Super powder coating

By John Park-Davies, group managing director of Vertik-Al.

When it comes to powder coating, the industry is constantly changing.  

Coating technology and powders are evolving to cope with ever-changing global demands. This includes a rise in powder coating on alternative materials such as wood products and our response to the climate crisis, as architects and specifiers seek more sustainable solutions.

There are multiple functional and aesthetic benefits for choosing a powder coated finish. These include longevity, durability, time and cost savings, eco-friendly factors, reduction in fire risk, and a huge variety of colours and finishes.

One of the greatest benefits of polyester powder coating is durability, especially for aluminium windows and doors. Lifetime durability is impressive with weather resistant colour retention and gloss lasting anything up to 20 or even 30 years.

This is supported by supplier-backed guarantees and industry certification such as BSI approval, Qualicoat and the GSB Quality Seal.

Best in class

To realise these benefits, however, you must first understand the class rating of powder coating. The classes are set by Qualicoat, the world’s leading quality label for the coating of aluminium, with each coating system evaluated against the scale.

The classes rank one to three: Class 1 – Florida exposure one year, Class 2 – Florida exposure three years, and Class 3 – Florida exposure 10 years.

The class determines the coating’s ability to maintain colour without fading, and retain gloss levels over time, in a harsh environment with high humidity and strong sunlight. The higher the number, the more likely the coating will withstand extreme conditions such as intense sunlight, temperature and exposed locations.

Class 1 

This is the most economical of all the classes and the most widely used. Provided the pre-treatment processes specified by Qualicoat are followed the durability and adhesion of the finish will be identical to Class 2 and 3 powders.

Class 2 

Also known as super durable powders, they offer enhanced visual integrity, with tighter tolerances over time on colour variation and gloss retention without sacrificing the high substrate protection offered by the powder coating process.

Class 3 

These powders offer an enhancement of the properties of Class 2 powders. They are typically used in extreme locations such as the Middle East. With the ever-changing climatic conditions across the planet, we are experiencing an increase in enquiries for Class 3 products.

For coastal regions, determined by Qualicoat as within five kilometres from any coast or tidal estuary, the quality label has a specific Seaside Class which is available for all classes of powders.

Super durables 

While super durable powders have been around since the 1990s, specification was limited to prestigious, landmark buildings.

However, with buildings from the late 1970s to 1990s showing signs of aging and with a rise in design life expectations and the demand for longer service life, Class 2 powders are becoming more common. Today, super durables are incredibly popular amongst architects and specifiers.

But why? Ultimately, super durables ensure that a coated product looks as good as possible for as long as possible, without needing to recoat or replace parts. This is their primary function.

As one of the country’s leading powder coaters, the development of super durables has enabled us to expand our range and the potential for coating aluminium architectural and fenestration products.  With super durables now boasting a track record exceeding 30 years in the field, we also offer extended warranties on Class 2 powders.

To find out more about super durables and how your aluminium products can benefit from this proven finishing technology, please get in touch.