E-Coat is an electrically-applied paint coating. E-coating was developed originally for the automotive industry because it is economical and provides superior coverage, adhesion, and corrosion resistance. It coats any metal (aluminum, zinc, brass, steel) that conducts electricity. At BFM seating we offer styles of E-Coated, Anodized, Galvanized and Powder Coated outdoor furniture that will enhance any spaces.
Let’s start with the benefits that E-Coating offers:
-
- Cosmetic Appeal. E-Coat paint applies a super-even finish, no dripping, no pooling and no gaps.
- Corrosion Protection. All parts are coated evenly inside and out. Complex parts can be coated even after assembly.
- Unbeatable Durability. Withstands the most rigorous salt spray, adhesion, dialectric, acid resistance, and U.V. tests.
- Super Adhesion. Because of the very nature of the E-Coat process, a thin coat can be complete, uniform, tough, and attractive, while still maintaining close engineered tolerances.
Here is how E-coat works. The parts to be E-coated are first cleaned and treated with a zinc phosphates conversion coating. The BFM Tara-X frames are then moved to the dipping area with a thin film of oil remaining on each frame from the manufacturing process. The oil protects the fresh steel stock from rusting during shipping and assembly.
The frames to be E-coated are then attached to metal racks or placed in a coating fixture, ready to be immersed in an E-coat paint tank. A direct negative electrical charge is applied to the carriage and the chair frames are “electrically charged.” An opposite direct positive electrical charge is applied to the paint bath.
For those of you who love the details, this process is known as cationic E-coat and is used to provide a more corrosion-resistant film than the more common anionic E-coat process. The paint bath is filled with Cathodic Epoxy PPG 8000 E-coat. Epoxy based E-coats are used in environments where corrosion protection is paramount. Your “charged” frames attract the oppositely charged paint particles. As the paint is deposited it begins to act as an insulator and deposition slows, stopping at a precisely predetermined thickness that is governed by the amount of voltage applied during the process.
Even though deposition may have slowed or may be complete on one area on the surface of the part, deposition will continue on any uncoated or incompletely-coated area of the part until complete coverage is achieved.
When a Tara-X is dipped in an E-coat bath, the E-coat is electrically drawn through the drainage or weep holes and other openings in the hemmed parts and adheres to the inside surfaces. This adhesion process will continue until the entire interior surface is uniformly coated. Conventional spraying of the most advanced primers leaves uncovered areas and over time, rust and corrosion can occur.
After our frames are coated, they are rinsed, and any undeposited paint solids are reclaimed and recycled. The final step is to cure the E-coat by baking. Our frames are taken by the conveyor system to a baking oven for 20 minutes. Heat treating causes the molecules of the paint film to crosslink, which further adds to its strength and durability. The final process is powder coating the frames to color our desired color.
As you can see, the very nature of the E-coat process produces a complete and uniform protective coating. As a protective coating, E-coat is an increasingly popular alternative to other protective coatings such as electroplating, lacquering, painting, anodizing, and powder coating. At BFM seating we also offer Galvanized products to suit your outdoor furniture needs.
