The pictures below show the boats being processed through the powder coating plant.

Getting the colour that you want in a powder coating is increasingly possible. At Euro Quality Coatings we work hard to find or match the powder coating colours that our customers want us to use on their products. If you require RAL, BS and NCS colour systems or colours matched against pre-coated metalwork (such as Corus Colorcoat Prisma) we will do our best to source the shade that you need.

Katie Smithson from Akzo Nobels colour and design team explains how they match colours in powder for their customers:

Colour is created by adding combinations of chemical pigments (that mimic the world’s natural colour pigments) to the base formulation at the start of the powder manufacturing process. A computer works out the combinations and concentrations of different pigments needed to produce specific colours. It can predict colours to a high degree of accuracy over a wide range. If we are matching a new colour we can choose the nearest approximation and then fine tune.

Frequently colours are made for customers, often working from samples the customer has sent in. These can vary from liquid paint to coloured paper and even to bits of a bicycle.

Some colours take longer to match; very strong colours like yellows and reds are difficult because the pigments are organic and break down under UV light. The team has to find a way of achieving the colour without losing performance characteristics such as durability and temperature resistance. Special effect paints such as metallic or sparkly are also tricky. As they are not solid colours, the appearance can change depending on what angle you are looking from. It’s definitely challenging.

Article adapted from Akzo Nobel powder coatings Review ‘10

powder coated red dragon

One of the advantages of having both a manual powder spray area and fully automatic conveyorised facilities is the flexibility it gives us to do both high volume parts and one off special items like the dragon.

Here are some pictures taken while the Dragon was being powder coated:

Due to sustained and increasing demand from our existing customer base we have decided to operate an additional shift starting from 1st March 2010.

This will result in shorter lead times and greater flexibility for customers.

To facilitate this, we identified the Green Dragon Environmental Standard as the most appropriate for the business and implementation began in 2004. The advantage of the green dragon standard in comparison to ISO 14001 was that we could gain accreditation in stages (levels 1 to 5) and when you have reached level 5 you have achieved a standard equivalent to ISO 14001.

Green Dragon Environmental Standard

By 2005 we had achieved accreditation to Level 4, followed by Level 5 in 2006 which has been successfully retained in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Initiatives identified were the creation and the implementation of dedicated environmental objectives to be targeted and measured year on year. These included a reduction in CO² emission, consideration of reducing hazardous chemical use on site, thus reducing hazardous waste for disposal, continual monitoring and, where possible, reduction in consumption of fuel, water and waste going to landfill, along with an improvement in environmental awareness and activities with employees.

Energy and Water usage

Cardboard bale for recycling

Through energy saving initiatives such as delayed start up times and reduced cycle times for ovens and process tanks, EQC have reduced CO² emissions by almost 10% from 2007 to 2008 with an overall reduction of more than 20% since 2005.

As a powder coater, the largest waste stream is waste powder generated by the spray process. This is currently generating in excess of 15 tonnes per annum, which is disposed of, through a licensed waste carrier, to landfill costing almost £3,000 per year. In line with the company’s objectives to reduce waste to landfill wherever possible, EQC has sourced a recycle opportunity for waste powder which will reduce this waste to landfill by 100% and will reduce disposal costs by approximately 50%.

The process is illustrated below on a Gary Fisher frame and forks which was stripped and re-coated in red.

Gary Fisher frame before chemical stripping

The first step is chemical stripping in a non aggressive benzyl alcohol stripping chemical which normally removes all the old paint but does not damage the frame itself. We can also shotblast if necessary to remove surface rust.

Bicycle frame and forks after chemical stripping

The next step is chemical pre treatment which is a chemically bonded pre-treatment protecting the substrate from future corrosion attack under the powder coated film.

Once the part has been pre treated and dried off it will be masked if required to keep threaded or other appropriate areas free from any coating.

Bicycle frame after pre treatment

The frame is now ready for powder coating.

At Euro Quality Coatings we have both automatic (high volume) conveyorised powder coating facilities and manual (small batch) facilities. For some thing like a bicycle frame with the requirement for masking, we prefer to powder coat it in the manual spray area. This area utilises manual powder application techniques, a water wash spray booth and box type powder curing oven.

Approximately 600 people took part in the Le Mans style race around the 13 km Blenheim track. The race is an enthusiastic and colourful showcase of British eccentricity . Competitors race wearing a jacket and tie (some with Top hats and others in hats to rival Ladies day at Ascot Races) and of course riding the world famous Brompton folding bicycle powder coated by EQC . The race itself is very keenly contested with prizes in various categories including fastest male, female, junior, veteran and team as well as best dressed male and best dressed female riders.

As a longstanding partner to Brompton, EQC were proud sponsors of the Brompton team who came first in the team race.

The national award ceremony takes place at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich London on 26th November, 2009.

This award, which places us as the best in Wales representing Wales as a whole in the Green award category, further demonstrates the commitment of EQC to the environment and the focus we place on the interests of all our stakeholders.

EQC customer iWall, who are an internal partitioning specialist have been chosen to provide the office partitioning for the Vodafone’s new directors offices at Paddington. iWALL have previously provided 2 floors of partitioning within the same building creating Vodafone’s European business centre. All aluminium sections used were powder coated by EQC. The offices consisted of frameless single glazing, Vision Wall and framed glass and timber doors.

This picture shows powder coated curved aluminuim fabrications at the edge of the canopy in RAL9006. These were powder coated in Interpon D1036 powders by Euro Quality Coatings. Also powder coated by EQC were the aluminium window sections and panels in blue.