Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is an engineered timber product that has a huge number of applications. It is used extensively in kitchen and bathroom furniture. Unfortunately, kitchens and bathrooms tend to be high humidity rooms. So, MDF that has been vinyl wrapped or painted tend to have a short service life as humidity is soaked up by the cut edges of MDF. Fortunately a powder coated MDF panel is completely sealed against the ingress of moisture. This is why the largest flat-pack furniture manufacture in the world now uses powder coated furniture that is destined for high humidity applications. An important point to consider before you start, is to ensure that you are using a top quality MDF. The inexpensive MDF available at your local hardware store is not good enough. A top grade MDF is required, which is more dense than inferior grades. Contact us for more details.

Until recently, powder coating MDF has been difficult. This is due to the high temperature required to transform the powder into a gel that can flow over the surface of the part. MDF would not be able to withstand the required heat. Fortunately two recent technological developments have made it possible. Firstly powder manufacturers have created low cure temperature powder chemistries. Secondly Gas Catalytic IR technology has been engineered in a way that applies a gentle heat that is absorbed mainly by the powder and not the part and thus overcoming the problem of too much heat in the MDF.

When powder coating metal, it is easy to get the powder to 'stick' to the part using electrostatics. MDF is a different story! But, by pre-heating the MDF with Gas Catalytic IR before powder is applied overcomes this issue. Also the pre-heating allows 'out gassing' through the cut surfaces. If MDF outgasses during the powder curing process then bubbles appear along the cut edges of the MDF, leaving it porous and unsightly.

It is true to say that a Gas Catalytic IR oven can be used to cure powder on both MDF and metallic substrates, but a conventional convection oven can only cure powder on metallic substrates, as the heat profile is too harsh. The Galaxy Lyte and Galaxy Series from WolfRayet are the perfect systems for both metallic and heat sensitive substrates.