Powder Coating: Pallet Rack Beams

powder-coating

Ever heard of powder coating? Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably used plenty of products that feature a powder coated finish. Everyday consumer goods such as automotive parts, lawn mowers, grills, garden tools, metal furniture, office furniture, pens, strollers, bikes, baseball bats, and vast number of other products utilize powder coat finishes. According to the Wikipedia definition, powder coating is “…a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder.” Powder coating differs from traditional liquid pain in that “…the powder coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension form.” In laymen’s terms, it’s a sort of spray-on dry paint. Once powder coat paint has been applied electrostatically, it gets heat-treated, or “baked on” in order for the paint to set and eventually form a hard finish.

How is all of this relevant to pallet rack? Well, it turns out the majority of pallet rack products feature a powder coating finish. Why is this? One of the reasons why powder coating finishes are so prominent among pallet rack products is the fact that powder coating is a particularly good choice for metal products, as the powder adheres well to the metal surface. Powder coating is also generally more durable than traditional liquid paint, a quality that is imperative in high-traffic, heavy-abuse warehouse and industrial settings. Not only is powder coating a durable paint option, but it’s heat-resistant as well, able to withstand temperatures of up to 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit. Hopefully, unless your warehouse doubles as a sauna, you won’t need to put this attribute to the test. Still, considering the sometimes unpredictable conditions that are characteristic of fast-paced warehouse environments, the fact that powder coating offers a certain level of heat resistance provides some peace of mind.

Powder coating is a versatile paint finish option used on a variety of products in a wide array of industries. It’s durable and heat resistant, and looks great as well. You’re probably already a user of powder-coated products; if you own a bike, metal patio furniture, a car or garden tools, you can be almost sure of it. Maybe with your new knowledge of powder coating, you can even powder coat some items of your own.

If you want to know more about powder coating or other elements of pallet rack products, be sure to get in touch with us — our goal is to help!