The most efficient way to apply paint to a metal surface is by powder coating, which we also use at Griffing for front door handles and other stainless steel hardware. Powder coating has many advantages, is best suited for door handles and achieves the highest quality if applied as a fine structure*. The following article explains the advantages, the coating process in the paint shop and the list of colours.

Article summary

Powder coating is the electrostatic application of paint to metal in the form of a coloured powder consisting of resin particles and a colour pigment.
The powder coating process: placing handles on suitable holders, passivation to achieve the best substrate and corrosion resistance, drying, automatic or manual powder coating with spray guns, curing, cooling and packaging.
Powder coating has a number of advantages, the most important are resistance to weathering and mechanical influences, increased resistance to scratches, a solid and strong structure and ecological soundness.
The list of colours and shades is endless; our brochure gives you a brief list of the most popular colours to make your decision easier. Our experience shows that door handles and other hardware for front doors are most often painted black in RAL 9005 fine structure or in shades of brown, grey and white. Download the colour brochure here.

What is powder coating?

Powder coating is the process of applying paint to metal in the form of coloured powder. The powder consists of finely ground resin particles and colour pigment together with other additives that for example provide gloss or hardness. The coloured powder is fed into the spray gun and sprayed onto the product in the paint booth. Unlike liquid paint which is applied with the help of an evaporating solvent, a powder coating is applied to metal electrostatically and then cured.

Powder coating of front door handles step by step

1. Placing door handles on suitable holders

Before the coating process, door handles are placed on holders to ensure stability and an appropriate arrangement throughout the process. Smaller items (e.g. escutcheons) can be hung on hooks.

Example of products placed on holders

2. Substrate for paint adhesion to the door handle and corrosion resistance

In the second stage of the process, the handles are passivated in a chamber; the passivation offers two advantages. Spraying titanium salts on the products provides a substrate for improved paint adhesion and increased corrosion resistance. Passivation does not affect the appearance of the product.

Spraying titanium salts on the product for better coating application and higher corrosion resistance

3. Drying

After passivation, the products are dried because the powder coat must be applied to a dry surface.

Drying of products after passivation and before application of the powder coat

4. Powder coat application

The colour powder is applied using manual or automatic spray guns. A large number of electrons exit at the tip of the spray nozzle electrode. Electrons combine with air molecules along the electric field lines to form ions, giving dust particles their adhesion properties.

Spraying paint from a spray gun on products

5. Curing

After the powder coat has been applied, door handles and other products must remain in an uncontaminated area. If any particle falls on them or they accidentally touch any object, this will show in the finished product. Once the paint is applied, the products are moved into the oven at a high temperature. The paint dust particles polymerise there, which means they bond together to form a solid, uniform and durable layer.

6. Cooling and packaging

After the coating cures, the products are cooled down and can be packaged quickly – this is one of the many advantages of powder coating. Compared to other methods, there is no need to wait a long time for the product to cool down before packaging.

Powder coating of door handles has many advantages

The powder coatings for our door handles and other hardware have a “Green Building Label” and a Qualicoat 2 certificate, which means the paints are 3 times more resistant to loss of gloss and tint than traditional polyester.

Resistance to weathering, chemical and mechanical influences: Compared to conventional painting methods, the powder coat additionally protects the product and makes it resistant.
Increased scratch resistance: the powder coat is hard and extremely resistant, therefore scratches are less frequent. The best protection comes from the application of powder coating in the form of a matt fine texture, which is more robust and less sensitive compared to a matt smooth coating.
Ecological soundness: no environmentally harmful organic solvents are used in the process, and there is significantly less waste.
Non-aggressive coatings: powder coatings do not contain solvents or toxic substances found in liquid paints, so the coating process will not present a threat to people working with them. As this is a powder, there are no vapour emissions into the air.
Corrosion protection for a long life: powder coatings provide additional protection against the influence of a salty environment which causes corrosion.
A diverse range of colour shades: a selection of RAL and NCS colours and shades of your choice.
Fast and precise application: even application and excellent surface protection with just one layer, compared to wet paints which require several coats and therefore more time to achieve perfection.
Flawless appearance: the powder coat stays on the surface without running off and cures into a nice even layer.
Fast curing: allows for shorter production times and fast packaging.
Easy maintenance: occasional cleaning with water or soap is sufficient, and the coating means there are no worries about rust and other cleaning-related damage.

List of colours

Powder coating offers many options, the most common being the RAL colour scale. In addition to RAL, it is also possible to use the NCS scale or other shades according to your wishes.

Our experience shows that door handles and other hardware for front doors are most often painted black in RAL 9005 FS (which is the standard colour in our product range) or in shades of brown, grey and white.

Because the range of colours is so vast, the PVC Nagode powder coating expert selected some currently popular colours that can make your choice easier.

We advise you to obtain samples in printed form, as on-screen colour shades may vary due to screen settings.

* In the case of Qualicoat 2 quality paints, which are used for our door handles, levers and other hardware.

Will the colour on the products fade?

No process and no manufacturer of powder coatings can guarantee that the paint will not fade.

Qualicoat 2 certified paints, which are the most durable, resistant and are also used for our products, have the following guarantee:

Inland areas:

Up to 12 years guarantee against loss of gloss

For coastal areas, the results of a test called “3 year Florida” are used:

After 12 months (1 year) less than 25% loss of gloss
After 24 months (2 years) less than 33% loss of gloss
After 36 months (3 years) less than 50% loss of gloss