Story at a glance:
- Powder coating aluminum railing will help to keep the railing beautiful rain or shine.
- The powder coating process is more sustainable than liquid coating, releasing nearly no VOCs.
- Key-Link Fencing & Railing shares their multi-step process for powder coating railing.
Aluminum railing and fencing is highly valued for its clean, modern look. It’s also recyclable. But before they send it to the scrap metal recycler, homeowners who invest in their outdoor living space want their railing or fence to stay beautiful for many years.
Powder coating is the way to make aluminum railing last in the face of sun, rain, and humidity. In this process, powder is electrostatically charged and sprayed onto a piece of aluminum, then heated until the powder melts and forms a protective film. This process results in both excellent protection and, unlike liquid coating, releases almost no harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.
Photo courtesy of Key-Link Fencing & Railing
Key-Link Fencing & Railing undertakes a multi-step powder coating process in order to ensure that homeowners get many years of life out of their railing or fencing. Here are the steps in the powder coating process:
Hanging
Raw parts are hanging to be coated. Photo courtesy of Key-Link Fencing & Railing
To begin the process, raw parts are loaded onto hangers designed specifically for their shape. Hanging this way allows the entire surface area to receive coating as they move through the process on a conveyor.
Washing
Heading into washing. Photo courtesy of Key-Link Fencing & Railing
This stage is important, as any foreign substances on the raw aluminum could prevent the coating from adhering properly. Key-Link aluminum goes through a five-stage pretreatment process to thoroughly remove dirt and all other residue to prep it for powder coating.
Drying
Wet aluminum cannot hold a coating, so the newly cleaned parts go into the oven to remove all of the water and dry the raw material completely.
Coating
This is where the actual coating is applied to the aluminum. The conveyor moves at a steady pace while the powder coating guns move in concerted motion up and down to evenly spray the aluminum and ensure a uniform coat.
Curing
Once the piece has been completely coated, it goes back into the oven for eight to 10 minutes for the curing. Here’s where the coating is “baked” on for colorfastness and ongoing weather protection.
Checking
Quality check of the powder coating. Photo courtesy of Key-Link Fencing & Railing
Once it’s unloaded from the hangers, quality technicians check the newly powder-coated item against a set of standards to make sure the piece has a uniform color and finish. Technicians are also checking the powder coating throughout the day to make sure it’s adhering properly and meets the stated architectural standards.
After moving through all of the powder coating stages, aluminum is ready for outdoor installation. Because of the extensive process and quality checks, Key-Link can back its railing and fencing with a solid warranty, including a lifetime warranty on the product and a labor warranty prorated over five years. And homeowners can rest easy, knowing that because they chose to invest in quality, they can enjoy their railing or fencing for years to come.
