In the current rapid development of the powder coating industry, some unethical market practices are quietly damaging the industry ecosystem. Some construction companies, in pursuit of short-term profits, are resorting to substandard materials: using indoor-grade powder as outdoor powder on products exposed to sun and rain for extended periods, such as light poles, outdoor railings, and air conditioner outdoor unit casings. Even worse, some are using mixed powders on oil, natural gas, and drinking water pipelines, which require extremely high corrosion resistance.
This situation arises partly from the lack of strict design specifications and supervision systems in some projects, and partly because the problems with these "counterfeit products" are not immediately apparent—in the short term, the coating appears glossy and vibrant, indistinguishable from qualified products. However, time is the best test. After six months to a year of outdoor exposure, these substandard coatings will reveal their true colors: severe loss of gloss, chalking, discoloration, and a drastic decline in decorative effect, ultimately requiring repainting. What's even more distressing is that this short-sighted approach not only wastes human, material, and financial resources, resulting in double losses in economic and social benefits, but also leads many to misunderstand powder coatings, believing that "powder coatings are unsuitable for outdoor coatings," severely impacting the industry's reputation and development. my country's current industrial design and engineering supervision system is not yet sound. To change this chaotic situation, the entire industry needs to work together: powder coating manufacturers must proactively shoulder their responsibilities, fully communicate with users, and truthfully recommend suitable products based on the application scenarios and protection requirements of the workpieces, avoiding exaggeration and misleading claims; industry associations must actively advocate for relevant departments to formulate targeted regulations and strengthen market supervision, making "substandard products" pay the price; at the same time, it's also necessary to raise the sense of responsibility among manufacturers and users, making everyone understand that the healthy development of the industry requires the commitment of every participant.
1. Evaluating Powder Coating Quality
Many people, when evaluating the quality of powder coatings, easily fall into the trap of "relying solely on a single indicator." This is a common misconception. In reality, the testing indicators for powder coatings form a comprehensive system, with different indicators corresponding to different applications. It's crucial not to emphasize any single indicator:
1.1 Hard Indicators
These include gloss, hardness, adhesion, and impact resistance. These are the fundamental properties of the coating and directly affect its performance.
1.2 Soft Indicators
These include surface leveling and particle size distribution. These relate to the decorative texture of the coating and are especially important for products with high aesthetic requirements, such as home appliances and furniture.
1.3 Usability Indicators
These include flowability and electrical conductivity.
1.4 Durability Indicators
Indicators such as weather resistance and corrosion resistance are core requirements for outdoor products and industrial anti-corrosion parts, directly determining the service life of the workpiece.
1.5 Economic Indicators
Indicators such as spraying area and coating thickness control relate to usage costs and are a key focus for enterprises.
1.6 Adaptability Indicators
Indicators such as sensitivity to curing temperature and time, and miscibility with other powders, affect construction compatibility and scene adaptability.
Truly high-quality powder coatings are not those where one indicator "stands out from the crowd," but rather those where all indicators "synergistically meet standards." The core standard is "stability + applicability": stable performance with minimal differences between batches; adaptable to needs, meeting the specific application scenarios and protection requirements of the workpiece. For example, for powder coatings used in outdoor guardrails, weather resistance and corrosion resistance are key considerations; for powder coatings used in home appliances, both decorative properties and construction stability must be ensured; for powder coatings used in pipelines, corrosion resistance and adhesion must meet standards. Only through comprehensive consideration can a truly suitable product be selected.
2. Fierce Market Competition
The domestic powder coating market is currently extremely competitive. Powder users are demanding increasingly stringent quality requirements, leading to an atmosphere of "comparing quality"—comparing quality, price, and service. While this is a normal phenomenon of market competition, some unreasonable situations have arisen: once a coating problem occurs, regardless of whether it's due to the powder itself, the powder supplier often becomes the primary target for blame. In the long run, this situation is detrimental to powder suppliers, users, and the entire industry: to cope with low-price competition, companies are forced to cut costs, falling into a "price war" involution; low-end products flood the market, price wars shrink profit margins, and manufacturers simply lack the time and resources to develop new products and improve technology. This vicious cycle will only lead the powder coating industry into a dead end, ultimately harming users—who will find it difficult to buy high-quality, high-performance products, and the industry will be unable to achieve technological upgrades. However, survival of the fittest is the eternal law of market competition, and user needs are the direction of industry development. While the powder coating industry is characterized by rapid, stable growth, it still has significant room for development: material formulations can be optimized, application processes can be improved, and application scenarios can be expanded. To escape its current predicament, powder coating manufacturers must break free from the vicious cycle of "low-price competition": Increase R&D investment to continuously develop new products that meet the market demands for high-end, personalized, and environmentally friendly products; expand new applications by using powder coatings in more emerging fields to unlock market growth; reduce costs through technological innovation and large-scale production while ensuring quality, rather than simply cutting raw material costs; and establish brand awareness, winning customer trust through stable quality and excellent service to create differentiated competitiveness. Only in this way can the vicious cycle be broken, allowing the industry to enter a virtuous cycle of "R&D innovation → high-quality products → reasonable profits → further R&D," achieving sustainable development.
3. Conclusion
The development of the powder coating industry requires not only rejecting short-sighted practices like "using inferior materials to pass off as superior ones" and upholding quality standards, but also establishing a scientific quality evaluation system to move beyond "indicator-only" approaches and "low-price competition." Furthermore, it requires the entire industry to work together, relying on honest business practices, technological innovation, and healthy competition to drive industry progress. For enterprises, it's crucial to understand that "short-term gains cannot guarantee long-term development." Only by upholding responsibility, focusing on quality, and continuously innovating can they establish a firm foothold in the market. For the industry, it's necessary to improve regulation and standardize order to create a favorable development environment for high-quality enterprises. For users, it's also important to rationally consider quality and price, choosing truly "stable and applicable" products, and jointly resisting irregular practices. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the entire industry, the powder coating industry can overcome its current chaos and steadily advance on a healthy and rapid track, providing high-quality coating solutions for more fields and achieving a win-win situation for both industry and social value.
