Grounding a part means that you are creating a path for the charged (ionized) powder to flow to the ground. Remember, electricity is always trying to find the easiest path to the ground.
Getting Proper Grounding for Your Powder Coating
In order for a part that is being powder coated to adequately receive charged powder:
- A proper ground must be established to the part or the rack on which the part is hung.
- The part or rack must be clean bare metal before the grounding cable is attached.
- The other end of the grounding cable should be attached to a deep earth grounding rod, usually an 8 foot copper rod driven into the ground.
- After the ground is in place, its resistance should be checked using an ohmmeter, the resistance should be no more than 1 Mega Ohm or the ground will not be sufficient.
What does a Grounding Rod look like?
The image to the right shows a standard grounding rod installation for powder coat application (basically a hammered rod into the topsoil with the ground wire attached near the top).
The importance of adequate grounding cannot be stressed enough!
Improper grounding can lead to poor powder buildup, low or no coverage in faraday cage areas, or back ionization.