Sandblast engraving on to powder coated surfaces is possible, but it can be a bit tricky. Produce that are powder coated vary from Travel Coffee Mugs to industrial signage. It is always best to have a spare piece to test. The quality of the powder coating can have a detrimental effect but so can the production process. As far as quality of coating goes it is hard to tell but if you follow the guidelines set out in this document you should be able to get great results.
The main issue is that the photomask self-stick resist can leave a stain on the powder coating surface if you heat up the resist too much or leave it on for too long. This is the same situation for any coated surface. If you leave the resist on too long or blast too closely or for too long in the same place you are in danger of laminating the self-stick surface to the powder coated surface which will often cause a stain/surface change.
The key is to apply, blast, paint and remove the film as quickly as possible, reducing the chance for the product to truly dry/laminate.
People wanting to engrave powder coated products should following the following guidelines.
- Get the resist on and off fast. The longer the resists are left on the longer it must laminate to the surface.
- Hold the blast nozzle further away than normal. This helps prevent the resist from overheating which then makes it stickier and causes residue to be left on the surface.
- Never leave on for a prolonged time
If you do end up with residue on the powder coated surface, try using WD40 to clean off the residue.
Its best when working with coated products that the mask is going to be on the surface for a prolonged time use SR2000 and apply RZ adhesive to the “mask” surface. The adhesive will absorb into the mask leaving a clean surface when you remove the resist. But yes you can use SR3000 self-stick as long as you get it on and off and as long as the coated surface is quality.