.

For more information, please visit Aohai Coating Equipment.

Yes and no. Obviously we’re happy to offer powder coating services to anyone and everyone. But, it wouldn’t make much sense for a company in Newcastle to send free issue powder coating work our way.

Customers looking for powder coating and nothing else tend to be relatively local. We’re based in Ross on Wye, so think Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Cardiff and the surrounding areas.

But, if you’re looking for extrusion and fabrication services including powder coating, we’re used to dealing with customers nationwide. Get in touch to discuss what you need.

Powder coating aluminum is a process that produces versatile, sustainable finishes. Powder-coated aluminum is useful for industries as diverse as aerospace and architecture, along with many others. This step-by-step guide will explain the process of powder coating aluminum.

Overview of Powder Coating Aluminum

Manufacturers and product fabricators send their aluminum products for powder coating as a finish for several reasons. The main benefits of this finish include:

• Enhancing aluminum’s natural corrosion resistance and durability
• Improving a product’s aesthetics by applying an attractive finish
• Reducing waste through a finishing process that can recycle excess powder

Before beginning, manufacturers will determine their specifications for the end product. The actual process of powder coating aluminum involves up to 11 different steps:

Step 1: Blasting 

Before preparing aluminum for powder coating, it is essential to ensure the material is free of inorganic contaminants like grease, rust or debris. If the material is being repurposed, any previous finish also needs to be removed. This is achieved through abrasive blasting to prepare the surface. 

This step contributes to better powder coat adhesion and enhanced finish durability. 

Step 2: Pre-Treating the Aluminum

Once the aluminum is clean, it is ready for pretreatment. Methods vary, but Keystone Koating’s thorough aluminum pretreatment process has eight stages:

1. An alkaline cleaner removes any contaminants left after blasting.
2. An alkaline rinse removes the leftover cleaning agent from step one.
3. A second alkaline rinse ensures that all traces of contaminants and cleaning agents are gone.
4. An ion phosphate solution pickles the surface and forms a coat to improve powder coat adhesion and prevent corrosion.
5. A targeted rinse removes the ion phosphate from the surface.
6. A second rinse ensures all traces of ion phosphate have been removed.
7. A reverse osmosis wash eliminates any potential for remaining chemical or environmental contamination.
8. The coating professionals cover the surface in a chrome-free, dry-in-place zirconium sealer for optimal powder coat adhesion.

Using a thorough pretreatment process during aluminum powder coating can sometimes eliminate the need for additional abrasive blasting.

Step 3: Masking

If the powder coating is for an aluminum component with holes, threads or machined areas that need to stay clean, masking blocks off those areas to protect them during powder coat application. Masking is also helpful for creating straight lines across a surface. 

Special, high-temperature masking tape that can survive temperatures approaching 400 degrees Fahrenheit is necessary for this process.

Step 4: Priming the Surface

This is an optional step but an impactful one, especially for products intended for outdoor use. Applying a quality non-zinc primer coat to the aluminum before the powder coating can prevent corrosion, even in severe weather and environments with high moisture and high airborne salinity. The most effective primers on the market can extend the life span of a powder coat four times over. 

If longevity is important to you, it is wise to ask your coating partner to use a primer before applying the powder coat.

Step 5: Applying the Powder Coat

With the aluminum surface clean, pretreated, masked and primed, the next step is to apply the powder coat. The powder itself could be epoxy, polyester or fluoropolymer, depending on the component’s application. While other methods exist, electrostatic spraying is the most versatile and precise way to apply powder coating to aluminum components. 

This method uses electrostatic spray guns to apply the powder coat. The guns charge the powder particles with electrostatic energy on their way out of the spray nozzles. The coating then forms a strong electrostatic bond with the aluminum surface. This process continues until the component is fully coated with powder for the desired finish and thickness. The electrostatic bonds are so strong that the coat can protect the aluminum for years or even decades.

Step 6: Curing the Coat

Next, the freshly applied coat requires curing in an oven. Curing melts the resins in the powder to form a durable coat. Most aluminum powder coats will cure at 325-400 degrees Fahrenheit (163-204 degrees Celcius) for 10-25 minutes. Coating professionals calculate the exact time and temperature to cure a coat based on factors like:

• Coating thickness
• Substrate material
• Component size
• Powder formulation

Through careful optimization of curing time and temperature, coating professionals ensure an even, durable finish.

Step 7: Cooling

After leaving the curing oven, the component must cool down. This is when the powder solidifies to form a hardy protective layer over the aluminum surface. Proper cooling is crucial to prevent thermal stress, minimize the potential for defects and enable professionals to handle the component safely while inspecting and packaging it. 

Leaving the component to cool naturally ensures gentle acclimation to the ambient temperature. However, in some cases, the material or conditions may demand more rapid cooling methods, including:

• Forced air cooling
• Cooling chambers
• Water quenching

Step 8: Quality Testing

After cooling, the powder coat is complete. A reputable coating professional will conduct rigorous inspection and quality testing before returning a coated component to a client. Top-tier quality control combines an experienced eye with specialized testing equipment to check the coat’s adhesion, thickness, cure and appearance. 

Keystone Koating conducts these checks in a quality assurance laboratory dedicated to thorough testing and top-quality standards. Our testing procedures follow the quality and reliability standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). We also hold ISO - certification.

Quality testing ensures the coat meets the coating company’s standards and the client’s specifications.

Step 9: Assembly

Once the component passes quality control, it is ready for packaging and shipping. If your component requires assembly, most coating professionals will return the coated parts to you to assemble yourself. However, if you choose Keystone Koating, you can ask for minor assembly on-site as a value-added service.

Step 10: Packaging

The powder-coated aluminum component is placed in protective packaging for convenient shipping. If your component is destined for the retail or wholesale market, provide Keystone Koating with the packaging materials and specifications and request custom packaging as a value-added service. This ensures the presentation standards you want your customer to experience.

Step 11: Shipping

Explore the shipping options your coating partner offers to ensure a delivery that meets your timeline. Keystone Koating provides multiple fast shipping options to suit your needs and preferences. Arrange a direct shipping schedule that gets all your completed orders to your location on time.

Why Trust Keystone Koating for Aluminum Powder Coating?

At Keystone Koating, we provide professional, attentive coating services informed by over 30 years of experience in the industry. We have spent decades innovating powder coating technology to meet your finishing needs. 

Our ISO -, AAMA, JLG and other certifications and verifications reflect our commitment to quality, compliance and consistency. This same commitment drives us to implement meticulous quality testing through our own quality assurance laboratory as well as independent verification processes. Because of our rigorous quality standards and consistent service delivery, we have been recognized as a Top Shop by Products Finishing magazine — a leading industry publication.

Choose Keystone Koating for Aluminum Powder Coating Services

Keystone Koating has over 30 years of industry experience and the capacity to powder coat the volume of aluminum components you need. 

Along with precise electrostatic spraying, our process includes a meticulous eight-step pretreatment and exacting inspections in our quality testing lab. Each aspect of our powder coating process is designed to optimize quality, durability and aesthetics. We also offer custom packaging and fast, direct shipping to get your product where you need it, when you need it.

For more Aluminium Powder Coating Machine(pt,th,tr)information, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.