High-quality powder coating in stadium constructions

Rib mesh curcuit board cover with meshes closed on all sides, ENVIRAL® powder coating in chrome-brilliant. (Photo: Giese Trockenbau, Referenz BTU Cottbus)  

Magazine: Stahlbau, special edition “Arenas in the 21st
                 century“
Edition:     Special edition “Arenas in the 21st century”
                 (Issued December 2005)


Powder coating is increasingly applied in steel construction engineering, where e.g. balustrades and balcony supports, elevator shaft constructions, light posts, hall constructions (trusses, supports, etc.) and much more are worked upon. However, the use of powder-coated constructional elements is also possible in stadium constructions. On behalf of its clients, the ENVIRAL® GmbH has e.g. restored historical steel windows in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and powder-coated steel mat fences around playing fields. Moreover, powder coating has proven to be an excellent choice for the design of roof constructions in sports halls and other public buildings.
The optical and qualitative requirements for coated surfaces are also increasing in the steel construction sector. At the same time, current and expected future environmental regulations are of great significance, too. The ENVIRAL® Oberflächenveredelung GmbH takes this trend into account. Our company that has been active on the market since September 1996 inaugurated its new large part powder coating plant at its location at Niemegk (land Brandenburg). This opened up new dimensions in powder coating: 13m long components with a weight per item of up to 3,000 kg and maximum dimensions of 3.60 m in height and 2.50 in width can be treated automatically or manually in the 1,800m² large hall. The daily capacity is about 2,000m² in coating surface.
The workpieces of aluminium, untreated steel and galvanised steel receive wet-chemical and/or mechanical pre-treatment to be prepared for powder coating, depending on the size of the constructional part. For this purpose, degreasing/ferric phosphatisation and chrome-free Al-pre-treatment and pressure- or airless blast cleaning are used. The powder coating that is applied afterwards has one layer with about 50 to 120μm for interior areas, and 2 layers with up to 160-180µm for exterior areas and achieves the corrosion protection classes C2 to C5 long according to DIN EN ISO 12944-2. Moreover, powder coating offers these advantages:

• environmentally sound, because no solvents are used
• economical, because up to 98% of the material is used
• high quality - no formation of runs or drops
• weather-independent due to on-site treatment
• heavy duty – best mechanical properties and highest weather resistance immediately after coating and thermal cross-linking
• diverse with more than 3,000 colours and structural effects available
• lexible – fulfils different requirements (e.g. anti-graffiti properties by way of special, glossy clear lacquer coat)
• enduring, because surface quality can be reproduced as many times as required

However, it is a prerequisite for guaranteeing the above-mentioned quality properties to take the rules of constructive corrosion protection into account as well.  To repair powder-coated surfaces, ENVIRAL® offers different methods. The quality management system of the ENVIRAL® GmbH is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000. By working in double and triple shift operation, ENVIRAL® is able to react flexibly with regard to clients’ deadlines all over Germany.