Finishing · 02 / 03
Powder Coated Parts
A tough, opaque color coat that holds up outdoors, specified and quoted right with your part
A powder coating service gives your part a thick, tough, opaque color coat: a dry polymer powder is applied electrostatically to the grounded part, then cured with heat so it melts and cross-links into a uniform film. It works on any conductive metal (steel, stainless, and aluminum), resists chips, scratches, UV, and corrosion, and comes in a huge range of colors and textures. Because the film runs roughly 0.002-0.004 in thick, threads, bores, and sealing surfaces get masked, and the coating is specified on the print and quoted with the part. Tell us the color, finish, and what to mask, and a real person sends back a quote in 24-48 hours.
Updated June 2026
How powder coating actually works
Powder coating is a coating that sits on top of the metal, not a treatment of the metal itself. Dry polymer powder is charged and sprayed onto the grounded part, where it clings evenly, then the part is cured with heat (typically around 350-400 F) so the powder melts, flows together, and cross-links into one continuous film. The result is a uniform, fully opaque color that hides the substrate underneath.
That’s the key difference from anodize, which converts the aluminum surface into a thin oxide and keeps a metallic look. Powder coated parts get a bold, painted-looking finish in almost any color, while the metal grain disappears. If you want the bare-metal look or a tighter, thinner finish, compare the two on the anodizing page first.
Durability, color, and texture
The film is thicker than wet paint or anodize, usually about 0.002-0.004 in or more in a single coat, and that thickness is part of why it holds up so well. Powder coated parts resist chips, scratches, UV fade, and corrosion, which makes the finish a good call for brackets, frames, and anything that lives outdoors or gets handled hard.
The color and texture range is wide: gloss, satin, matte, textured, and wrinkle finishes in nearly any color you can name. Pick the color and sheen, note any texture you want, and the finish is called out on the print and quoted with the part. See more finish options across the catalog on the CNC surface finishes overview.
What to mask and where it fits
Because the film is thick, it changes fits. Threaded holes, bearing bores, sealing and mating faces, and any ground or electrical-contact point should be masked off so they stay bare and dimensionally true. Powder isn’t the right choice for tight-tolerance sliding fits, where a thinner finish behaves better.
The cure heat is the other thing to watch: the part has to tolerate roughly 400 F. Most metals are fine, but pressed-in inserts, plastics, or sensitive assemblies may not be, so those usually get coated before assembly or skip powder entirely. Just tell us what needs to survive the part as-is and what can be masked.
Materials and pretreatment
Powder coating works on any conductive metal, so steel, stainless, and aluminum are all fair game. On bare steel it’s usually applied over a pretreatment (a phosphate or zinc layer) that adds corrosion resistance under the film and helps the coating bond, which is a big reason powder is so popular for steel parts. On aluminum 6061 it goes on cleanly and gives outdoor-grade color without the metallic look of anodize.
Whatever the substrate, the part is machined first, then masked, pretreated where needed, coated, and cured, and it comes back ready to inspect before it ships. Enclosures and housings are a common candidate, since color and toughness both matter on parts people see and touch: see the enclosures and housings page for examples.
Powder vs anodize, the honest version
Use powder when you want a thick, opaque, very tough coating: bold colors, outdoor toughness, and anything steel. Use anodize when you want a thin, integral finish that keeps a metallic or satin look, holds tighter tolerances, and stands up to more heat, especially on aluminum. Neither is automatically better, they just solve different problems.
Both finishes get cleaner over a bead-blasted or pretreated surface, and both are specified on the print and quoted with the part rather than guessed at later. If you aren’t sure which one fits, send the part and the use case, and the team will spec it with you.
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 Is powder coating better than anodizing?
Neither is better, they solve different problems. Powder coating gives a thick, opaque, very tough color coat that’s great for bold colors, outdoor toughness, and steel. Anodizing is thin and integral, keeps a metallic look, and holds tighter tolerances and more heat, especially on aluminum. Compare them on the anodizing page.
02 How thick is a powder coat?
A single coat usually runs about 0.002-0.004 in or more, which is thicker than wet paint or anodize. That thickness is part of why it resists chips and scratches so well. It also means threaded holes, bores, and sealing surfaces should be masked so they stay dimensionally correct.
03 Will powder coating affect threads and tight fits?
It can, because the film is thick enough to change the fit. Threaded holes, bearing bores, sealing faces, and ground points get masked off so they stay bare and true. For tight-tolerance sliding fits, a thinner finish is usually the better call.
04 What colors and textures can I get?
A very wide range: gloss, satin, matte, textured, and wrinkle finishes in nearly any color. The color hides the metal underneath, so you get a uniform painted look. Just call out the color and sheen, and the finish is quoted with the part.
05 Can powder coating go on aluminum and stainless, not just steel?
Yes. It works on any conductive metal, so steel, stainless, and aluminum all take powder. On bare steel it’s usually applied over a phosphate or zinc pretreatment for corrosion resistance under the film, while aluminum 6061 takes it cleanly for outdoor-grade color.
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