How many parts do you need to powder coat per day?

How many parts do you need to powder coat per day?
Another key factor in equipment planning is production requirements. In a batch system, your efficiency is determined by the slowest stage. Usually this stage is the curing time.

Since the average cure time for polyester is 10 minutes at metal temperature of 400°F, this typically means a 20 minute dwell time for gauges around 18-16 gauge. Quarter-inch angle iron can take 30-40 minutes, and some castings can take 45-60 minutes to reach a part temperature of 400°F for ten minutes. Of course, powders have different cure cycles, and so does the time it takes for the metal to reach the desired cure time. I recommend running the oven recorder periodically to set the dwell time for optimal cure time.

Find the slowest cycle time, I'm assuming it's curing, although it could be metal prep. Typical cycle time is 20 minutes. If you were running everything at 100% efficiency, you could do 24 cycle times in an 8-hour shift. For example, if you produce muffler tubes and can place 100 tubes per cycle, your maximum daily production would be 2,400 muffler tubes. If you need more output, you can add more ovens until something else becomes your minimum cycle time or bottleneck. When labor costs start to add up too much due to adding multiple ovens or booths, you can consider automated solutions.

Many people who are new to powder coating will immediately consider automation, but I almost always recommend trying a batch system first to achieve your production goals. This way you can understand the entire process and what it takes to achieve good results. Batch systems also offer greater flexibility than automated lines and can better accommodate different powders, metals, thicknesses and processes. Now, if they have to produce 10,000 parts a day, automation is probably the best option.