Why Dedicated Equipment Matters for Urethane Powder Coatings

When it comes to urethane powder coatings, quality depends on contamination control. Even trace amounts of urethane powder left in shared application equipment can affect the quality of the next coating run.

The Problem: Cross-Contamination Can Compromise Quality

Urethane powder can remain inside guns, hoses, pumps, injectors, and feed systems even after standard cleaning. When that equipment is later used with polyester, epoxy, or hybrid powders, residual material can contaminate the coating process.

The result can be:

• Fisheyes and cratering

• Gloss and appearance variation

• Surface defects

• Adhesion issues

• Increased rejects and rework

• Production delays

For customers with demanding appearance and performance requirements, preventing these defects is critical.

The Solution: Dedicated Urethane Equipment

Using powder guns and associated components dedicated exclusively to urethane applications significantly reduces the opportunity for cross-contamination.

Dedicated equipment provides a more controlled process, helping deliver:

• More consistent finish quality
• Reduced contamination-related defects
• Reliable gloss and appearance
• Improved process repeatability
• Lower risk of rework and rejected parts
• Greater confidence in coating performance

The investment in dedicated equipment is small compared with the potential cost of coating failures, downtime, and customer quality concerns.

Our Dedicated Urethane Process

To strengthen quality control, our Etna Green plant processes urethane powder coatings on a dedicated weekly schedule using equipment and components reserved specifically for urethane materials.

This approach gives our team greater control over contamination risk and helps ensure customers receive consistent, repeatable coating quality.

Our dedicated process includes:

• Dedicated urethane powder guns

• Separate hoses and injectors

• Isolated powder handling components

• Clearly identified urethane equipment

• Defined cleaning and preventive maintenance procedures

• Quality inspection before shipment

  
  

High-Performance Urethane

Applications 

An example of the specialized work we can support with our dedicated urethane process is the application of powders with anti-graffiti properties.

One such high-performance polyurethane powder is AkzoNobel Interpon EC 1201, developed for demanding outdoor and anti-graffiti applications.

Typical applications include rail transportation, subways, urban furniture, and outdoor infrastructure where both appearance and long-term coating performance are important.

Lead Time: 10 Business Days

Because urethane coatings are processed through a controlled weekly production cycle, customers should plan for a 10-business-day turnaround.

This allows time for proper scheduling, equipment preparation, application and curing, quality inspection, packaging, and shipment coordination.

Quality Through Process Control

High-performance coatings require more than the right powder—they require the right process.

By dedicating equipment and production time to urethane applications, we reduce contamination risk at its source. The result is better finish quality, fewer defects, greater consistency, and a more reliable coating process for our customers.

For applications where coating quality matters, dedicated urethane processing provides an additional level of quality assurance from application through final inspection.