When we receive a part, it is normally soaked in a solution to remove foreign chemicals, grease, etc.
It is then cleaned and dried before being media blasted to remove any old finishes or oxidation.
***Some cast aluminum parts may require an "outgassing" step that helps prevent small pits that may develop, created by the original casting process of the part.***
Steel parts will receive a solution that further retards rusting before being sprayed with the powder.
Once the parts are clean and ready for powder, the parts are then masked and plugged (if necessary) and then the powder spraying process begins.
After spraying the powder, the parts are then baked to cure the finish.
Some finishes require a second coat, such as candy and translucent type finishes, or clear coats.
In order to have a show quality part, the surface to be coated should be free from blemishes, pitting, and rust.
After prep and cleaning, if there still is visual damage (gouges, pitting, etc) to the part being coated, it will still be visible after the process, ALTHOUGH, some texture type finishes can mask the problem parts.
Some parts can be repaired before coating to have a blemish free finish that requires additional labor and expense.
