The future of MDF finishing?

[Brady Watson]

I came across this (http://www.powdercoating.org/wood/content.htm) while trying to research some MDF finishing options. Seems like a pretty cool idea...and would make painting darn near obsolete! (and hopefully sanding too!)

Anyway, I thought some of you would be interested in it.

-Brady

[wcsg]

Hey that's nice, not just for metals anymore!

[mnrite]

I have heard this can be done at "home", an inexpinsive gun (Harbor Freight or Sears) and an old electric oven. Has anyone tried it?

Thanks
Mike

[benchmark]

Mike

I think it is a bit more involved than that.... You need to heat the MDF to 140deg first then apply the powder coat with a slight electrostatic charge and then back in the oven.

I wish it was easy....No VOC's etc.




Paul

[itoolfred]

Brady-
We do a lot of mdf and have researched this extensively. I even sent off some parts to a guy back east for samples and they came out beautiful. No one here in phx has this equipment and I think the cheapest setup I saw to do this was $100k for the bare bones minimum. I'd love to get into this, but it is just too expensive at this time.
Fred

[Brady Watson]

Hey Fred,
If you wouldn't mind, could you send me the contact info for the outfit that did the samples for you? I'm on the East Coast and am wondering if they are close to me...

Thanks!
-B

[itoolfred]

Brady,
Let me see if I can dig it up... Was sent thru the metal powder coat guy. I'll try to call over there and find the information.
Fred

[wcsg]

Yes please post that contact info please

[jhicks]

I have also heard of this and it does sound interesting. This Company is near Mark in Minn. and advertises pretty regularly in POP design magazine.
Generally pointed at POP displays and in store fixtures but I guess outdoor is also a good application.Always more cool tools and materials if one can keep up with them.
http://www.brainerdtech.com/news_one.html

[stickman]

Taken for the ISWonline.

Powder coating on medium density fiberboard burst on the scene about five years ago brimming with potential.
First, office furniture giant Herman Miller of Grand Rapids, MI, attracted great attention at NeoCon with the introduction of its Resolve line. Resolve, sporting MDF tops with sleek curves and rounded edges, aptly demonstrated how this emerging technology could be used to provide a seamless, one-step finish on complex MDF parts.

MDF powder coating next made a big splash at the 1998 International Woodworking Machinery & Supply Fair. Morton Powder Coating of Reading, PA, since merged with Rohm & Haas, made its first public showing of its Lamineer MDF powder coatings. The company left Atlanta at IWF’s close with one of the seven Challengers Awards presented in the biennial competition for technological achievement.

Morton found itself in the winner’s circle for the second time in two years when Lamineer won a Sequoia Award for environmentalism at the 1999 Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair in Anaheim.

Entering the 21st century MDF powder coating seemed poised for rapid growth. According to Dennis Kaminski of Nutro Corp., a manufacturer of 3-D UV curing equipment in Strongsville, OH, the number of NeoCon exhibitors displaying products with wood powder coatings increased from five in 2000 to 16 in 2001. A few more office furniture companies joined Herman Miller in setting up their own MDF powder coating systems. A handful or two more companies installed MDF powder coat lines to do work for others.

Then the bottom fell out of the North American economy. Most notably, the precipitous decline in office furniture shipments — from $13 billion in 2000 to $9 last year — had an major effect on curtailing the growth of the MDF powder coat market.

Jeff Palmer, communications director for the Powder Coating Institute Inc., said, “Obviously the economy and cutbacks in offices have been setbacks. But we still think there will be a potentially strong market for powder coating when the wood market picks up.”

Steve Couzens, wood industry specialist of H.B. Fuller Powder Coatings of Oakdale, MN, said the combination of “very poor economic conditions” and the deteriorated office furniture market, which he termed a “key target for powder on wood,” has greatly impeded MDF power coating’s growth.

“Another factor was that powder was geared to replace membrane pressing because of ‘cost savings’ three years ago,” Couzens said. “Since that time film costs have come way down as the supply has gone up due to the slow recovery in that market sector. The cost savings projected is not there as it was before.”
Given a firmer economy to build on, Couzens said wood powder coating should catch on for a variety of reasons. “The biggest benefit is it’s a VOC-free paint to replace solvent spray on MDF. Also, the freedom of design for seamless-covered edges gives designers of MDF products great ease to let their creativity flow. The different ‘looks,’ as well as the performance of powder for wood is here now, it just needs to be embraced.”

Richard Robidoux, product manager for St. Laurent, QUE-based Protech Chemicals, like H.B. Fuller, a manufacturer of UV-cured powders, agreed that better days await the powder coat industry. “We know some companies have slowed down on R&D, but some did not. The biggest detriment is capital investment; potential users are putting everything on hold. We thought 2003 would be the year, but the Iraq war put a damper on that.”

Despite these setbacks, Robidoux said, “There’s no doubt in our minds that this is a technology that will be profitable for a number of powder companies and end users. It’s not as complicated as people may think. Many in the wood industry are not aware of how simple it can be.”

Mike Favreau, marketing manager for new technology of Rohm & Haas Powder Coatings, said, the weak economy has resulted in less wood powder coating materials being sold. “Ironically, though, we haven’t had any projects cancelled. We’re currently moving forward on three major new projects including one for a large supplier to a home center chain, a kitchen cabinet manufacturer and an installation in Europe. I can’t say for sure, though, whether or not 10 other potential customers would have stepped forward if not for the economy.

“I think powder is here to stay,” Favreau added. “It gives manufacturers another option to finish their products, but it’s not for everyone. Powder coating is not going to replace thermal-fused melamine or high-pressure laminate. I think it will be a lot like membrane pressing and find its niche.”

Chuck Jarvis, regional sales manager for powder manufacturer Tiger Drylac USA Inc. of Ontario, CA, agreed that powder’s potential is clear. “Despite the slow economy, there was strong interest at Global Shop,” he said.

Maggie Nodland, marketing director of Chemco Mfg. Co. Inc., a manufacturer of spray booth pads for collecting overspray based in Northbrook, IL, said converting to powder coating requires a major commitment for several reasons. Among them are the need to bear high start-up costs to install a line and to learn how to master a new technology.

However, Nodland added, the risks are not without rewards. “Powder coating offers a more consistent finish than sprayed liquid coatings. There are no drips, runs or bubbles to worry about. A desired appearance can be achieved with only one coat. In addition, since the coating lines are automated, fewer operators are required. Powder overspray can be collected and reused leading to less coating waste and any reclaimed powder that isn’t reused can be easily disposed of because it isn’t considered hazardous by the EPA.”

Mike Chapman, president of MDF Powder Coat Systems of Portsmouth, RI, rattled off three major benefits of powder coat finishes on wood that will help drive the market. “First, they are simple to apply and cure. Second they provide a tough, durable finish. Third, both texture and smooth finishes are available,” he said.

More Material Players Ante Up
The increased interest in MDF powder coating is apparent by the growing number of powder coat material manufacturers that are seeking a piece of the action. As John Binder, marketing manager of Nordson Corp. of Amherst, OH, notes in his article on page 74, manufacturers of metal powder coatings have taken a keen interest in developing products for heat sensitive substrates like MDF and plastics.

This trend was especially apparent at Powder Coating 2002, a trade show held last October in Indianapolis. There, at least seven major finishing suppliers showed off powder on wood products. Included were Rohm & Haas’ Lamineer, Protech’s Nuvocoat and H.B. Fuller’s Designkote. DuPont Powder Coatings introduced Raytech, a UV powder for wood. Akzo, Tiger Drylac USA Inc. and Becker Powder Coatings also featured MDF powder products at their booths.

Sherwin-Williams of Cleveland, OH, works with wood customers on a one-on-one basis. Bob McElroy, marketing director, said the company, which has long manufactured metal powdercoating materials under the "Powdura" brand name, has worked on customer-specific projects with several office furniture manufacturers.

"As with many coating applications, the best way to meet the service requirements of a manufactured product is through a close supplier-finisher relationship," McElroy said. "The product's components and how it is manufactured and shipped to the end customer is very important."

Meanhwile, Robert Edwards, global business director of PPG Industries Inc.’s industrial powder coatings, Pittsburgh, PA, said his company was working on a new powder product for wood that it hopes to debut this summer. “Wood is getting much attention. There have been a lot of technical papers written. We’ll have to see in five years if this is the next $1 billion market or just one with a few niche players,” Edwards said.

Clear Coats: ‘Next Big Thing’
One glaring limitation of powder coating has been achieving wood looks. Whereas decorative overlays have come a long way in perfecting woodgrains, wood powder coating has largely been limited to engineered wood substrates.

That could soon change, however, as major players including H.B. Fuller, Protech and Rohm & Haas throw the weight of their R&D efforts behind technology for finishing hardwoods.

In fact, the future might be closer than some might think. Favreau said the cabinet manufacturer his company is working closely with is interested in putting in a UV powder coat line to apply a clear finish to raw maple and oak solids. “The biggest limitation is color consistency,” Favreau said. “Because they would not be tinting the wood, if one door is made of a darker wood than the next, the difference will be obvious. What you see is what you get.”

Favreau said the potential of developing a cost-effective powder coat that can address Mother Nature’s inconsistencies is one area that needs to be addressed in R&D. Achieving improved clarity relative to much thinner liquid coatings is another.

Couzens said he definitely thinks the next big thing will be “clear UV powder over natural hardwoods for the kitchen cabinet industry. Research to date has shown very promising results for the future in this area. The technology of UV clear powder is a monumental ‘game changer’ in removing solvent-based clear coatings, many requiring multiple passes, into a one-pass, non-VOC coating that will pass the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn.’s testing standards.”

Robidoux also said his company is actively pursuing clear coat. “We’re working on clear coats which will open up traditional furniture markets, mouldings and ultimately even flooring,” Robidoux said.

New Equipment Developments
The potential of wood powder coating has not escaped the attention of equipment manufacturers.

Powder coating has traditionally been a vertical process to take advantage of the electrostatic system’s ability to apply powder on all sides of a part in one pass. Cefla, which operates as Cefla Finishing America out of High Point, NC, while maintaining a close affiliation with Stiles Machinery, has introduced a UV flat-line powder coating system for finishing cabinet doors and cabinet and furniture parts.

While coating both sides of a part requires sending it through the flat-line system twice, users of this system do not have to drill holes in the back of parts so that they can be suspended from a vertical conveyor. Another advantage is that the flat-line system requires less floor space. As is the case with traditional vertical powder coating application systems, the flat line system is able to achieve high rates of transfer efficiency and reclaim overspray.

The need to be able to accommodate smaller runs of customer orders is driving several equipment manufacturers to focus attention on quick color change systems.

ITW Gema, for example, recently introduced its Vortech Series powder coating booth. It features an integrated multi-cyclone and cartridge assembly designed for simple conversions and color-change flexibility.

ColorMax from Nordson represents another quick-color-change development. Nordson says ColorMax can help powder coat applicators to change colors in 10 to 25 minutes.

Seeing Is Believing
Several material and equipment companies, including Rohm & Haas and Nordson, have established laboratories featuring fully equipped powder coat lines to demonstrate wood powder applications and benefits to potential customers.

MDF Powder Coat Systems, a turnkey supplier of finishing systems last year opened up a research and development and testing facility in Portsmouth, RI. The facility includes a 300-foot-long, high-speed line utilizing automatic powder coating equipment and catalytic infrared curing ovens to apply and cure electrostatically charged power to MDF. The company said that by testing products in thermal and thermal/UV cure ovens, a customer is able to select an individually designed system that best suits its needs.

George Koch Sons LLC of Evansville, IN, recently established a UV powder demonstration facility dedicated to heat sensitive substrates such as MDF, wood and diecast metal substrates. Parts are transported via an overhead monorail conveyor. Flat-line processing on smaller samples is also available.

[itoolfred]

Brady,
I finally got the name of the guys where the samples came from:
http://www.profilepowder.com/index.htm
Fred

[patricktoomey]

I hate having to send things out to be done, I like to find ways to do it myself. So I did some digging and managed to find a source to buy the powder coating powder and guns so I could try this for myself.

The powder for MDF is difficult to find but it appears that TigerLac has it. Here is a link for them...
http://www.tigerdrylac.com/index.php?id=827
I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out which of the powders will work for low temp applications which is what's needed for wood. You can even order powders on their site. They appear to be in the $10/pound range which seems cheap, espcially since you recycle whatever doesn't stick to your part so you end up with just about %100 use of the material you buy.

Here are some low cost powder coating guns...(check out the original HotCoat gun if you want the $100 version, the pro version is $700)
http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=92&itemType=CONTENT
I don't know if the high voltage transformer that comes with these guns can put out enough to charge MDF but I think either using a light mist of water beforehand to make the MDF more conductive or getting a higher voltage transformer may work. I'm willing to be the guinea pig to try it out. The gun's around $100 so it's worth a shot. Worst case, I'll be able to powder coat metal parts which is still pretty cool.

Here is a site with some general information and links, this is where I found the link for TigerLac...
http://www.pcoating.com/suppliers_powder_coatings.asp

Anybody else have any interest in trying this?

[gerald_d]

I guess that MDF will release air when it is heated. How do they stop this air from bubbling under the coating when curing?

[patricktoomey]

Gerald,

I think the preheat may partially take care of that. It appears that you preheat the part to 140-170F and then spray the powder on it, then it's baked at a slightly higher temperature to set the powder. Since it is powder which melts it probably isn't nearly as prone to gas entrapment as a liquid finish would be.

[kivimagi]

Anyone have thoughts on whether this process might work on other types of wood, i.e. plywood, etc.

I am definitely interested Patrick, and would be very interested in helping debug the process with some equipment on my end as well.


Regards,

[patricktoomey]

I just got off the phone with a Tiger Drylac rep and he said their powders will work fine on MDF but it doesn't sound like other types of wood would be advisable. I'm going to have a more detailed discussion with him on Monday but here are the basics...

Other suppliers do have some very low temp powders that work at less than 200F but they are considered experimental and have a very short shelf life and are harder to work with. The stuff that Tiger Drylac has bakes at 240-260F. MDF can tolerate these temps but must be preheated to 140-160F I think. I'll get the exact preheat temps on Monday. I think plywoods or solid woods would probably have difficulty with expansion and contraction and deformation at these temperatures. If we can get it to work on MDF though, what the heck, it's worth a try on some scraps of other stuff to see what happens.

The rep thinks that the inexpensive HotCoat guns like I linked to in my earlier post would work, it's at least worth a try. Once I talk to him again I'll go ahead and get some sample powders and buy the HotCoat gun and see what happens.

I have a dedicated oven that I use for bending Corian so I'll do it in that in case there is any fire or smoke involved as my wife would not appreciate that in our kitchen ;-) I'll try regular MDF and Trupan with and without Bondo (for smooth filleted corners) and we'll see what happens.

Ryan, I'll let you know what happens to see if you want to try it too. Between us and anyone else interested maybe we can get a new and cool thing going here. I can already imagine a million uses for this if it works like letters and parts for outdoor signs, using chrome powder to make simulated metal parts, small furniture components, etc.

[drodda]

Patrick,

I am very interested in the process also. I am as interested in doing the metal as the MDF and have wanted to get into this for some time. Like many of my other future projects it has been shelved till I get more time to get into it. Please keep us posted though.

[phil_o]

Has anyone tried the inexpensive systems such as the Eastwood gun?

[ron_moorehead]

Any news/update on finishing MDF with powder coating. Anyone tried it yet?

[patricktoomey]

The Tiger Drylac rep seemed to do a reversal after our inital discussion. They have apparently had so much trouble marketing to small shops and doing small batches that they're not really interested in small anymore. It's been a few weeks (sorry I forgot to post an update) so I don't remember exactly but the minimum order for powders is now in the hundreds of pounds per color so it's not for small shops anymore. I have done some additional research on this and spoke with a guy who is doing this for production runs now. He tried the Eastwood gun with no luck. You have to charge the MDF to a much higher voltage to get it to stick so you need a bigger and more powerful gun. Also there are some other really specific things like the humidity level in the room and on the part. The part has to be just the right amount of "wet" so it's treated specially first, then baked for a certain amount of time at 140F. This makes the part hot enough for the low temp powder to partially melt and stick to it. All in all I think we are a ways off from being practical for small shops and hobbyists. The minimum buy-in for a full system guaranteed to work is about 80K now, I think you could rig something that would actually do fine for 10-15K but getting the powder is an issue. I'm going to keep checking on this periodically to see if anything changes or if any new players come on the market selling small amounts of powders.