BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Fabrication
Paint and Powder Coating Coverage
How much paint or powder is needed to coat this area at the specified film thickness?
Theoretical and practical coverage, material quantity and cost for liquid paint (from volume solids) or powder coating (from density) at a dry film thickness and transfer efficiency.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | choice | Liquid paint or powder. |
| Area to coat | m² | Total surface area including both sides and edges where coated. |
| Dry film thickness | µm | Specified dry film thickness per coat. |
| Volume solids (liquid) | % | Volume solids from the paint data sheet (liquid only). |
| Powder density (powder) | g/cm³ | Specific gravity of the powder from its data sheet (powder only). |
| Transfer efficiency | % | Share of material that reaches the part (spray about 30–70%, electrostatic powder about 60–95% with reclaim). |
| Price per litre or kilogram | AUD | Cost per litre (liquid) or kilogram (powder). |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Coating
- What it is
- Whether the coating is a liquid paint, measured in litres, or a powder coating, measured in kilograms.
- Units and format
- Choose one of 2 options from the list: Liquid paint (litres); Powder coating (kilograms).
- Example
- The form opens with “Liquid paint (litres)” selected as a worked example. Choose the option that matches your case.
- Get it right
- Liquid uses volume solids; powder uses powder density. The other input is ignored.
What this means: Area to coat
- What it is
- The total surface to be coated, including both sides and edges where they are coated.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m²: square metres. The form accepts 0.000001 m² to 100000000 m². Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 50 m² as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Quantity and cost rise in proportion to area.
- Get it right
- Count both faces of sheet and the inside of open sections if they are coated.
What this means: Dry film thickness
- What it is
- The thickness of the cured coating film for one coat, as specified on the coating system or drawing.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in µm: micrometres (µm, microns). The form accepts 0.000001 µm to 5000 µm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 75 µm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Quantity needed rises in proportion to film thickness.
- Get it right
- Enter the dry film thickness in micrometres, not the wet film thickness.
What this means: Volume solids (liquid)
- What it is
- The share of a liquid paint’s volume that remains as dry film once solvents evaporate, from the paint data sheet.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 1% to 100%. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 60% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Coverage rises in proportion to volume solids, so quantity falls.
- Get it right
- Used for liquid paint only. Type the percentage (60 for 60 %).
What this means: Powder density (powder)
- What it is
- The density (specific gravity) of the powder coating, from its data sheet, used to turn film volume into powder mass.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in g/cm³: grams per cubic centimetre (1 g/cm³ = 1000 kg/m³). The form accepts 0.5 g/cm³ to 5 g/cm³. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1.5 g/cm³ as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Powder needed rises in proportion to density.
- Get it right
- Used for powder only. Enter grams per cubic centimetre.
What this means: Transfer efficiency
- What it is
- The share of the sprayed material that actually lands on the part, after overspray and losses.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 1% to 100%. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 65% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Quantity and cost fall in inverse proportion to transfer efficiency.
- Get it right
- Type the percentage; calibrate it from actual consumption on your line.
What this means: Price per litre or kilogram
- What it is
- What you pay for one litre of liquid paint or one kilogram of powder, matching the coating type selected.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in AUD: Australian dollars. The form accepts 0 AUD to 100000 AUD. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 25 AUD as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Material cost rises in proportion to the price.
- Get it right
- Use the price per litre for liquid and per kilogram for powder.
Method and formulas
- Liquid: theoretical coverage (m²/L) = 10 × volume solids % ÷ DFT (µm).
- Powder: theoretical coverage (m²/kg) = 1000 ÷ (density × DFT).
- Practical = theoretical × transfer efficiency; quantity = area ÷ practical coverage.
- Example: 50 m² at 75 µm with 60% solids needs about 9.6154 L.
Limitations
- Surface profile, overspray on complex parts and mixing losses add to consumption.
- Multiple coats: calculate each coat separately.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Estimate paint or powder for a job
- Quote coating cost per part or per square metre
- Compare application methods
Who it is for
- Coating supervisors
- Estimators
- Fabrication managers
What you get
- Theoretical coverage
- Practical coverage
- Quantity needed and cost
- Cost per square metre
Interpreting the result
- Measure actual consumption on a few jobs to calibrate the transfer efficiency.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1500–1516. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
Learn the Concepts Behind This Tool
These BIZOMAT Library readings explain the method this tool uses, with worked examples.
Method explained here · BIZOMAT original book
Electrostatic powder coating
In Electrostatics in the Factory by the Numbers
What it covers: How a corona gun charges powder, why charged powder wraps round an earthed part, what causes back-ionisation and thin inside corners, and how transfer efficiency drives powder cost.
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.