Powder Coating Wood, Powder Coat Wood, Powder Coated Wood - Define the quality and a health conscious lifestyle of the future
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Wood
Powder Coating- The look and shape of
the future...by
Craig Martin
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 The future is often hard to predict, but one thing is certain
— powder-coated wood has the look and shape that designers and
architects will use to define quality and a health conscious
lifestyle of the future.
Powder coating involves the use of an electrostatic charge,
both positive and negative, which offers tremendous adhesion
in the bond and incredible strength. The process of powder
coating metal has been around for many years. Metal has
properties that make it a good conductor of electricity;
whereas wood does not. Powder coating on metal was quickly
accepted into the market, but powder-coated wood has taken
longer to master due to this challenge of electrostatic
conductivity. MDF has now been custom formulated for powder
coating with approximately 8 percent moisture content. The
powder-coating process requires heating the MDF prior to
coating to bring the moisture to the surface; as a result,
this moisture serves as the source of electrostatic
conductivity.
Powder-coated wood is capable of producing some of the highest
quality and extremely durable wood finishes. The process of
powder coating on MDF requires substantial investment in
technology, equipment and expertise. The future is now for a
preferred wood finish whenever the requirement is for
durability, moisture resistance, chemical/stain resistance —
or where the benefits of green are desired.
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Powder coatings have a texture comparable to baking flour. |
The powder from the photo (left) applied to wood components. |
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This type of finish is gaining popularity throughout Europe,
and most recently growth in the United States has been led by
companies such as Herman Miller (office furniture) and
ClosetMaid. The goal: to produce a finish that exceeds the
performance specifications of liquid finishes and many
laminates.
Unlimited shapes
Powder-coated wood is limitless in terms of designing shapes
and profiles when compared to laminates because there is no
need for edgebanding. When manufacturers want to use curves,
elegant edge profiles, cutouts, embossed logos or contoured
surfaces, then wood is a great choice because of the design
flexibility. The final product gives a consistent,
professional and
customized look.
The biggest challenge for powder-coated wood to overcome lies
with designers and architects who limit their use of
curvilinear shapes for those shapes that are designed to work
primarily with melamine and laminates. It is only a matter of
time beforearchitects and designers understand the innate
qualities and features of this type of durable, consistent,
brilliant finish.
Powder-coated wood provides a very upscale, elegant
appearance, such as high gloss black similar to a baby grand
piano or metallic silver.
Unlimited colors and textures Whether you seek to achieve RAL
or PMS colors or you have a sample colored laminate, wallpaper
or specific fabric, powder coatings can be matched to give you
a color coordinated look that can be carried throughout your
project.
Metallic colors such as silver, black chrome, gold, copper,
platinum and brass are available in powder. Plus, these
metallic colors, when combined with other colors, provide a
hammertone appearance which is very appealing in today’s
fashionable color palettes.
If you prefer a more traditional stained finish, powder-coated
wood provides choices such as cherry, walnut, maple or
whatever variation of stain color preferred, yet it can be
more durable than what a liquid finish would yield.
What about a multicolor look, such as a splash of spackling on
black, white and gray or any other combination of colors to
give that multicolored appearance? Is your preference for the
look of a solid surface such as granite? No problem; you can
have it, and better yet, you can get it in a smooth or
textured finish depending upon the final look you want to
achieve. Is slate your style? Do you want blue, black and
gray? Create whatever color you can dream up.
Another choice is whether you want a matte or glossy finish.
For example, do you like that beautiful black glossy finish of
most baby grand pianos? It can be accomplished for your
project as well.
Because powder coating on wood is applied using a 5 to 8 mil
future: Powder-coated wood Elegant shapes and stains are
frequent reasons for using powder-coated wood thickness as
compared to a liquid finish that is typically less than 1 mil
thick, it creates a thicker and more durable finish for Green
and healthy lifestyle A great feature of powder-coated wood is
that it has no VOCs or dangerous chemicals. Plus, because
powder coating totally encapsulates the part, there is no need
to use PVC edgebanding, which poses many health concerns and
is currently experiencing growing public pressure to be
eliminated.
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recycled material so it is very green friendly and in
construction projects this is great for obtaining LEED points
with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
There is an antimicrobial additive that can be used in the
powder that is patented by DuPont. It can be used in the
powder which prevents the spread of bacteria on the
powder-coated surface because it removes 99.9 percent of the
surface bacteria with active ingredients that last for many
years. Plus, the finish is seamless with no crevices for
bacteria to hide and foster. This additive is a great option
for surfaces used in healthcare, day care, schools or any
environment where bacteria can be a threat and surfaces come
in contact with humans.
Elegant cutouts for holding frosted glass, detailed profile
edges, and a variety of other shapes make powder-coated wood a
great product.
Unique colors and textures give great design appeal, such as
hammertones, wrinkled finishes, granites, etc. Powder coating
wood requires substantial investments in state-of–the-art
technology and expertise.
The future is now
Some things in life are predictable, and the rapid growth of
this great finish is one of them and has been perfected by a
few industry leaders. It is expected these leaders will pave
the path to the future.
Note: Craig Martin is president of BTD Wood Powder Coating,
manufacturer of powder-coated wood components. He can be
reached at cmartin@btdwoodpowdercoating.com or by phone at
(218) 828-4144. |
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