For you guys that powdercoat.

[FiveORacing]

A little O/T, but for those that powdercoat. Anyone ever do large quanities of small parts? I've been powdercoating my own plasma creations and wheels, small cycle parts, etc etc, But I was just asked to quote 2000 3" by 5" pieces of cast aluminum. No prep, no masking, just hang and shoot, flat black.
Any ideas where to be on these?
Thanks.

[SomethingMetal]

How many can you cure at a time?

[FiveORacing]

Now probably 50-60. I'm getting a 10 foot oven online in another couple weeks.

[Dawgonhawg]

Thin small stuff I use paper clips to hange with. Can hange a lot more parts per load.

[twicecustom]

dont know if this is relative for this application, but... I visited a powdercoat shop that had a fluid bed for dipping small parts in, it was like your fluid hopper for powder but no top, you could dip a rack of small parts into it and they would come out evenly coated, inside and out. Made doing small parts quick and easy. The only downside was it took quite a bit of powder to make it deep enough. Just an idea.

[Streetwerkz]

Have a picture of the parts?

[FiveORacing]

Have a picture of the parts?

Can't post a picture, but picture an extruded aluminum box with open ends about 2 x 3 x 5.

[Streetwerkz]

is it cast or extruded?
reason I ask is extruded aluminum typically is clear anodized, which needs to be blasted.

cast aluminum probably already is blasted from the manufacture & will just need phosphated only

for me, to pre treat & coat only, no masking, just hang & bang minimal packing I would be about $2ish ea based on what you have posted.

if they need blasted, price would be higher

[AnotherDano]

The pre-treatment is one of the most important steps in a high quality powder coating job.
I think Josh will agree with me (He's a real pro).

A lot of coaters will tell you that the customer wants to save some money by bringing you parts that are already blasted/treated...
The coaters I know will blast/treat them again. If the customers' blaster leaves oils or other contaminates on the surface, guess who gets the blame if the coating fails...

Pricing; Be sure to add in the PITA factor. A few larger parts is a whole lot easier than 2000 small ones.

The fluid beds are good for specialized jobs and may work for your application but how much will you use it in the future vs expense of buying/creating one? The fishing lure coaters heat their parts and dip them into powder that melts onto the part rather than being statically attracted it. Dangerous for bigger parts as the coating may not go on with good uniformity.

Same is true with the fluid beds. Like you mentioned, there is a lot of powder required. Air is blown from the bottom through a membrane (like is used in blood filtering/kidney dyalisis). This distributed air makes the powder 'boil'. It looks like soil fluidization that occurs in an earthquake. Parts are being dipped into a thick fog of powder, not a tank of dust. Does that give you a picture?

I'd be a bit higher than Josh because I'm not set up for that kind of production. Maybe about $2.50.
(And,,, he knows what he's doing while I'm still hacking at it).

[Loyd]

I'm wondering about outgassing on those parts?
Loyd

[AnotherDano]

I'm wondering about outgassing on those parts?
Loyd

With all respect to our friend Josh, Most coaters will use a simple axiom;
If it's cast, it will need (or at least benefit from) an outgassing cycle to release anything in the substrate that would affect the coating.

[FiveORacing]

I'm getting test pieces this week. They are "tumbled" and "alodined" according to the customer.

[Streetwerkz]

Good catch Dano, I didn't catch they were cast.

I agree, Yes they should be out gassed

[FiveORacing]

Does the alodining eliminate the need to run an outgas cycle? Not sure what that process is but I have read its a substitute for primer before paint.

[AnotherDano]

Does the alodining eliminate the need to run an outgas cycle? Not sure what that process is but I have read its a substitute for primer before paint.

Blast it to bare metal.

If you don't and anything happens to the finish; YOU screwed it up, or so the customer will claim.