Dramatic development for uv powder coating on MDF

Substrates such as wood, plastics and medium density fiberboard (MDF) are sensitive to heat (thermal expansion) and cannot be coated with conventional powder coatings. Consequently liquid coatings, foils and laminates have been used for their decoration and protection, especially in the furniture industry.

In recent years, the development of ultra-low bake (ULB) and ultraviolet (UV) powder coatings for these substrates has allowed a dramatic reduction or even elimination of these traditional systems, resulting in new benefits for manufacturers. The woodworking industry in particular has increasingly begun taking advantage of UV and ULB technology to switch to powder coatings. As a result, new powder formulations are being developed that fulfill the needs of the growing MDF coating market.The number of MDF powder coating lines has been increasing for several years, and this trend seems destined to continue in the future.

Generally speaking, powder coating are “solventless” and do not contain or emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This characteristic makes them inherently user-friendly and easy to recycle (no waste treatment is required). UV and ULB powders place an extremely low thermal load on the substrate and can be handled immediately after curing. Unlike with liquid coatings, it is often possible to reduce or even eliminate intermediate sanding steps.

The use of ULB/UV powder coatings permits a greater freedom of board design (for example, allowing curvilinear shapes and seamless edges), while offering the flexibility of colors and textures not available in foils or laminates. Furthermore, these coatings allow a reduction in costly processes such as edge banding.