Description
Set up, operate, and tend electrostatic powder coating equipment to apply thermoset or thermoplastic powders to metal and other substrates. Prepare and rack parts, control spray parameters and curing ovens, and inspect finishes to meet thickness, adhesion, and appearance specifications. Includes operators on manual booths and automated finishing lines in industrial and job-shop environments.
- • Monitor booth gauges, kV/uA, air pressures, and oven temps; adjust settings to correct deviations.
- • Verify powder flow, fluidization, and spray pattern; check film thickness with mil gauges.
- • Weigh powder, sieve or condition material, and measure pretreatment chemicals before loading.
- • Set conveyor speed, gun kV/uA, powder flow, atomizing air, and oven time/temperature.
- • Start and stop washers, booths, guns, conveyors, and ovens as required.
- • Record lot numbers, film thickness, cure logs, and equipment settings on production forms.
- • Operate pretreatment washers, blasting cabinets, dryers, reclaim cyclones, and curing ovens.
- • Fill and fluidize powder hoppers; replace liners and filters as needed.
- • Rack, mask, and ground parts; load and unload parts through wash, dry, and cure stages.
- • Install tips, electrodes, and hoses on powder guns; set nozzle style and spray width.
- • Unload cured parts; demask, inspect, and stage for packing.
- • Inspect coating for coverage and defects; verify thickness, gloss, and adhesion tests.
- • Manually spray parts with electrostatic powder guns to coat complex geometries.
- • Adjust flash-off zones and cure oven setpoints; verify part temperature with probes or data loggers.
- • Apply powder primer or zinc-rich base coats per specification before topcoat.
- • Apply corrosion-resistant powders; plug or mask threads and sealing surfaces.
- • Rework nonconforming parts by sanding, stripping, and recoating as needed.
- • Clean booths, floors, racks, and hooks; maintain grounding and housekeeping.
- • Disassemble, purge, and reassemble powder guns, pumps, and feed lines for color changes.
- • Handle waste powder, spent filters, and pretreatment sludge per environmental regulations.
- • Prepare surfaces by blasting, sanding, or using high-heat fillers where specified.
- • Verify color codes and lot numbers; condition powder and run spray-outs to confirm match.
- • Watch for orange peel, back-ionization, thin spots, or contamination, and correct causes.
- • Use hoists, carts, or lift tables to move racks and bulky parts safely.
- • Degrease and pretreat parts via alkaline wash, phosphate, rinses, and blasting.
- • Scuff or sand between coats during rework; apply second coats within cure windows.
- • Set booth airflow, reclaim, racks, and masking for each job; check booth differential pressure.
- • Spray primers and finish powders to specified build and coverage on prepared parts.
- • Perform localized touch-up with powder pens or approved liquid paint when required.
- • Maintain EHS compliance, including NFPA dust, PPE, and lockout/tagout procedures.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
