Dip coating delivers flexible finishing
What is dip coating?
Dip coating is an industrial coating process used to manufacture everything from fabrics to biomedical devices. The earliest dip-coated products were candles. Automotive and medical applications for dip coating are two growth markets for the technique, while other markets that benefit from the process include consumer goods and electronics.
“A plastisol dip coating is flexible enough to coat almost any object with an irregular shape”
Dip coating and materials
In dip coating, the underlying metal or fabric substrate is immersed in the solution of the coating material at a constant speed, and is pulled up as a thin layer deposits itself on the substrate. The speed at which the substrate is pulled up determines the thickness of the coating. Finishes can be elastomeric, so dip coating is a good means of rounding off or softening edges and corners. For this reason, the dip coating process is used for handles, levers, tools and furniture, as well as electric insulation and outdoor play equipment.
According to Plastic Coatings in the West Midlands, UK, the dipping of metal components into thermoplastic powders or ‘fluidised bed’ dipping is the oldest form of plastic dip coating, a process that dates back to 1952. Plastisol – a suspension of PVC particles in a liquid plasticiser – coating is becoming an increasingly widespread solution among industrial suppliers whose metal products need protective coatings to increase their functionality and durability. A plastisol dip coating is flexible enough to coat almost any object with an irregular shape. One novel application is coating fibre optic cables with plastisol.
Dip coating benefits
While dip coating can provide an attractive finish to a product, which is comfortable to touch, it also protects metal components from abrasion and corrosion and provides resistance against impact. Dip coating also allows the thickness and hardness of the coating material to be highly customised for an application. In medical applications, the dip coating process seals up porosity and ensures equipment can be disinfected.