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Powder Coating Plastics. . . part 2

To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Powder Coating Plastics. . . part 2
From: Scott Tilton <sdtilton@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 04:58:40 -0700 (PDT)
Not surprisingly, I got several replies pointing out the propensity of plastic 
to melt at the temperatures required for powder coating.

I should have mentioned that I wasn't looking at powder coating any of the 
parts that came with our Triumphs.

Instead I'm looking at the plastic that is used by the Rapid Prototyping 
machine I use at work.  

It basically uses a laser to melt together layers of powdered plastic from the 
ground up.  (Yeah, its pretty cool.  I'm psyched about this job)

The plastic is essentially nylon and makes remarkably strong parts (it makes 
"functional prototypes")  

What really got my attention in Nelson's article is the fact that the Powder 
could flow at temperatures below 350 degrees.

I happen to know that the plastic I'm using to make parts has a melting 
temperature of 383 degrees.  I bring the powdered form of it up to over 300 
degrees before the laser hits it to sinter it together, and the tiny particles 
don't clump together at all at that temperature.

So there you go . . . I've got plastic parts that can withstand elevated 
temperatures.  Maybe not quite 400 degrees, but then again, I'd be 
experimenting with samples anyway.

Which brings me back to my original question:  How can I make the powder stick 
to a plastic part?

 

Scott Tilton

Making expensive plastic parts in Ashburn Virginia
Yahoo! Mail Personal Address - Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.

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