POWDER COATING FOR BILLBOARDS IN HOUSTON

In large cities like Houston, thousands upon thousands of billboards line the busy highways and interstates to advertise businesses and organizations. It is a great way to advertise as people drive to and from work, school, the grocery store, etc. However, with the elements and weather subjecting billboards to constant abuse, they can look worn and torn relatively quickly, especially in a city like Houston. 

With powder coating in Houston, TX, the durability far surpasses that of liquid paint. Billboards are particularly susceptible to wind, rain, heat, cold, sun, etc. because they are lifted high into the air making ensuring their durability tantamount. A beat-up looking billboard gives passersby the impression that the business or organization may also be run-down although that is not true. 

Do not think that choosing powder coating in Houston, TX for your billboard will result in limited color options. That could not be further from the truth. Houston Powder Coaters has access to the RAF line of colors and can color match accurately to many other color systems to ensure that colors are accurate from digital media to billboard. 

In any heavy industry, and especially in the oil and gas industry so familiar to residents of Houston, there is a strong demand for coating technology that protects pipelines from both internal and external degrading factors such as corrosion, chemical breakdown, and physical abrasion. Fusion bonded epoxy coatings, also known as FBE coating, have been a popular choice for this application since their introduction in the 1960s.

What is fusion bonded epoxy coating?

FBE coating is a type of powder coating consisting of a resin and a hardener which, when heated at high temperatures, causes the material to melt into liquid form and flow to cover a substrate to be protected. Once the surface is covered, the piece is allowed to cool, which sets the coating into a solid form. The process of curing and then cooling the powder coating is called fusion bonding. Fusion bonded epoxy coating is different from conventional paint coatings in that it takes advantage of a process called cross-linking in which polymer chains are linked together; this results in a stronger and more resistant coating.

PROTECTING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH POWDER COATING IN HOUSTON

Infrastructure is a small word that makes up a huge portion of what society sees and uses every day from parking lots to parks, sewage and water collection, electrical systems, transportation systems, and more. What is considered public works is a part of a nation or region’s infrastructure, and because it encompasses such a large portion of everyday life, ensuring durability and longevity is essential to a happy public. 

For playground equipment at public parks, making sure nothing becomes rust-laden is essential for public safety. Powder coating in Houston, TX is environmentally friendly and offers corrosion-resistant coatings in bright colors to suit child minds. Anti-slip powder coatings can be used on steps and pathways too. Parking lot barricades can also be powder coated in bright colors to ensure their visibility to prevent accidents. 

Unlike paint, which will need expensive repainting every few years, powder coating is chip and scratch-resistant and can last for many years.  Even the strongest outdoor paints on the market are susceptible to chipping, and unless sanded smooth during a repaint, previously chipped areas are more likely to chip again. Powder coating in Houston is also resistant to fading in direct sunlight. Most importantly, old and rusted equipment can be media blasted and powder coated to appear new with better protection than it ever had before, and it is more cost-effective than a complete replacement.

CHOOSING POWDER COATING FOR ARCHITECTURAL PURPOSES IN HOUSTON

Most large-scale modern buildings rely on powder coating for design and protective function. First and foremost, in many designers’ minds is appearance, but that appearance also has to fit budget constraints, environmental limitations, durability, and maintenance requirements. Architectural powder coating in Houston, TX comes in many colors with more than 200 RAL colors and a color matching system for other color systems as well. Avant-garde architecture is also well-suited for powder coating, because it ensures complete and uniform coverage of the surface. Mesh, perforations, angles, curves, etc. are all well coated. Choose from matte, satin, and gloss finishes as well houston-powder-coating-2001CHOOSING POWDER COATING FOR ARCHITECTURAL PURPOSES IN HOUSTONas plain colors, anodic coatings, and granular powders to completely customize the structure.

In an increasingly sustainably minded society, powder coating is the premier choice. With negligible VOCs, powder coatings are environmentally friendly and don’t need special disposal methods. Powder coating in Houston, TX is a clean process, and overspray can be retrieved and reused, meaning less waste. Liquid coatings use solvents to suspend pigment. These solvents are often harmful to workers and the environment and costly equipment is needed to store liquid coating waste until disposal. Other advantages over liquid coatings are their durability, capabilities for thicker or specialized coatings, more efficient curing and drying processes, and more. Perhaps the greatest advantage of all is that any damage to a powder-coated structure in Houston, TX can be repaired easily and seamlessly on-site.

When people hear the words powder coating, they think of an industrial industry where color does not necessarily matter. That could not be more untrue. Bright colors are used on industrial platforms for safety purposes, and there are a large number of industries (such as construction) that utilize a wide range of colors to achieve different architectural styles. Powder coating patio furniture is a great way to improve the durability of your patio furniture or change the color scheme of your outdoor area. 

Houston Powder Coaters offers 130 different colors for customers to choose from, and they can even special-order RAL colors or color match an existing color with your color swatch. When speaking with HPC about color options, you may hear terms such as RAL, CMYK, RGB, or HEX codes. To break it down, these are color matching systems that define colors with specific codes. Every color standard system has its own unique code for all existing colors in its system. Each color matching system corresponds to certain industries. Powder coating systems and plastics use the RAL color system. CMYK stands for the four colors used during the printing process: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (or key, hence the “K”). The CMYK color system is used in print media, such as magazines and books. RGB and HEX codes go hand-in-hand, as RGB is used in digital media. HEX codes are a way of inputting colors into an HTML code to get that visual on the screen. Without accurate conversion of one color system to another, the desired outcome may not be achieved.

Across many industries and applications, there is a common need for finishing processes that can offer effective and efficient protection for metal surfaces. Whether it’s pipeline for the oil and gas industry or traffic signs in urban development, metals are ever-present in our daily lives, and they need to be protected from damage from a variety of sources. Traditional wet paint can be used to coat metal surfaces and afford some protection, but there are more effective coating technologies—powder coating being first and foremost amongst them.

Powder coating in Houston offers several advantages over wet paint application. One of the clearest advantages with powder coating is the thick, hard finish that is produced by a process of electrostatic binding and high-heat curing. The thickness of the coat, and its durability and resistance to factors such as abrasion and rust, is unattainable with traditional wet paint coatings. Plus, wet paint coatings will require maintenance down the road, with further coats necessary to preserve the coat’s protective qualities; powder coating is a more permanent solution, offering a denser and harder finish with fewer coats overall.

Powder coating doesn’t just offer protective benefits, but in several ways it can also offer a more attractive finish. Powder coat colors and textures are offered in a wide variety of choices to the consumer, with the RAL system providing standardized colors throughout the industry. Powder coating in Houston also offers a more even coating since the powder is applied uniformly without the drips or application traces that might be seen with wet paint. Plus, the application and curing process in powder coating is significantly faster than allowing a coating of wet paint to dry, and powder coating is environmentally friendly—the powder contains no solvents and produces a low amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Houston Powder Coaters is proud to have a close relationship with all the major powder manufacturers in North America, including that of AkzoNobel. Between AkzoNobel’s Interpon and Resicoat brands, “Akzo” has become a leader in functional and industrial powder coatings around the world. 

With specific applications for the oilfield, marine, architecture, construction, and consumer goods, AkzoNobel makes both Interpon (a traditional powder coating line) and Resicoat (a fusion bonded epoxy coating). With its low environmental impact due to negligible volatile organic compounds and efficiency resulting is less waste, AkzoNobel Interpon and Resicoat are premium protective coatings that focus on ecological sustainability as well as industrial durability.

So, who powder coats with AkzoNobel Interpon and Resicoat in Texas? Simple. Houston Powder Coaters, one of the biggest custom powder coaters in the south. With 3 oversized ovens, the largest batch oven extending over 65 linear feet, Houston Powder Coaters is set up to coat AkzoNobel’s Interpon and Resicoat product offerings. So, if you are looking for a highly referred and experience powder coater or powder applicator in Texas, then Houston Powder Coaters is your place. Feel free to call or email the experts at Houston Powder Coaters for product/technical data sheet or to get your questions answered on the Interpon or Resicoat powder lines. 

The term “RAL” appears very frequently in the powder coating industry and is instantly familiar to those who work in the field, but its meaning and origins, beyond the fact that it’s related to powder coat colors, might be more obscure to those who aren’t actively involved in the powder coating industry.

RAL is color matching system used in powder coating to ensure that colors are standardized across different applications, much like the Pantone color system in printing. There’s a good reason it’s simply called RAL, though: it actually refers to the Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung, a German industrial commission that invented the standard in 1927, starting with a collection of 40 colors. The standardized colors used in applications of powder coating in Houston got their start almost a century ago, in a different country, which is a testament to the utility of the standard and its enduring presence in industrial applications.

Though there have been several iterations and expansions of the RAL standard, the concept has remained the same. Having a standardized color system, produced with the same tints, hues, and saturations each time, makes it significantly easier to produce powder coat colors that remain consistent regardless of how many times they must be mixed.

When it comes to powder coating repair in Houston, recognize that the word “repair” is a relative term.  Yes, there are ways to repair powder coating.  But no, it’s not by original process that made it so strong.  Powder coating inherently involves large ovens that bake the powder onto the metal’s surface.  Most traditional powder coating powders are described as thermoset, meaning that once cured, their resins are cross-linked and hardened.  This is an irreversible process.  Therefore, any true repair that will integrate the fix into the original powder will have to start from scratch.  For this to happen, the coating would have to be burnt off to start the process all over again.

However, “field”powder coating repair in Houston involves feathering in the damaged area and applying wet primers and acrylic paints to protect the exposed/damaged metal.  Please note that repairing powder coatings in the field is a perfectly acceptable way to touch up weathered powder coated surfaces and protect those surfaces going forward. 

While powder coatings are extremely durable, aggressive transportation, installation, and use can all contribute to scrapes, dings, chips, and abrasions.  These are easy to repair in the field if you follow the following steps: 

Maybe your outdoor furniture has been sitting exposed to the elements for too long. Maybe you just found a great deal on furniture that needs refinishing at a garage sale. Either way, it’s usually fairly obvious when furniture is in need of refinishing, especially outdoor metal furniture. However, before you make the decision on whether or not to refinish, and the method of refinishing, there are some important things to consider.

First: do you actually want to go through with the outdoor furniture refinishing? This question might be especially relevant if the furniture was purchased in its current state, such as from a garage sale or an antique store. Vintage styles are currently popular, so if the piece isn’t too damaged, it might be worth keeping it in its current state for the “charm” factor. However, rust and sharp edges can quickly make a piece of metal furniture unusable, so don’t be shy about getting it refinished.

Once the decision is made to go through with the outdoor furniture refinishing job, additional factors crop up. Is it worth doing the job on your own? DIY refinishing jobs can be rewarding, but also costly in materials, labor, and most importantly, time. If the furniture piece isn’t a labor of love, then getting it professionally refinished is likely the best option.

With its lightweight rust-inhibiting materials and ease of maintenance, sling patio furniture is the ideal choice for outdoor chairs, rockers, chaise lounges, and ottomans. Traditionally made with high quality aluminum, these sling pieces are also fitted with top-grade fabrics with built-in UV protection and fade-resistant polyesters. However, with the constant bombardment of heat, humidity, and salt air of south Texas, all materials will eventually wear down. Previous coatings will start to peel, fabrics will become worn and tear, and vibrant colors will fade over time.

Fortunately, Houston Powder Coaters is a one-stop full turn-key operation that offers outdoor patio furniture sling replacement and repair, in addition to the complete recoating of the aluminum. Each piece is individually processed to remove all the previous coating, stripped of any rust or oxidation, and coated with a double application of durable polyester. With over 130 stock colors in-house, matching to a previous set or going with something new could not be easier. Finally, each piece of sling furniture is custom fitted with the highest quality fabrics from the top manufacturers like Phifertex®, Sunbrella®, and Twitchell®.

These breathable and quick-drying fabrics are custom cut, stitched, and tightened for maximum comfort and support. And with several hundred fabrics samples to choose from, the service of outdoor patio furniture sling replacement and repair is a snap. Note that each chair, chaise lounge, and ottoman is tested for strength and durability during the repair and replacement process to ensure the highest level of quality.

Oil platforms, construction sites, and assembly yards are all subject to moisture, grease, oil, hydraulic fluid, and other slippery materials.  While corrosion protection with powder coating is at the forefront when choosing a protective coating, there are other factors to consider when it comes to the gangways, risers, bar grating, and safety handrails around each location. Environmental conditions, such as rain, snow, and sleet, as well as human activities, such as spills, splashes, and run-off, all create hazards no matter how many systems are in place to minimize slippage.

Powder coating safety grating, bar grating, gangways, and safety railing with an anti-slip / anti-skid textured finish will significantly assist in safety concerns due to its unparalleled adhesive grip. In fact, depending on the hazard concern, different formulation of grit size can easily be manufactured. These slip-resistant finishes follow the same fusion-bonded interlinking properties of traditional powder coating, so they are meant to take a beating and last a long, long time.

Traditionally, these grating structures have been made of galvanized steel, aluminum, and carbon alloys. Why not increase their usefulness and longevity by finishing them with a rust inhibitive anti-slip formula as well. Powder coating safety grating, bar grating, gangways, and safety railing is never a problem as Houston Powder Coaters has extensive experience in most every substrate.

A new oilfield assembly or refinished piece of furniture might look great as a final product, but there’s a lot of work that goes into making sure its surface is prepared before the coating is even applied. If a substrate’s surface is dirty, the coating will not adhere properly and will ultimately fail. To prevent this from occurring, multiple industry-wide surface preparation standards have been developed to clean and properly prepare different types of metal. Given that there are so many different potential cleaning methods and surface materials, these guidelines benefit the industry by standardizing processes and ensuring the highest possible quality for the client.

The most commonly used and accepted standards were put forward by the Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), both professional organizations operating in the corrosion and coatings industry. These organizations came together to bring the Joint Surface Preparation Standards to the industry. These standards cover a multitude of techniques for preparing surfaces, from simple solvent cleaning (SSPC-SP1) to abrasive blasting using a high-pressure gun that leaves a metal surface “uniformly free of all foreign matter” (SSPC-SP5 / NACE 1).

Note that these surface preparations also create anchor profiles from which the powder adheres to the metal. The more aggressive surface preps will produce a deeper anchor pattern. Typical steel grit blast media will produce anchor profiles between 2-4 mils. Mild solvents and hand-etching will produce less. Recognize that the classification numbers of the surface preparation standards do not necessarily increase with intensity (so read them carefully).

The industrial coating used to protect the pipes we use every day is not something that most people think about with any frequency. After all, most of us are too busy working and taking care of our loved ones to sit around and have deep thoughts about the pipes that deliver the fuel which powers our vehicles, bring clean water into our homes, and remove dangerous waste and sanitation. However, it’s clear that these are all aspects of modern living that society heavily depends on. Without pipelines moving fluids, many modern conveniences would be impossible, and therefore the protection of these conduits is not to be overlooked. Although many people are aware, few are familiar with the processes and materials used to protect the pipes that make their modern lives possible, such as corrosion resistant industrial coatings.

Among the various types of industrial coatings Houston, corrosion resistant coatings are some of the most common yet crucial. For the ever-important oil and gas industry here in Texas and the rest of the country, treating pipeline to be resistant to corrosion is a fact of life. According to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, the cost of corrosion in petroleum refining is $3.7 billion in the U.S. annually—that’s a lot of money lost down the pipes due to mostly preventable chemical processes. The chemicals flowing through pipeline, as well as the high flow rate and volume of fluid, contributes to heavy corrosion across the industry. Recent increases in shale gas production have also offered new challenges in protecting pipeline.

There are multiple methods of corrosion prevention used in industrial applications, though its usage varies by the setting, environment, and type of material to be protected. Cathodic protection, commonly used in both onshore and offshore drilling operations, is one method of corrosion prevention which utilizes electromagnetism and chemistry to protect pipe. Corrosion inhibitors are also frequently used in the industry; these chemicals coat the surface of the pipe to form a protective film which then reacts with the corrosion-causing chemicals and interrupt the process. Among industrial coatings Houston, fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) has made significant gains in popularity. FBE is a powder-based coating which uses high temperatures to form interlocking chemical protection that is highly effective in protecting pipe and has seen increasingly widespread adoption as a protection method.

Structural steel is a versatile product, and its cost-effectiveness makes it the go-to metal across many industries. Due to its strength and relative lightness, structural steel is consistently used in the construction of buildings, warehouses, hangars, stadiums, and bridges. From elongated beams to large cross-member I-beam supports, structural steel is manufactured in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and gauge strengths. Unfortunately, all structural steel has the same weakness – rust.

In order to provide the best structural steel corrosion protection in Houston, it is important to analyze the exposure and corrosion risk the steel will be subject to. A structural steel bridge over brackish or saltwater bodies of water will face a higher corrosion risk than an internal beam for a residential apartment building. Furthermore, steel fabricated for oilfield equipment will be exposed to corrosive chemical attack and impacts that a commercial awning will not see.

As protective coatings are the first line of defense against corrosion, different industries may require different surface preparation methods, coating systems, and application methods to match the end-use specification. Houston Powder Coaters, in particular, offers several industrial grade coating systems that will protect the steel from intense UV exposure, high impact, or concentrated brine conditions that may assault the coatings. From harsh coastal environments to temperate internal conditions, structural steel corrosion protection in Houston is imperative not only to elongate its functional life, but also to retain its cosmetic appeal.

Used across a variety of industrial and commercial applications, steel is one of the most common construction materials used in the world today. As one might expect, its integrity is of the utmost importance when the metal is part of an erected assembly that cannot be “undone.”  Whether the steel is for bridges, light towers, or even the fire suppression systems integrated in every building, corrosion protection is paramount to ensure the longevity, dependability, and integrity of the metal substrate. Although there are multiple types of corrosion protection in the industry, one that sets itself apart is a duplex system of Powder Coating over Hot-Dipped Galvanized Steel. This double system of coatings ensures an impact-resistant, chemical-resistant, and corrosion-resistant formula that looks good as well.

Developed as a method for preventing corrosive agents from reaching the base metal, galvanizing is the process of dipping steel in a bath of molten zinc. Originated in 1742, galvanization has evolved over hundreds of years resulting in better application, adherence, and longevity standards.

Powder Coating over Hot-Dipped Galvanized Steel is the second phase of this resilient duplex system. Unlike its traditional wet-paint counterpart, powder coating takes advantage of its electrochemical bonds to sink deeper into the anchor profiles thereby creating a hardened shell. Hot-dip galvanizing provides the basic cathodic and barrier protection underneath while the powder coating handles the chemical, impact, and corrosive resistance on top.

Fusion-bonded epoxies, oftentimes referred to as “FBE”, are a category of functional powder coatings that offer enhanced corrosion protection for underground & subsea pipelines, valves, and fittings. These thermosetting epoxy powders have a long history of improving operational efficiencies by preserving flowlines & production pipe from aggressive environments and chemical attack.

Pipeclad® is one of the leading product lines within this FBE segment. Previously owned by Valspar, but recently acquired by Sherwin Williams (in 2017), the Pipeclad® FBE line goes by many names – Sherwin Williams Pipeclad®, Valspar Pipeclad®, and Sherwin Williams Valspar Pipeclad®. No matter what it is referred to, Pipeclad’s full inventory of protective and marine coating FBE’s can protect the internal and external pipelines from a host of chemical attack, physical abrasion, and temperature fluctuations.

Moreover, Sherwin Williams Valspar Pipeclad® FBE Applications by Houston Powder Coaters provide exceptional corrosion resistance and layers with other Sherwin Williams coatings for the added benefits of superior adhesion and cathodic disbondment resistance. As these coatings work well with different pipe diameters, wall thicknesses, and application conditions, Houston Powder Coaters can coat the internals and externals of DRL, SRL, or pups spools ranging from 1” to 72” ID without an issue. 

Within the many technological advances that have been brought on by the oil and gas industry, industrial coatings and their related processes are unsung heroes. The transportation of hydrocarbons through pipes is an integral and necessary mean of delivering the energy that fuels our nation, and the importance of protective coatings on and in these pipes cannot be overstated. Fusion bonded epoxy coatings have grown in popularity as an effective protectant against corrosion and other destructive forces since their introduction in the 1960s.  Two popular products that are frequently used in the interior coating of these oilfield pipes are Resicoat® Corvel 1-6051 Green (HKH12QF) fusion bonded epoxy and Resicoat® 596301 primer.  These coatings are also commonly known and referred to as Corvel® ECA-1660 and Corvel® EP-10.

With regards to fusion bonded epoxy coatings, a substrate is protected from destructive forces by the application of special melt-mixed solid polymers that are more advanced and protective than typical paint. The epoxy is a dry powder which is applied electrostatically to a substrate’s surface (such as the internals of steel pipes that will be transporting hydrocarbons). At normal temperatures, the powder remains in dry form.  But once applied to a preheated pipe, the powder “flows” to a liquid form, thereby cross-linking with the metal and the resin primer. This pattern creates a durable and longer-lasting protective barrier compared to other industrial coatings.

CorvelCorvel® ECA-1660, originally manufactured by Rohm and Haas and now currently owned by Akzo Nobel, is one such fusion bonded epoxy coating. This product is a melt-mixed epoxy thermoset coating (meaning that once it’s cured, it remains in that state forever) which is rated for use in elevated temperatures and pressures. Given that higher temperatures and pressures are common in the piping environments of the oil and gas industry, this product sees wide use across multiple disciplines.  Corvel® ECA-1660 is designed to be used in tandem with Corvel® EP-10, a liquid coating primer. The combination of the Corvel® EP-10® EP-10 primer and Corvel® ECA-1660 offers great uniformed adhesion of the epoxy to the surface as well as increased resistance to H₂S, CO₂, CH₄, and other petroleum distillates.  As such, this 2-part system is regularly used to coat drill pipe, production tubing, and associated fittings.

“Anything metal” is a nice way of describing what can be powder coated. With that being said, we still get the question, “so can you powder coat aluminum?” Absolutely! What people often forget is how much we are surrounded by aluminum structures in our daily lives. Take for example the retail shops and restaurants that we frequent. The stress-bearing load of the building is made of cement, wood, brick, and steel.  However, the non-structural elements that keep out the weather, shield patrons from the sun & rain, and allow from easy handling are often made of aluminum. As seen in the photo, this may include the awnings, handrails, window & door storefront curtain walls, gutters, rain spouts, and even the outdoor dining chairs & tables.

Powder coating aluminum offers a highly protective yet aesthetically pleasing metal finishing for a cost-effective building material. Normal wet paint applications will start to fade within a year as opposed to powder coating which holds its gloss level for upwards of 10 years. Not to mention, with a sound anchor pattern created by abrasive blasting techniques, these top-level coatings with contend with heavy traffic and use. In fact, powder coating aluminum is more durable, more chip-resistant, and much more environmentally friendly than its wet coating counterpart.

AAMA, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, even has a performance standard for the durability and gloss retention of powders up to 10 years. These polyester formulations are suitable for residential and commercial applications as seen on internal and external features. Architects, building owners, and developers should understand what parameters are required for optimal powder performance. If in doubt, please call the experts at Houston Powder Coaters to further explain the processes in its entirety.

Negligible VOCs

When it comes to environmentally friendly coatings, powder coating is at the top of the list.  The largest difference between powder and industrial wet paint is the presence of volatile organic compounds (or VOCs for short).  VOCs, like one found in wet paint applications, are harmful to the environment as they dry and as they age.  Furthermore, they can create health problems for people who are exposed to them on a repetitive basis. Eco-friendly coatings such as powder and FBE coatings do not require an extensive exhaust system to the outdoors like their wet paint counterparts and are generally considered non-toxic and breathable. The application of powder coatings produces negligible VOCs and does not contribute to air pollution.

Less Hazardous Waste