Powder coating is a superb method for rejuvenating older cars and motorcycles. You don’t have to coat the entire body to make a big difference. Highlighting the wheels in a bright and complementary colour gives an instant lift to both car and owner. And it’s easily done.
Can Alloy wheels be powder coated?
The short answer is yes – but let’s take a moment to look at the standard powder coating process. That will help to understand what metals are (or are not) suitable and why.
How Powder Coating Works
There are two stages of the powder coating process that determine what materials are suitable:
1) High temperature curing – After the object has been dry-sprayed with the powder it must be heated to around 150 to 200 °C. This curing melts the resins in the powder and causes the paint to flow and coat the object. Some resin fillers used in car parts cannot withstand those temperatures and will bubble. Metals with low melting points, rubber, plastic and wood are not good candidates either.
2) Electrostatic charge – Metal objects are given a mild electrostatic charge while being sprayed with the powder. That makes the powder stick rather than just falling off.
Alloys Suitable For Powder Coating
Powder coating wheel rims is rarely a problem. That’s because they are almost always made from steel alloys or aluminium. Both of those conduct electricity. Practically all metals used in automotive parts do conduct electricity, some more so than others. For example, silver is the best conductor, while lead and carbon steel have greater electrical resistance but still work fine for powder coating.
Preparing Wheels For Powder Coating
Unless wheels are badly damaged, pitted or corroded they can be powder coated. You do not have to do anything to prepare them beforehand. At the workshop, they will be thoroughly cleaned and sanded down to remove any dirt, grease and old paint. The process takes 2-3 hours in total for a set of alloys to be prepared, sprayed and cured. The workshop will give you a date and time to pick them up.
How Much To Powder Coat Wheels?
Treating the rims only for a set of 4 wheels costs in the region of £20 each. Powder coating the entire wheels costs around £50.00 Each . Our powder coating workshop at GLW Engineering is ready to take your alloys for a fast turnaround. Contact us for a quote and timescale or call us on 01945 464 637.
