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Uralac® Ultra: Powder coating for heat-sensitive substrates

How does the technology behind Uralac® Ultra-enabled powder coating work? How does it differ from traditional liquid-based coating? And what are the benefits? We are excited to show you this, and more! Have a look...

Uralac® Ultra's applications

The Uralac® Ultra powder-coating process

MDF is shaped, cut, routed and sanded as determined by the designer. Due to the ease of processing the one-layer Uralac® Ultra coating, you can choose almost any shape.

Climatizing the MDF for a stable moisture percentage will make the process more consistent through different weather conditions and MDF supplier variations. Typical moisture percentages lie between 4 and 8%.

Loading

The coating process starts by loading the conveyor belt with the MDF objects. The MDF is hanging from metal hooks to ensure proper grounding of the material.

Preheating

The first step in the application process is preheating. In an IR oven, the MDF is heated to 50-60ºC for a good homogeneous conductivity of the substrate.

Spraying

Application of the Uralac® Ultra powder is done with standard corona spray guns. The use of an active counter electrode ensures an evenly applied layer.

Curing

Curing of the coating is done at 130ºC for 3 minutes, depending on the substrate and powder used. Heat-up time varies between 2 and 5 minutes.

An infrared oven is needed for fast heat-up and cure without overheating the MDF. 130ºC is low enough to not damage most types of MDF.

Unload, pack & ship

After cooling down, the conveyor belt can be unloaded. The cooled down MDF has a fully cured coating and is ready to be packed and shipped.

Powder Coating Line Layout

Frequently asked questions

How do we spray powder on standard 'non-conductive' MDF?

For application of the powder, moisture within the MDF is used for conductivity. A moisture content of 4-8% of total weight is sufficient to attract the powder.

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Do we require special MDF for powder coating?

No special MDF is needed for powder coating – although there are differences between available qualities and types.

We advise evaluating the type of MDF you intend to use before making your products.

Further, we recommend a conditioned storage area to control the MDF's moisture content.

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Is the oven I use for powder coating metal suitable for curing MDF too?

Most conventional curing ovens are convection ovens. Best results for MDF are reached with infrared radiation (IR) ovens.

With IR ovens, the MDF's surface can be heated quickly to cure the powder coating, while its core stays relatively cool.

With convection ovens, temperatures are often too high, or the MDF's core heats up too much because of the longer period needed to reach curing temperatures.

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