Powder Coating: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
SurfaceFamily
5Route steps
35Parts in finder
Powder coating sprays charged dry powder onto a part, which is then baked so it melts and flows into a tough, even film.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Durable, even, coloured finishes on metal parts, tougher than wet paint.
Watch for
Needs an oven and line of sight; thin or masked areas and sharp edges are harder to cover.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Pre-treat
Clean and pre-treat (phosphate/chromate).
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Apply
Electrostatically apply the powder.
Tooling Powder gun Tolerance - Lead -
Cure
Cure in the oven.
Tooling Oven Tolerance - Lead -
Mask
Mask threads/fits beforehand.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect
Check thickness and coverage.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Steel/aluminium parts
Takes powder well
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Powder Coating. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Masked fits/threads undefined.Call out masks + hang points.
Hidden recesses (Faraday cage).Open geometry.
Cost
What it costs
Durable decorative/protective finish on metal; priced by area and colour runs. Tougher than wet paint, needs line-of-sight.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$6.5 to 11per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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Powder coating sprays charged dry powder onto a part, which is then baked so it melts and flows into a tough, even film. The typical route is: Pre-treat; Apply; Cure; Mask; Inspect. Durable, even, coloured finishes on metal parts, tougher than wet paint.
What does Powder Coating cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $6.5 to 11 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Powder Coating hold?
It depends on the feature and the finishing operations used.
What materials suit Powder Coating?
Common choices are Steel/aluminium parts (Takes powder well).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
