Foundries, metal furniture manufacturers, and metal fabricators have entered the powder coating age and discovered that Lab-metal is perhaps the only metal dent filler that stands up to the powder coating baking process.

Before and after: A metal furniture manufacturer uses Lab-metal to smooth over rough welds and joints prior to powder coating. Apply Lab-metal. Air dry. Sand smooth. Paint or powder coat.

Powder coating is an advanced and environmentally friendly method of applying a decorative and protective finish. The powder used in the process is a mixture of finely ground particles of pigment and resin, which is sprayed onto a surface to be coated. The charged powder particles adhere to the electrically grounded surfaces until heated and fused into a smooth coating in a curing oven.

 

The result: a uniform, durable, high quality, attractive finish.  According to the Powder Coating Institute, “powder coating is the fastest-growing finishing technology in North America, representing over 10% of all industrial finishing applications.”

When powder coating, metalcasters and metal fabricators cannot use most of the two-part epoxies, plastic body fillers or silicone caulking materials

Lab-metal (for repairs to 350°F, or one-time exposures to 425°F), Lab-solvent (thinner, metal cleaner), and Hi-Temp Lab-metal (withstands temp’s to 1000oF). Shown above with powder coated metal pieces.

once used to cosmetically patch their parts, because of the powder coating oven temperatures.  Two dent fillers proven successful in powder coating are becoming the industry choice for solving metal patching problems: Lab-metal and Hi-Temp Lab-metal.

 

 

The imperfect metal surface is sanded, then cleaned with Lab-solvent.

 

 

The metal flaw is patched with Lab-metal, and after air drying, the hardened Lab-metal is sanded to a shiny aluminum finish.

 

Lab-metal is used by industries such as metal furniture manufacturers and foundries to smooth over rough welds, hide weld beads, patch dents, voids, cracks and other surface blemishes and imperfections. Ready-to-use in the can (or caulking tube), the metal repair and patching compounds are spread onto the clean metal surface with a putty knife, air dried, then sanded to a metallic finish.

Application tips: Lab-solvent is used to thin Lab-metal and Hi-Temp Lab-metal, to clean the application surface, and to extend the shelf life of the repair putties.             When applying Lab-metal, keep the applicator moist with Lab-solvent to enhance spreadability.  This is especially helpful when using Lab-metal as a body filler.

 

Lab-metal’s unique one-part formu­lation is less expensive and easier to use than two-part epoxies. With Lab-metal, there is “no mixing, no measuring, no mess, and no waste”.

Alvin Products,  a division of Dampney Co., Inc. 85 Paris St., Everett MA 02149 (978) 423-7681 ~ (617) 389-0484 FAX www.AlvinProducts.com e-mail: sales@AlvinProducts.