Powder painting is the ideal way to improve both durability and appearance, whether you’re sick of your alloys breaking too often or you want to entirely change the way your wheels look.
This blog will be a helpful tool for juniors just starting out in the field as well as those wishing to improve their wheel shop abilities. We’ll go over the fundamentals of powder coating alloys here, as well as the detailed procedure and range of finish possibilities.
Alloy Wheel Powder Coating: What Is It?
Using a dry polymer-based powder combined with curing additives, leveling agents, resin, flow modifiers, and pigments to coat the surface of your rims is known as alloy wheel powder coating.
The powder mixture is heat-cured in a kiln or oven to form a bind with an electrostatically charged surface. The powder melts in the heat and uniformly covers the wheels. The surface hardens and smoothes as the alloys are removable and easy to cool.
What Advantages does Powder Coating offer?
Why do automobile owners decide to powder coat their alloy wheels? We’ll go over some of its benefits below.
Increased resistance and durability: The alloys have a thick, uniform layer of protection by the powder coating, which prolongs their lifespan. The alloy powder coating should easily last 15 to 20 years when completed to a high degree. Additionally, the non-porous surface offers superior defense against typical problems including corrosion, chipping, and flaking.
Cost-effectiveness: Long-term financial savings for automobile owners might result from the lack of maintenance needed, even if the initial cost is frequently more than that of standard paint.
Better coverage than ordinary paint: powder coating for alloy wheels may be challenging and time-consuming because of their fine intricacies. Customers may feel secure knowing that every part of their alloy is uniformly coated while using this technique.
Any metal can be useful: Any metal surface can powder coat, regardless of the alloy’s composition—brass, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.
Types of Powder Coating
Powder coat paint is available in a wide variety of colors and finishes. Some, nevertheless, may be more challenging to sustain than others. Professionals at the body shop should help consumers choose the ideal color and finish.
Although brighter colors might make an automobile stand out, they can also eventually become dull due to asphalt and grit from the road. Since automobile owners frequently find it difficult to maintain matte coatings clean, similar problems may occur.
The most popular choices are darker hues with satin or high gloss finishes because they are better at hiding dirt, debris, and small surface imperfections. However, some people will choose a more customized finish, which may include blended colors or glitter.
Tip: It is advisable that you remove the entire wheel because powder coating involves complete refurbishing. To make sure the alloy is as pure and free of impurities as possible, you should thereafter clean it properly. Typically, a special alloy wheel cleaning and sandblaster are essential.