-Deacon Wardlow
I was checking out the new Dragon Skin™ coating (get the white paper here) at Vantage LED and asked one of the engineers how they came up with the idea. When discussion of coating materials came up, an engineer mentioned possibly partnering with a chemical manufacturer to produce a new coating material for LED display cabinets. Vantage LED met with the manufacturer of the material in CA and came up with a blend specifically for LED displays which would help protect the cabinet.
The new Dragon Skin™ is a versatile, rugged and easy-to-use coating for LED display cabinets. The material doesn’t use Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC) making it a safe and “green” alternative to typical paint applications. The coating results in a highly scratch-resistant exterior which is flexible and allows for the general expansion/shrinkage seen in metal cabinets over time/temperature which will often cause other coatings to crack leaving the metal exposed to the environment and damaging the finish.
The application can be done in a few minutes and curing takes less than 20 seconds. This reduces the overall handling of the cabinet and streamlines manufacturing as well as cutting down on labor costs.
I like how the rugged coating protects the display against the accidental scratches and scrapes involved in crate removal and installation. It also gives the cabinet a nice texture which is distinctive to the Vantage LED cabinets.
Overall, addition of the Dragon Skin™ material to the line offering has been met with great success and is one more way LED Message Center manufacturers are changing and innovating. It’s great to see manufacturers looking at the overall design of their systems and asking what can be improved. Even better when those improvements come quickly so the end-user can benefit!
*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!
**Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.
-Deacon Wardlow
Traditional powder coating has been in use for quite some time and you’re likely very familiar with the process. Free flowing, dry powder is utilized. The coating is applied electrostatically and then cured under heat to allow it to flow and form a “skin.” The powder is used to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paint. The process binds the powder coating material to the cabinet which physically bonds to the metal making it more resistant to scratches/damage which would expose the cabinet to the elements.
There are several advantages of powder coating:
- Responsible powder coating emits zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) making it a safe and green alternative to conventional liquid coatings.
- Powder coatings can produce much thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging.
- Powder coating overspray can be recycled and thus it is possible to achieve nearly 100% use of the coating.
- Powder coating production lines produce less hazardous waste than conventional liquid coatings.
- Capital equipment and operating costs for a powder line are generally less than for conventional liquid lines allowing cost savings to be passed on to you.
- Powder coated items generally have fewer appearance differences between horizontally coated surfaces and vertically coated surfaces than liquid coated items.
- A wide range of specialty effects is easily accomplished which would be impossible to achieve with other coating processes.
Powder coating is quickly becoming a required standard for high-quality LED message center manufacture. Make sure your investment is properly protected. Accept no imitations. While many coatings may appear similar, you’ll see the difference when you try to scratch beneath the surface.
*Always feel free to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Advertisements/promotion for your business and inappropriate comments will be deleted.. Thank you!
**Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.
