Nylon Coating FAQ: Nylon 11 & 12, Fluid-Bed Dip, ES Spray and Minicoat
Fusion Coatings, Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015 certified coating job shop in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, and an Arkema-approved Rilsan® applicator for fluid-bed dip, electrostatic (ES) spray and Minicoat nylon coating. Since 1969 it has applied nylon, polyethylene and epoxy coatings to metal parts for automotive, medical, aerospace, electrical and other industrial customers.
This page answers the questions engineers and buyers ask most often about nylon coating: what it is, nylon 11 vs. nylon 12, how Fusion applies it, how thick it can be, and how to get a quote. For more technical background, see our Nylon Coating Guide.
What is nylon coating?
Nylon coating is a thermoplastic polyamide powder that is fused onto a metal part with heat to form a continuous, tough plastic layer. Because nylon is a thermoplastic, its chemistry does not change when it melts, and it will re-melt if the part is heated again. Fusion Coatings, Inc. sprays and dips Rilsan® nylon powder on parts ranging from very small clips to medical brackets and large pipe flanges.
Why choose nylon coating instead of paint or standard powder coating?
Nylon is specified for function rather than looks: slip, noise and sound dampening, corrosion and chemical resistance, flange linings and medical case brackets. A nylon-coated part is slippery, which reduces friction and eliminates metal-to-metal noise, and the coating can be post-formed, machined or shaved. Fusion's nylon coatings provide salt spray resistance of up to 2,000 hours depending on coating thickness, and more than 200 hours in a 5% chlorine (household bleach) solution. Nylon typically costs more than three times as much as a standard paint or powder finish.
What is the difference between nylon 11 and nylon 12 coating?
Fusion applies both. In practice, nylon 12 absorbs slightly less moisture than nylon 11 (the difference is less than 1%), usually has lower gloss, and may cost slightly less depending on the quantity ordered. Gloss cannot be specified: nylon 11 is generally around 70 gloss and nylon 12 around 30, and gloss stays consistent from batch to batch. Coating a part is no easier or harder with one chemistry than the other.
Is Fusion Coatings an approved Rilsan nylon applicator?
Yes. Fusion Coatings, Inc. is approved by Arkema, the maker of Rilsan® PA11 nylon powder, as a Rilsan applicator for three processes: fluidized-bed dip, electrostatic (ES) spray and Minicoat hook-free encapsulation. Besides Rilsan, Fusion applies Interpon® (AkzoNobel) and Duralon® (Protech) nylon 11 and VESTOSINT® nylon 12, as well as polyethylene, epoxy, polyurethane, PTFE and PVDF coatings; see Materials Applied.
How does Fusion apply nylon coating?
Fusion applies nylon by fluidized-bed dipping, by electrostatic (ES) spray, and with its Minicoat hook-free process for small parts. For fluid-bed dipping, the part is preheated in an oven hot enough to melt the thermoplastic and then dipped into nylon powder that is kept fluid by air. Electrostatic spray handles parts up to 5 ft, and fluid-bed coating handles parts weighing up to 75 lbs.
What is Minicoat hook-free nylon encapsulation?
Minicoat is a hook-free process that completely encapsulates small metal parts in nylon 11, nylon 12 or polyethylene. Parts are heated, laid on a conveyor belt and immersed in fine powder (about 50 microns average particle size) that is fluidized by air or agitated by ultrasound, so there are no hooks, hanging points or contact marks. It suits flat profiles and 3D metal parts as thin as .020" (0.5 mm), runs up to 10,000 parts per hour on small items such as lingerie adjusters, and can include a post-fusing step to smooth the surface; see Minicoat. Minicoat coating thickness starts at a minimum of .004" (0.1 mm), with heavier builds available on request. The largest part Fusion can run through Minicoat is 9 x 4 x 2 inches.
Can you nylon coat only part of a part?
Yes. Selective coating applies nylon, polyethylene or epoxy only to specific areas of a part and leaves the rest bare for fastening or grounding. It is usually specified for functional and cost reasons, to put slip or sound dampening only where it is needed, and it is a common process call-out on automotive parts; see Selective Coating.
Is nylon used to coat busbars?
Not usually. The industry standard for busbar insulation is electrical-grade epoxy, and that is Fusion's standard busbar process: a thick-film epoxy dip on copper and aluminum busbars and switchgear, .012"–.020" (0.3–0.5 mm) thick. Customers usually specify the test voltage they need, and Fusion hipot tests after coating when required; a typical example is AC 3,700 V at 50/60 Hz for 1 minute. Fusion has coated busbars in nylon on occasion, on request. See Epoxy Dip Coating for Busbars and How Thick Does Busbar Epoxy Really Need to Be?
How thick is a nylon coating?
Electrostatic (ES) spray nylon is typically applied at .004"–.006" (0.1–0.15 mm). Minicoat nylon starts at a minimum of .004" (0.1 mm), with heavier builds available on request. General fluid-bed nylon is typically applied at .008"–.020" (0.2–0.5 mm).
What kinds of parts and industries does Fusion nylon coat for?
Typical nylon-coated parts include automotive clips and clamps, wiring-harness brackets, seat springs, glove-box and door strikers, and transmission and steering splines; drive shafts and yokes for truck and industrial drivelines; aerospace clips and clamps; stainless steel and aluminum brackets for medical sterilization cases; lingerie clips and adjusters; electrical components; and pipe flanges and linings. Substrates include steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Fusion serves the automotive, truck and industrial, aerospace, medical, electrical, military and cosmetics industries.
Do you handle both high-volume runs and small orders?
Yes. The Minicoat line runs up to 10,000 small parts per hour, and Fusion's conveyor powder coating line is rated at up to 30,000 parts per hour. For small orders, Fusion uses batch finishing, coating a small lot in a single production run in single ovens of various sizes; see Small Order Coating. Fusion has no minimum order size.
What certifications and specification approvals does Fusion hold?
Fusion Coatings, Inc. is ISO 9001:2015 certified (certificate SG11628A, issued by BGA Certificadora and valid through September 9, 2027) and has been ISO 9001 registered since 2004. The certified scope is contract manufacturing involving the pre-treatment, application of powder coatings and light assembly of customer-supplied parts. Fusion also holds 26 automotive coating specification approvals (9 Ford, 8 Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) and 9 GM), listed on the Specification Approvals page. For nylon, Fusion currently certifies to GM GMW15645 Type IV (thin nylon 11 or nylon 12), can certify to Type III (thick nylon 11 or nylon 12) when the print calls it out, and coats nylon to Ford WSS-M4D240-A2; see the next question.
Can Fusion coat to GM and Ford nylon specs?
Yes. For GM, Fusion Coatings, Inc. currently certifies nylon coating to GMW15645 Type IV, thin nylon 11 or nylon 12 at 0.15 ± 0.08 mm (about .003"–.009"), and can also certify to GMW15645 Type III, thick nylon 11 or nylon 12 at 0.38 ± 0.12 mm (about .010"–.020"), when the print calls it out. GMW15645 (Interior Non-Decorative Plastic Powder Coatings, June 2024 issue) covers interior non-decorative parts such as seat structures. For Ford, Fusion coats nylon to WSS-M4D240-A2 (Polyamide (PA) 11 or 12 powder coating, March 2023 edition), which has two types: Type I thick, 0.38 ± 0.12 mm (about .010"–.020"), and Type II thin, 0.15 ± 0.08 mm (about .003"–.009").
What is the lead time, and how do I get a quote?
Average lead time is about two weeks, depending on the part, quantity and coating. Fusion is a job shop that coats to your print. To request a quote, send the part print, the coating specification (product and thickness) and the quantities. In most cases the design engineer has already specified the coating product and thickness on the print, and Fusion coats to it. Email prints to pjones@fusioncoatingsinc.com, call 610.693.5886, or use the contact form.
Where is Fusion Coatings located, and what area do you serve?
Fusion Coatings, Inc. is at 932 W Penn Ave, Robesonia, PA 19551, in Berks County west of Reading, Pennsylvania. The shop is open Monday through Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is closed Friday through Sunday. Fusion was incorporated in 1969 by former Polymer Corp executives. Fusion serves customers throughout the United States and Canada, and parts can be shipped to the Robesonia shop.
Request a nylon coating quote
Call 610.693.5886 (Monday–Thursday, 6:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), email pjones@fusioncoatingsinc.com, or request a quote online. Fusion Coatings, Inc., 932 W Penn Ave, Robesonia, PA 19551.