Powder-coated aluminium

In order to obtain particular colours and a surface appearance that differs from anodised aluminium, a processed front panel can also be powder coated.

Powder coating (also powder painting) is a paint application process in which an electrically conductive material is coated with oppositely charged powdered paint and then thermally hardened. This not only produces additional corrosion protection and a ‘smoother’ surface, it also makes it possible to achieve a very extensive range of colours.

Specially pre-treated anodised panels without a colour (‘natural’) are used for powder coating.

Please click the open images to enlarge them.

The following table lists the colours that can be achieved as standard for anodised aluminium panels in stock with thicknesses of between 1.5 and 10 mm as a result of powder coating. For larger views of the individual colours, please refer to the previous section.

Colour appearance	Colour hue	RAL	Available panel thicknesses [mm]
Colour appearance	Colour hue	RAL	1	1.5	2	2.5	3	4	5	6	8	10	12	15
Tolerance ± [mm]			0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.25	0.30	0.40	0.40	0.50	0.50
	Black	9005
	Sulphur yellow	1016
	Signal yellow	1003
	Grey	Company standard
	Traffic white	9016
	Grey white	9002
	Light grey	7035
	Clay brown	8003
	Signal green	6032
	Turquoise blue	5018
	Signal blue	5005
	Signal red	3001

Can be processed with aluminium panels that are in stock.

Can be processed with aluminium panels that are obtainable at short notice.

Powder coating of the front panels takes place after mechanical processing. This ensures that the blank working surfaces are also covered that are otherwise avoided only as a result ofpost-anodisation. Please note that the coating layer here sticks to surfaces that are not protected against corrosion and that the durability of the product is improved when the paint at the respective places is not exposed to mechanical strains that could tear it.

The maximum and minimum dimensions for machinable main plate surfaces correspond to the values for anodised aluminium panels.

The colouring of anodised aluminium is formed by colour pigments that are located under a transparent top layer and are still more or less optically transparent for the shiny metallic grey of the original metal layer. This way, the metallic character of the carrier material generally remains visible with any colour.

In contrast, the paint application on a powder-coated surface is homogeneous, slightly glossy and covers the surface completely. Here, the character of the raw carrier material must remain concealed.

Whereas the range of colours for anodised aluminium is limited for technical reasons, almost any shade of colour can be achieved with powder coating. Suitable admixtures also allow varying surface appearances to be achieved as well as metallic finishes.

Front panels are always powder coated after mechanical processing. During powder coating, the coating is not applied with a uniform thickness but increases systematically at the edges and corners.

To obtain the required fits, and, above all, threads, in the specified dimensions, you can also produce each milling and engraving element for powder-coated main plates after powder coating (select the ‘Mill after surface finishing’ checkbox in the properties dialogue box).

If you want us to powder coat your customer-supplied material, please note that the processing sequence is reversed: Customer-supplied material is powder coated first and then milled.