“I know you’ll think me simple, but I noticed a truck here in Melbourne advertising powder coating and I’m intrigued. Being an office worker, I’ve no idea what the process is. I remember once at a school meeting, we arranged to have some security mesh “powder coated”, but what it is and what it means is beyond me. I know this sounds silly but I’m simply curious.”

“Powder coating is a manufacturing process whereby an organic coating is applied to a substrate and cured to a durable finish. Parts to be coated are cleaned, pretreated, and dried before coating. The powder coating material, as the name suggests, is in particulate (dust) form. This material is applied by either dip or spray techniques. The parts are cured using heat, resulting in a very durable and high quality finish that resembles liquid paint without the solvent problems. There are several books on the subject. The best one is “Powder Coating; The Complete Finisher’s Handbook”, which is published by the Powder Coating Institute. Copies are available from them for $75.00 plus shipping and handling. We sell this book at a discount for $60.00 plus shipping and handling.”