Is Anodised Coating Better Than Powder Coating for Aluminium?
Aluminium is one of the most common materials to get coated for a multitude of reasons and two of the most common coating options are anodised coating and powder coating. Both are excellent choices, but they do come with their own advantages and downsides.
Ultimately, you will need to decide which of them you want based on your needs and goals. However, it doesn’t hurt to point out what makes these two coating options differ from one another.
By doing so, you will know which of them suits your needs better.
Electrochemical VS Electrostatic
Both coating processes use different ways of application due to their nature. Anodised coating uses the electrochemical effect, which charges a current through the liquid paint in order to bond it with the aluminium surface. Powder coating uses the electrostatic effect, which works under the sample principle but affects solids - in this case, the powder that is used for the coating.
The effects of these processes will have an impact on the final results, where anodised coating will lead to a more intense bonding with the liquid and the metal. On the other hand, powder coating also provides a strong bond thanks to the electrostatic effect, which is then followed by curing.
It’s worth noting that powder coating leaves less of a mess during the coating process and the powder can even be recycled.
Uniformity In Colour or Lack Thereof
Being able to rely on the consistency of the results that you are going to get when you are commissioning a coating order is incredibly important, especially if it’s a big one. With that being the case, uniformity in the resulting colours and the lack of variation will be a major point of contention.
This is where powder coating easily trumps anodised coating. Regardless of the combination of colours that you want to pull off, you can always count on the final results to be the same. There won’t be any break in the uniformity of the hues and the degrees will be the same from one end to the other. You can’t say the same for anodised coating where the mixing process between liquids will naturally lead to differences, no matter how small.
There is no denying that the quality of the coating results will be a major point to consider, but so is the price. In this case, there is no denying that powder coating comes off way ahead of anodised coating for several reasons.
First, powder coating is cheaper to buy, transport, and store by virtue of its natural properties. It’s lighter, makes less of a mess, doesn’t require particularly strict conditions to preserve its qualities, and comes in less demanding containers.
Not to mention that the powders can be recycled and thus be used again. Less wastage and you get much bigger returns on your investment.
Aluminium-Only VS All-Material Coating
While it’s true that anodised coating only works for aluminium surfaces, it’s also true that it’s incredibly good at that. The liquid literally becomes one with the metal, which makes it almost permanent. On the other hand, if you are planning on coating anything other than aluminium, then you definitely can’t count on anodised coating to do that.
Another advantage that anodised coating has over powder coating is that it has less of a need for maintenance. That is to say, it will stick around for years even when the item that is coated is placed in high-traffic areas.
Powder coating offers similar benefits even if it needs to be re-worked in less than a decade. With that said, it does come with the advantage of versatility. If there is a need to change the colour of particular products or environmental features, this can be done rather easily.
As already pointed out, both anodised coating and powder coating can offer a coating that lasts a very long time. Anodised coating does last longer, but it’s more rigid and less versatile. On the other hand, it can be a major blessing in very specific circumstances.
Powder coating can last up to a decade in excellent conditions. It can also be maintained and reapplied as many times as you want. This gives you plenty of options to choose from when considering coating projects.
Need high quality powder coating services? Contact us at Custom Aluminium.