Plastic Spray vs Anodizing

I found that plastic spraying is similar/same as powder-coating which they are now doing on the aluminum wands. I am not sure what anodizing is or what it would look like.

It's a chemical process similar to plating.

Google it.

It should be fine.

Thanks Lyn, I googled it and now I understand a little more. I am going to ask the supplier to send me a picture so I can see the difference in esthetics.

I added a picture to my first post.

Good thoughts and questions I will convey to my supplier. I didn't think about the UL certification and if it will be affected. Thanks!

The question you need to be concerned about, is why are you powder coating the tubes now? If they are currently aluminum, the powder coat will protect the metal from material being conveyed (note that it may not need protection, but plastic coating materials are generally more resistant to corrosion than metals such as aluminum) and also protect peoples hands from the grey marks you can get handling untreated aluminum.

Anodizing is not plating, but is a treatment that alters the natural aluminum oxide surface layer. It will give enhanced wear (but not chemical corrosion) protection over untreated metal, allows a wide range of custom colours including natural, and cannot flake (unlike powder coating). It also protects hands from marking.

I am not 100% sure they are powder coated. My supplier calls it "plastic spraying" and it feels like a think plastic coating on the outside only of the aluminum wand. I am hoping this anodizing process is not more expensive.

Anodizing will give corrosion protection depending on how the anodized coating is sealed. Some of the coating weight/seal combinations achieve quite high salt spray results.

One more difference between powder coat and anodizing is damage protection: both to the tube and the furniture (or product conveyed, not quite sure what kind of vacuum machine we are talking about).

Powder coating is more forgiving than bare metal to damaging furniture and to showing damage to itself. Anodized surfaces are quite abrasive compared to powder coat and will damage furniture and wall corners like rubbing a file over them.

The vacuum cleaner wands I have seen are entirely plastic (PVC or ABS maybe).

Some of us shop at places other than Home Depot or Menards...

Seriously though, you are right for the most part. However, commercial duty (read meant for use by full time cleaning staff etc.) wands are usually aluminum, often with stainless steel fittings if meant for wet use such as with an extractor. The wands cost about as much as a shop vac.

These are wands for commercial dry and wet/dry vacuums.

Thanks everyone for your comments and answers!

Janice

You may want to check for dimensional changes. If the plastic coating is baked on powder coating will be a lot thicker than anodizing. Any mating parts will need to match the new finished size.