“It was almost like, ‘Put up a sign and they will come.’”
That’s how Rich DaSilva remembers his company’s entry into the powder coating business last March. Dynamic Performance Coatings, an Inverness, Fla., shop that specializes in custom painting, put one line in the phone book about its new service. As a result, says DaSilva, co-owner of the firm, he never had a chance to do any additional advertising or marketing. “We got so much new business so fast, it was all we could do to keep up with it,” he says.
Like other enterprising auto body shops around the country, Dynamic Performance Coatings is discovering the relatively untapped potential of powder coatings. The shop’s nearest competitor is nearly 35 miles away, so Dynamic Performance has a near monopoly on the lucrative Inverness market. Customers are attracted by the durability, economy and variety offered by powder coatings. For the shop, the benefits of powder coating include the elimination of VOC emissions and the need for solvent capture systems or incineration, and the ability to collect and recycle overspray. “In essence, it keeps the EPA away from your door,” says one industry observer.
DaSilva reports that motorcycle parts represent a large part of his shop’s powder business. Other automotive applications are roll cages and vehicle chassis. The shop also does a lot of work for airboat owners, including riggings and cages for the boats’ fans. In addition, the shop has attracted many non-automotive applications, including patio furniture, railings and, believe it or not, birdcages.
Investment: $15,000-plus
Kelly Goudy is sales manager for a manufacturer of powder coating equipment who has seen automotive business increasing recently. “More and more,” he says, “body shops are asking us about powder. It’s a way to diversify their income when the repair side of their business is down.”
An investment of as little as $15,000 will get a shop into the powder coating business, according to Goudy. That amount will buy a small insulated oven, a booth and a gun, and will enable the shop to do wheel rims and other small parts. For car frames, equipment costs jump to around $37,000. In both cases, the shop can follow video and text instructions to install the oven and booth.
DaSilva says Dynamic Performance invested about $40,000 before it “turned the key” on its oven. “You have to take into account the cost of gas to run the oven, which can put out about 1.2 million BTUs,” he says. “So you need a lot of propane.”
DaSilva points out that powder is attractive to customers for a couple reasons: “On many parts the cost can be lower than painting,” he explains. “And powder also does a better job on complex pieces. For example, a racecar cage and chassis—the powder gets in all the angles and cracks, whereas with [liquid] paint it’s almost impossible to cover those areas.”
Powder coating booths and cure ovens, along with powder coating guns, will help your shop take on powder coating projects with ease. And these projects will certainly not be limited to just automobiles. From lighting fixtures to farm equipment to office furniture, powder coating is common in many, everyday items. Even classroom desks are powder coated (see fourth image). Photos courtesy of Steve Maurer of Industrial Finishing Tech Inc.
Les Snyder, owner of Corvettes and More in St. Louis, says his outlay was more like $75,000. He made the investment in late 2003 after the sales rep for his paint supplier told him powder was “the wave of the future.”
Snyder opened his liquid painting operation in 1990. It specializes in custom car work on high-end cars like ‘Vettes, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. He claims powder’s appeal is its toughness. “It’s extremely flexible and chemical-resistant,” he says. “Motorcycle owners particularly like it because it resists stone chipping.”
Corvettes and More’s 1,200-sq.-ft. powder division contains a 15x10x10-ft. oven and a three-sided open booth. There are two employees—a prepper and a painter. (The custom car shop, located about three miles away, comprises 2,500 sq. ft. and has four employees.)
The two powder specialists had previous painting experience, and they adapted quickly to the technology, learning primarily from hands-on experience as well as videos and manuals. “They like working with it better than liquid paint,” says Snyder. “It’s not as messy, and it’s faster. We can do a ’55 Chevy frame in two-and-a-half hours. That includes prep time. With liquid paint, it would take at least twice as long.”
Tons of wheels
Besides motorcycles, the shop has done monster trucks, wheels and suspension parts, particularly for Hummer owners.
“A lot of owners have the finish sandblasted off their original equipment, then they have us powder coat it,” Snyder says. Wheels are particularly popular. “We do tons and tons of them.”
Snyder claims Corvettes and More is the only powder coating facility in St. Louis. Unlike Dynamic Performance Coatings, Snyder has done extensive marketing to take advantage of this exclusivity. “We have ads at all the major car shows in the area, and I go to as many meets as I can to talk to car owners,” he says. As a result, he has gained some customers who, while the bodies of their vehicles are painted with liquid paint, opt for the durability of powder on the suspension work.
Snyder estimates that he has earned back about 50 percent of his $75,000 investment in a year’s time. Experience in automotive refinishing is critical to his success, he says. “You can’t just open a powder coating shop and expect people to beat down your doors,” he explains. “You have to know what you’re doing.”
Powder technology
Using the principle of “opposites attract,” the powder coating application method uses electrostatically charged particles that are sprayed onto electrically grounded parts. The charged powder particles adhere to the parts and are held in place until they enter a baking oven, where they are melted and fused into a finished coating. Because these dry powders don’t run or drip, they produce a smooth, quality finish. Primers normally are not used or needed, although a pre-treatment chemical sometimes is applied to the surface to enhance adhesion.
Raw material costs are low compared to liquid paint. Usually sold in a 50-lb. box, powder can cost anywhere from about $2.25 to $15 per pound, and each pound covers 40 to 60 sq. ft., depending on the powder composition and the thickness applied, according to Joey Golliver, operations manager for a company that supplies equipment, job costing and marketing training for powder coating operations.
Operation costs can be high, however, because powder must be cured at temperatures of 400 to 500°F—either in an oven or via infrared lamps. Liquid paint, on the other hand, can be cured at temperatures under 200°F, and it also can be air-dried.
The number of automotive items that are being powder coated by manufacturers is extensive. Besides wheels, there are hubcaps, door handles, radiators, decorative trim, bumpers, shock absorbers, mirror frames, oil filters, engine blocks, battery trays and coil springs. In fact, any item that requires extra protection or a decorative finish is a potential powder candidate. (For details on automotive OEM applications, see sidebar.)
In everyday life, powder-coated items are everywhere. In homes and businesses, these include lighting fixtures, antennas and electrical components. Tractors and other farm equipment are often powder-coated. Sports and recreation offer a plethora of applications: golf clubs and golf carts; ski poles and bindings; snowmobiles; bicycles and exercise equipment. Store owners have powder-coated display racks, shelves, store fixtures and vending machines. Office workers use metal furniture, computer cabinets, mechanical pencils and pens, thumbtacks and other desk accessories that are powder coated. Parents have powder coated baby strollers, cribs, metal toys and wagons. And homeowners have lawn mowers, snow blowers, barbecue grills, patio furniture, garden tools, electronic components, bathroom scales, toolboxes and fire extinguishers that benefit from a powder finish.
Powder is available in clearcoats as well as color. Golliver reports that the product can be purchased in quantities ranging from 5-lb. boxes up to 250-lb. drums. “In a 50-lb. box,” he says, “standard colors will be in the $2 to $3 per pound range. Specialty colors such as textures, hi-temp, or custom matches will generally cost up to $15 to $25 per pound.”
As for suppliers of the actual powder, there are many, including some of the major liquid paint manufacturers.
For more details on the industry, including suppliers, consultants, and market information, go to www.powdercoatingonline.com. This extensive Web site also offers a free coating manual. Another valuable Web site, www.custom coaters.com, lists shops that apply powder finishes, which will help you find your nearest future competitor.
