Wet Paint vs Powder Coating

There’s a reason why your car was coated using liquid paint and not powder, wet paint has always been used for coating high value products because it offers a superior quality of finish and an unparalleled range of colours and effects. But the coating industry's commitment to research and development means that the benefits of wet paint now extend beyond quality of finish. Many spray painters now utilise modern technology coatings as a means of cost reduction, process enhancement and energy efficiency.

High technology coatings have created modern alternatives to the traditional painting process. Direct to Substrate Coatings can be used to eliminate the need for a primer whilst also yielding a high Quality of finish.  The development of Water based coatings also provides painters with an environmentally friendly alternative to solvent-based systems and there is also an ongoing commitment to developing coatings for a range of modern substrates.

The dynamic nature of modern wet paint makes it ideal for small and medium batch sizes where colour can vary massively from job to job. Whereas powder coating can cause significant production delays between colour changes and has a limited spectrum of colours, wet paint provides a full and adaptable system with minimal disruption to workflow.  Using wet paint can also reduce energy usage and heating costs as many spray paints are air dried or are baked at temperatures around 60⁰C rather than the 200⁰C required to bake powder.

The development of high technology paint coincides with the introduction of process enhancing equipment. Many businesses now employ Symach technology as a high speed, energy efficient drying method. The coatings industry has also placed a renewed emphasis on environmental considerations and energy efficiency is a key feature of most modern paint systems. Aside from capital equipment, modern handheld tools and consumables are also designed to improve the speed, quality and simplicity of the finishing process.

The key to getting the most from new technology coatings and equipment is having the right training and knowledge. That's why Carlac’s expert technical team offer advice and support to our customers as well as various training programs and technical assistance.