The Problem-Solution Series: Part 17

Poor Chemical Resistance

Problem: The film of your powder-coated part has poor resistance to chemicals. How can you stop this from happening again?

Origin/Cause: This lack of resistance could be a result of either unsatisfactory cleaning, poor pretreatment, or a mixture of both.

Solution: Assess the conditions and the chemicals of the cleaning, rinse, and pretreatment stages.

Second Origin: It is also possible that a change has been made in the substrate but not to the process.

Solution: Contact substrate suppliers to find out if any changes to the substrate have been made.

Third Origin: Under-cured films will usually exhibit low adhesion.

Solution: Modify the cure conditions by increasing both the temperature and dwell.

For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com. Feel free to contact us today to have someone from our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.

Happy Memorial Day!

The TCI Powder Coatings employees are grateful to all who have served and died for our country in military service to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.

TCI Announces Dave Severson as Automotive Market Segment Manager

We are pleased to announce Dave Severson as the Automotive Market Segment Manager. Dave brings over 15 years of technical and commercial experience in the coatings industry. Most recently, Dave was involved in regional sales and market management with the Valspar Corporation. 

Tom Whalen, TCI Director, Marketing & Segment Strategy, states, “We are excited to have Dave join our team. Dave has developed a comprehensive, multi-technology skill set combined with a successful career in business development that will significantly benefit the automotive segment, our customers, and the TCI organization. Dave will be a great asset to TCI and help us further advance our premium brand position and segmentation strategy in the powder coatings market.”

Dave is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Chemistry. He will continue to reside in the Columbus, OH area with his wife Kari and their two sons, Connor and Ryan. 

See the press release on TCI's website.

The Problem-Solution Series: Part 16

Cured Film with Poor Adhesion

It's been cured, so why isn't it adhering?

Problem: After curing the piece, the film is not adhering correctly.

Origin/Cause: Insufficient cleaning and/or an unsatisfactory pretreatment process are limiting adherence to the part.

Solution: Assess and correct the conditions and chemicals of the cleaning station as well as the rinse and pre-treatment stages.

For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com. Feel free to contact us today to have someone from our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.

TCI Powder Coatings Hires Rich Chappel as Business Development Manager for the Southwest Territory

We are pleased to announce Rich Chappel as the new Business Development Manager for the Southwest Region (Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma). Rich brings over 25 years of experience in powder coatings and the Industrial market segment to his new position. For the past 16 years, Rich has successfully held several positions at Valspar in Sales & Market Segment Management. Prior to working for Valspar, Rich was an integral part of the team that launched the Lilly Powder Coatings business.

Jack Bostock, TCI Vice President of Sales and Marketing, is “thrilled to have Rich join our team. He brings a unique blend of skills and experience in business development and account management that will benefit our customers and the TCI organization.”

Rich is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a B.A. in Business Administration (BBA).  He will continue to reside in the Dallas, Texas area with his wife Martha. Rich will be a great asset to the TCI family. Please help us welcome him!

Read more about the hire of Rich Chappel in this press release.

The Problem-Solution Series: Part 15

Coating Discoloration

Problem: The coating color is not an exact match to the standard. You notice a slight (or substantial) difference from the desired color.

Origin/Cause: It is probable that the oven air is not being exchanged enough to eliminate by-products of combustion.

Solution: Adjust the air exchange rate to reduce the concentration of by-products. For lighter colors, the oven volume must be exchanged several times more than for darker hues in order to minimize discoloration and haze.

Second Origin: The oven temperature may be too high.

Solution: First, reduce the oven temperature. Know the oven profile and set the temperature and dwell time to match the cure schedule. Locate the hot spots in the oven. If the oven is infrared, vary the energy density and the line speed.

Third Origin: The coating formulation may not have sufficient pigment opacity.

Solution: Increase the coating thickness to provide more coverage. For coverage requirements, contact TCI.

Fourth Origin: The film thickness may be too thick or too thin.

Solution: The required thickness for proper color is dictated by the pigment opacity. It may need to be adjusted for proper coverage, which is most likely if the finish is metallic.

For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com. Feel free to contact us today to have someone from our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.

The Problem-Solution Series: Part 14

Spitting and Surging Powder

Problem: You cannot get the powder to stop surging and spitting during application. What do you do to stop this mess?

Origin/Cause: Your spray environment gun settings are not optimized.

Solution: If the humidity is too high, it could have a detrimental effect on your application. Try to adjust the environmental conditions for your best application. Check the hoses, pumps, and guns for any blockage. Additionally, make sure to check that the air supply is sufficient for adequate air volume.

Second Origin: The powder flow is not continuous, which may be causing the gun to spit.

Solution: Check that the hopper transfer areas have good fluidization. Also check the porosity of the fluidization membrane. Lastly, adjust the airflow rates to create optimal fluidization transfer and maintain sufficient powder levels.

For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com. Feel free to contact us today to have someone from our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.

The Problem-Solution Series: Part 13

Limited Disposition?

Experiencing limited disposition due to charged particles? We’re here to help!

Problem: Charged powder coating particles are limiting further disposition onto the surface of the part.

Origin/Cause: The part is inadequately grounded creating a surface charge that repels the powder.

Solution: Check contact areas to ensure that there is no buildup of cured coating, grease, or other insulating material that impedes ground continuity. Also, make sure to avoid heavy powder buildup.

Second Origin: The high voltage is creating a strong magnetic field.

Solution: Reduce the voltage to the electrical field to eliminate or reduce electrostatic rejection.

Third Origin: If the gun is too close to the part, it will create a strong magnetic field.

Solution: Simply move the gun and part further from one another.
For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com. Feel free to contact us today to have someone from our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.