Metal fabricators, welders, machine shops, auto body shops and powder coaters are constantly looking for a metal repair filler for powder coating that will withstand the powder coating process and also have heat-resistant properties.
They need a metal repair filler that works!
Metal parts filled in with plastic resin or two-part body fillers can cause problems for powder coaters and fabricators. These two-part fillers usually shrink, pop out, burn, outgas or leave a ring through the powder that can be quite visible, especially under light powder colors. The powder does not typically bind or adhere to the fillers’ surface, causing visible damage to the metal part after the heat cure and resulting in expensive rejects. Filling in dents or voids with a welding rod can also create a rough or uneven surface and will likely be rejected by the customer.
Coaters need a metal repair filler that can be used under powder coating, is heat resistant and able to take the charge of the powder coating process. Coaters need Lab-metal or Hi Temp Lab-metal.
Smoothing over rough welds, patching surface imperfections, fixing small dents and repairing metal surfaces can all be done from a one-part, ready-touse, high-temperature filler for powder coating.
Fortunately, coaters have Lab-metal and Hi Temp Lab-metal from Alvin Products, a division of Dampney Co., to make this possible.
Powder coating is a process of painting or applying a paint that comes in powder form. The resins and fillers melt, flow and fuse together in an oven during the curing process, which then forms a painted surface. The powders are charged electrostatically and applied from an air-powdered spray gun. This charge attracts the paint to the metal surface and adheres during the curing process at temperatures that can exceed 400 F.
Before filling dents for powder coating, find out the temperature of the oven, how many times the metal part will go in and out of the oven, and for how long (duration) the metal parts are in the oven during the curing process.
When using a one-part body filler like Lab-metal or Hi Temp Lab-metal, you can simply allow the repair to air dry, then sand smooth and powder coat. You might also need to “heat cure” the high-temperature one-part filler to make sure all solvent comes out of the repair. Metal parts have gouges, scratches or dents. These can easily be filled in before powder coating with the one-part metal filler. The filler can be thinned out and applied like auto body filler, and can be sanded and buffed hours later.
One-part, high-temperature epoxy fillers are far superior to typical automotive body fillers. These fillers can be used in conjunction with primer powder coats to fill and shape imperfections in the part. They can also fill in functional areas on metal after tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding and will fill in structural areas before powder coating.
What you use to fill in dents and pits before powder coating should be a one-part, high-heat-resistant repair filler made in the U.S. by a manufacturer that can support the sales and technical details of preparation, application and the final powder coating process. This manufacturer is Alvin Products.
For more information, visit www. alvinproducts.com or call (800) 537- 7023, or visit www.dampney.com or call (617) 389-2805.
