The Role of Innovation in Playground Equipment Design
Highlighting the importance of innovation in playground equipment design and its profound impact on the user experience.
Most of the coloured play equipment you see is coated with polyester powdercoating.
Powdercoating is a process that applies the coloured coating as a dry powder which is then baked on to the metal, as opposed to the traditional wet spray paint process that is used for products such as cars and aircraft.
There are several reasons why powdercoating is the best coating for Park Playground Equipment:
- It is safe and non-toxic – there is zero residue transfer to users
- It is tough – when properly applied it does not peel or flake
- It is colourfast – the colours last a very long time in the sun
- It offers choice – a wide range of colours are available
- It is cost effective – small batch capabilities mean it can be applied economically
As with any manufacturing process, powdercoating must be applied correctly to offer the best service life. At Moduplay we do our powdercoating in-house and have complete control over the quality at every stage. (Cont…)
Powdercoating is the process of covering a metal product in a fine coat of powder made up of highly durable polymer resin mixed with other additives. The item being coated is electrostatically charged during coating and the powder is applied using a special spray gun. The electrostatic charge attracts the powder to the metal forming an even coating.
The coated item is then placed in a high temperature oven to bake the powder on to the metal.
To make the powder stick to the metal properly and permanently, several critical pre-coating processes are required. These include proper weld cleaning, sand blasting of the metal to provide adhesion, pre-cleaning with solvents or dipping baths and applying undercoat powders rich in zinc to prevent rusting.
Different applications of the end product will govern the exact process used each time but these pre-coating processes are what separates a good powdercoating surface from a bad one.
We do all the pre-coating steps carefully and thoroughly to ensure the powder sticks for the life of the equipment. Unprepared powdercoating will look the same as ours on day one.
The difference between a good and bad powdercoating job takes time to show up.
Talk to our experienced team today about how we can make sure you get the built-in quality you expect and deserve with your play area project.
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