When it comes to powder coating industrial components, colour plays more of a role than you may initially realise. The colour you choose to powder coat your machinery, fencing, posts or other components may seem insignificant at first, but it can be a valuable tool to help colour code equipment or even increase brand visibility. While some countries, such as the USA, have a limited range of powder colour choices available, industrial businesses in Australia are fortunate to have a broad spectrum at their fingertips—Australia has one of the widest ranges of powder coating colours in the world. With big-name powder manufacturers offering extensive catalogues of colours, choosing the exact shade to suit your powder coating job has never been easier.

Where to find your desired colour

Some of the biggest powder manufacturers in the industry have colour ranges as large as their reputations – and they are constantly updating these, innovating and releasing new colour trends for customers to follow. Dulux, one of the most recognisable paint and coating manufacturers, offers a handy colour selector chart for powder and industrial coatings, with over 130 colours organised into different ranges. Choices range from pearlescent, textured neutral colours such as the Precious ® range’s greys and bronzes, to the bold, vibrant yellows, reds and blues of the Alphatec® range. A Dulux Commercial Project Reference and Specification Guide helps companies match powders to their ideal applications.

Interpon, another leader in powder manufacturing, has a similar offer in their Living Colours and Commercial collections – two different brochures showing which of their hundreds of colours are suited to architectural or industrial applications, as well as a wide range of colours that can be viewed online. 

Colour choices for practicality

Some machinery applications may only require a simple, plain colour. If aesthetics are unimportant, choosing a simple black or white may suffice, as your powder coating serves a functional purpose of protecting your equipment from corrosion and degradation. However, choosing a bright colour can also serve a practical purpose – colour-coding equipment or components in distinct, differing colours can help prevent mistakes in the factory, kitchen or onsite, ensuring workers have a visual reminder of which component is used for what task. Powder coating components in a bright colour may also increase visibility in settings where parts need to be seen easily—such as in a darker factory or mine shaft.

Colour choices for aesthetic appeal

For architectural and infrastructure applications, the colour of your components or extrusions may need to reflect their surroundings, or complement other colours featured on a building or street. Black coloured battens, for example, may pair well with a dark brick, or conversely may be chosen to stand out against a paler brick wall, creating contrast and an attractive feature. Bright colour powders may be chosen to stand out and attract attention. TransportNSW’s bright orange railway signs, for example, draw attention to important information such as location, while distinctly-coloured fence posts ensure people are aware where a boundary begins and ends.

Colour choices for brand identity

Colour can play a significant role in creating brand visibility. Creating uniformity across your machinery, or choosing a colour to define your business then repeating it across your machinery parts and extrusions, can make your business easily recognisable – that colour comes to define your identity and serves as a marker for customers to notice you and your work. For an example of how colour can make your brand stand out, you need look no further than John Deere’s iconic green range of agricultural equipment. Whether you manufacture or use agricultural equipment, engineering parts, automotive components or street furniture, having a distinct brand identity can increase customer faith and your visibility within your industry – and powder coating your components with a distinct colour is an easy way to achieve this. 

For more information on DECO’s powder coating services, click here.

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