 |
Processing
|
Rilsan® PA11 coatings may be applied to all types of metal components, providing these can be raised to the necessary coating temperature without causing any physical change to the metal (distortion) and degradation of its structure.
Processing is quite simple, and consists of depositing a Rilsan® film onto the metal surface needing protection.
The type of workpiece to be coated and the final properties required determine the best application technique:
Whatever the coating technology, careful surface preparation is absolutely necessary beforehand if optimum performance has to be achieved with Rilsan® products.
Following this pre-treatment, a primer may be applied to improve the adhesion of Rilsan® onto the surface, and maximize the anticorrosion properties.
The use of a primer is particularly recommended when the coated parts are destined for outdoor use and/or severe chemical or thermal environment, or in any demanding applications.
Rilprim® and Primgreen® primers, marketed by Arkema, undergo a full range of quality control tests prior to shipment to our
customers.
By carefully following our recommendations on surface preparation and primer application*, our customers will obtain the most outstanding and long-lasting properties from Rilsan® coatings.
* For further information on processing characteristics and properties,
please refer to our Technical Datasheets or Contact Us.
Principle of the fluidized bed dip coating process
|
|
|
Advantages of the process:
-
External and internal coating in one single operation
-
Uniform coating thickness achieved, even on parts with complex shapes
-
High flexibility in terms of part dimensions
-
Simple production technology
-
Very good productivity
-
Easy process automation
-
Very little powder wastage
|
Principle of the electrostatic spraying process
 |
|
Advantages of the process:
-
Good control over powder deposition
-
Partial coating of the article can be achieved
-
Lower temperature during shorter time to fuse the coating in the oven compared
to the pre-heating step in the fluidized bed coating process*
|
* Depending on the desired coating thickness and the nature of the metal, the time and / or temperature in the oven may vary. For further information, please refer to the Technical Datasheets on the processing of Rilsan® Fine Powders.
Principle of the minicoat process
Arkema has developed a process under the name “Minicoat” for the coating of small articles, which can vary from less than 1 cm to approximately 15 cm in overall size. Its principle is similar to the fluidized bed dip coating process: a small pre-heated
article is dropped into a Rilsan® vibrating bowl, and the powder immediately melts onto the surface thanks to the residual heat in the article. The surface finish can subsequently be smoothed down using a post-fusion oven.
Advantages of the process:
-
Fully automated process
-
No need for suspension points during the operation, no jig marks after coating
-
Highly uniform thickness
-
Easy control of the final aesthetic appearance (smooth or textured)
-
Outstanding productivity, successful coating of thousands of parts per hour
Other specialized coating techniques
In addition to the conventional dipping in fluidized bed and electrostatic spraying coating technologies, both widely used throughout the world, Arkema has developed new technologies and adapted product formulations over the last 20 years to provide efficient coating systems for specific applications.
Rilsan® Fine Powders are aptly suited to most other standard processes dedicated to powder coating materials: hot (flock) spraying, rotomolding, pipe lining, flame spraying, etc., to name but a few.
Such processes are particularly adapted to the coating of large or bulky parts (valves, pumps, cylinders), articles with intricate designs (heaters), or large diameter pipes designed for the transportation of highly abrasive slurries, which are too large to be dip-coated.
Depending on the final coating properties required, both the processing conditions and the grades compatible with such technologies should be studied and chosen specifically. Our technical support team will be pleased to assist you further in this regard.
