Quote from rustylions12 on December 11, 2025, 12:42 am

Many customers ask us, "How does powder coating stick?" or "Why does it last so much longer than paint?" The secret isn't just in the powder itself; it is in the preparation. In the world of metal finishing, the coating is only as good as the surface underneath it. At Rusty Lions, our powder coating services are built on a foundation of rigorous preparation and scientific precision.

Here is a look behind the curtain at the process that guarantees our results.

Step 1: Thermal Stripping and Degreasing Before we can coat anything, we have to remove the old contaminants. Oil, grease, and dirt are the enemies of adhesion. If a part is heavily coated in old paint or grease (like an engine part), we may use thermal stripping or chemical degreasers to break down the organic material.

Step 2: Sandblasting (Abrasive Blasting) This is the most critical step in our powder coating services. We use high-pressure air to blast abrasive media (like grit or sand) at the part.

• Cleaning: It strips away old paint, rust, and mill scale.

• Profiling: It creates an "anchor profile." Under a microscope, smooth metal looks like a mountain range after blasting. This surface texture gives the powder mechanical teeth to lock onto. Without sandblasting, the powder might look smooth, but it would peel off in sheets eventually.

Step 3: Outgassing Cast metals (like cast aluminum wheels or iron housings) are porous. They hold gases inside the metal. If you powder coat over them immediately, bubbles will form in the finish as the part heats up. We perform an "outgassing" cycle, pre-baking the part to force these gases out before the powder is applied.

Step 4: The Application This is where the magic happens. The powder is fed through a spray gun which imparts an electrostatic charge to the particles. The metal part is grounded. Physics takes over—the charged powder is magnetically attracted to the grounded part.

• Wrap-Around Effect: Because of the magnetic attraction, the powder wraps around the back of tubes and into corners, ensuring even coverage that spray paint can't achieve.

Step 5: Curing The part is moved into our industrial ovens. The temperature is brought up to roughly 400°F (depending on the powder spec).

• Melt Phase: The powder turns to liquid gel.

• Flow Phase: The gel flows out, creating a smooth surface.

• Cross-Linking: A chemical reaction occurs, hardening the gel into a solid, durable polymer.

Quality Control We don't just ship it when it cools. We check for thickness (measured in mils), gloss level, and cure. Proper powder coating services require verification to ensure the finish will withstand the environment it is destined for.

Conclusion As you can see, this is not a "spray and pray" operation. It is an industrial process designed for maximum durability. When you hire Rusty Lions for powder coating services, you are paying for a multi-step engineering process that ensures your metal parts are protected for the long haul.