Powder And Plastic Coating

Plastic Coating

Application of thermoplastic coating powders

Plastic coating is the process of applying a thermoplastic to the surface of metal items to provide long-term corrosion, impact and chemical resistance whilst offering an attractive decorative finish. Plastics tend to be applied a little thicker than standard paints and are generally impermeable to water or aggressive chemicals. As a result thermoplastics are ideal for very long term protection of metal in the construction and automotive industries or for the coating of welded items such as wire baskets, fencing mesh and cylinders.

The spraying of Thermoplastic Powders Uses a similar process to Powder coating where charged Thermoplastic Powder particles are sprayed onto metalwork hanging on an earthed conveyor track.

The difference between the two is that the next stage of Thermoplastic Powder coating is to melt the plastic powder particles onto the metalwork rather that ‘cure’ them as in powder coating.

The benefit is to be able to plastic coat work, with all the features that entails, which is usually too big or too fragile to be dip coated.

Features includes:
• Thicker coatings than traditional ‘PowderCoating’
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Good Impact resistance
• Excellent Weather resistance
• Flexible
• ‘Warm’ to the touch
• Excellent UV resistance
• Good Edge coverage

Typical components are:
• Rainwater Gutters and Downpipes
• Roof rack components
• Outdoor Wirework
• Garden Equipment
• Industrial Roof Insulation Supports
• Display equipment
• Handrailing
• Security Posts
• Barriers

Powder Coating

In some cases a more durable finish is desired or one that gives a textured feel. In these cases the best option is powder coating.

Our powder coating service includes polyester, epoxy polyester and Nylon and can be provided using conventional spray techniques (where a normal film thickness is required), or a fluidised bed (for heavy film thickness). Additionally, powder coating can be applied in almost any colour and a selection of finishes.

Hitech Finishes is an industry leading powder coating company based in Ballycoolin, Dublin. We provide a range of paint removal, coating and finishing services of the highest quality including powder coating for industrial and domestic products.

We cater for high volume industrial coating projects as well as smaller powder coating and paint removal jobs for the handyman, restorer or home renovator.



We specialise in complex, high volume industrial powder coating. In today’s world of just-in-time delivery and competitive margins, a reliable contractor can be the difference between success and failure and Hitech Finishes is ideally positioned to manage all of your commercial powder coating requirements.

At Hitech Finishes we believe in professional service and quality finishes. We know that preparation is the key to a quality long lasting finish.

To achieve this we have invested heavily in cutting edge, state of the art equipment, tools, training and facilities. This help’s to ensure only the finest quality is reached in all of our projects.

There are times though that further attention is needed, i.e. if the item is rusted or has previously been powder coated or painted it is then recommended that the item be Burnt and/or Abrasive Blasted to remove these layers.

We can organise this for our customers so that all costs associated are covered by one bill, saving our customers the time of organising this themselves and money in the form of transport costs.

What is Powder Coating

Powder coating is the application of a protective film to an item by spraying it with a cloud of ground up organic plastic through a special gun. The powder cloud is electrostatically charged by the spray gun so it is attracted to and adheres to the substrate.

The item is then baked in an oven to melt the powder film during the baking process the chemistry of the powder will cross link and ‘cure’ to form a tough durable coating.

The powders are typically organic coatings made of resins such as polyester, polyurethane, epoxy or mixtures of these called hybrid powders. Each resin will have strengths and weaknesses; polyester has good UV resistance so it is usually used in powders for exterior use. Polyurethane has good chemical resistance so it is used in anti-graffiti coatings on component for trains etc.



Since the baking process usually occurs at around 200 degrees Celsius the substrates coated are usually metals such as steel and aluminum. The advent of low bake powders has allowed the technology to be used on other substrates such as MDF timber and plastics.

In order to provide a durable coating for metal products used outside it is necessary to ‘pre-treat’ the metal. The pre-treatment process is a chemical reaction on the surface of the metal to clean it of oils, grease and dirt and then convert it into a chemical layer that is resistant to corrosion. Powder coating alone will not provide a corrosion resistant coating on metal.

Typical pre-treatments are zinc or iron conversion coatings for steel products and chromate conversion for aluminium. New pre-treatment technologies such as silan and zirconium based conversion coatings are coming into use as they are more environmentally friendly and produce better results.

They are also better for the environment as they discharge no heavy metals or dangerous by-products into the waste discharge and require less energy to heat the solutions.

Our powder coating service includes polyester, epoxy polyester and Nylon and can be provided using conventional spray techniques (where a normal film thickness is required), or a fluidised bed (for heavy film thickness). Additionally, powder coating can be applied in almost any colour and a selection of finishes.

We strive to meet our customers expectations and requirements and understand that most problems occur when there is poor or lack of communication, therefore we take the time to listen to what our customer wants and recommend the appropriate treatment and powder for the job.

If you are looking for powder coating services, please click here to contact us today to arrange a site inspection and quotation or if you would like to discuss any of the content shown above in more detail.