How to Test Powder Coating

Powdercoat paint involves electrostatically attaching and then baking powdercoat paint powder onto metal parts to create a durable, thick paint coat. Much stronger than enamel paint, powdercoating provides a reliable paint covering for automotive body parts that doesn't chip or fade easily. However, the application quality needs to be on par for the paintwork to perform properly. Various testing methods help ensure this goal.

Instructions

1

Find a couple of basic metal pieces made of similar materials as the automotive or metal parts you ultimately want to paint. Pay a powdercoating company to paint the parts with the paint color you plan to use for your main project. Wait for the test parts to be prepared. Pick them up from the painter when ready.

2

Perform an impact test with a basic small, garden hammer by gently hitting the first test piece with the hammer. Cause an impact with a little bit of momentum so that there is a solid hit. Perform the impact on three or four locations on the test piece. Wipe the part with a towel and then closely inspect the impact points. Look for cracking or fractures in the paint layer.

3

Use a second test metal piece and locate it to an open-air location. Open a container of paint solvent and use a small brush to apply a small drop of the chemical to the painted test part. Wait 30 seconds. Wipe the chemical off with a rag and throw it away. Do not touch the chemical with any bare skin. Examine the metal part's paint. Confirm there is only a slight dent in the powdercoat and no metal is showing.

4

Obtain a hardness level 2 pencil. Firmly press the pencil and draw a line across a third painted part. Place the pencil aside and examine the paint. Confirm it has no gouging in the surface from the pencil tip.

5

Use a bending test for paint flexibility quality. Secure a metal part already painted and thin enough to bend in a vise clamp. Apply pressure with a wrench to force it to deform. Release the part from the clamp and examine the paint at the bending point. Look for cracking, peeling, or deformation.