Powder Coating Problem – Troubleshooting Guidance

Problem Cause Remedy

Chipping 1. Powder not fully cured 1. Increase oven temperature, time,
or both.
  2. Coating thickness too high 1. Reduce thickness by lowering
voltage or reducing spray time.
Cratering 1. Contamination with other 1. Clean the system and start with
powder virgin powder.
  2. Inadequate pretreatment of 2. Check the pretreatment.
substrate
  3. Contaminations with 3. Check for presence of
incompatible materials from the incompatible materials.
spray area
  4. Oil or moisture in air lines 4. Check air lines; install filters if
necessary.
Off Color 1. Improper oven exhaust 1. Check exhaust vent fans.
  2. Bake time too long or too short 2. Adjust the conveyor speed, oven
temperature, or both.
  3. Oven temperature too high or 3. Adjust oven temperature.
too low
Orange peel 1. Warm-up of the coated 1. Check curing cycle and curing
material too slow or too fast oven; if necessary, contact your
powder supplier.
  2. Heat damage to powder 2. Replace the powder.
  3. Film thickness too low 3. Increase the thickness by raising
voltage or increasing spray time.
Poor 1. Inadequate cleaning or 1. Check pretreatment equipment
adhesion pretreatment and chemicals.
  2. Undercured powder 2. Increase oven temperature, or
increase dwell time in oven.
  3. Film thickness too high 3. Reduce thickness by lowering
voltage or reducing spray time.
Poor 1. Inadequate cleaning or 1. Check pretreatment equipment
Corrosion pretreatment and chemicals.
Resistance
  2. Undercured powder 2. Increase oven temperature, or
increase dwell time in oven.
Poor impact 1. Undercured powder 1. Increase oven temperature, or
resistance or increase dwell time in oven.
poor
flexibility
  2. Poor cleaning or pretreatment 2. Check pretreatment equipment
and chemicals.
  3. Film thickness too high 3. Reduce film thickness by
adjusting application equipment.
   4. Change in substrate thickness 4. Check substrate with supplier.
or type
Poor pencil 1. Undercured powder 1. Increase dwell time in oven.
hardness or
poor abrasion
resistance
Poor 1. Poor delivery 1. Adjust powder delivery.
penetration
(Powder
won't coat
Faraday cage
areas, such
as holes,
grooves,
channels,
inside
corners, and
recesses)
  2. Poor ground 2. Check ground.
  3. Improper spray pattern 3. Select proper deflector, or use
suitable barrel and cover (consult
your equipment supplier).
  4. Voltage too high or too low 4. Adjust voltage settings so that
powder builds on part edges and
leading surfaces don't repel powder
from corner.
  5. Poor gun placement 5. Adjust gun position so that the
powder cloud has a direct path to
the recess area.
  6. Powder too fine or too coarse 6. Consult your powder supplier.
 

Troubleshooting Guides - Metallic Powder Coatings 

Problem Cause Remedy Results

Dry-spray 1. Inadequate parts 1. Clean all contact 1. Reduces dry-spray
grounding points - zero resistance
is ideal.
  2. Improper KV 2. Increase/decrease the 2. Reduces dry-spray
high voltage within the
range of 30-100 KV.
  3. Excessive powder 3. Reduce Atomizing / 3. Facilitates better
velocity at the part Dosing / Dilution air charging of powder and
 pressure - a softer provides more uniform
pattern is better. deposition
  4. Excessive powder 4. Reduce the powder 4. Facilitates better
delivery volume delivery air pressure - do charging of powder
not spray more powder
than can be charged.
Off-Color 1. Improper KV 1. INCREASE the high 1. Will DARKEN most
voltage within the ranges metallics
of 30-100 KV.
  2. Improper KV 2. DECREASE the high 2. Will LIGHTEN most
voltage within the ranges metallics
of 30-100 KV.
  3. Excessive powder 3. Reduce the powder 3. Color will be more
delivery volume delivery air pressure - do uniform and will usually
not spray more powder become lighter
than can be charged.
  4. Distance between gun 4. INCREASE distance. 4. Will LIGHTEN most
and part metallics
  5. Distance between gun 5. DECREASE distance. 5. Will DARKEN most
and part metallics
Splitting 1. Particles collecting on 1. Utilize the electrode 1. Eliminates particle
the electrode "Rinsing-Air" or "Air- spitting
Wash" feature if
available.
  2. Particles collecting on 2. Periodically clean the 2. Eliminates build-up
the deflector deflector surface with air. and spitting
  3. Surging powder 3. Increase Atomizing / 3. Better powder
delivery Dosing / Dilution air deposition and more
pressure. uniform color
  4. Improper KV 4. Adjust the high 4. More uniform charging
voltage within the range of powder
of 30-10KV.