Powder coating calculator
How far a pound of powder goes and how much you need for a part, from the powder's specific gravity and the film thickness you're after.
Powder needed
- Coverage at 100%
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- Coverage in practice
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The coverage formula
192.3 is the area one pound of material with the density of water covers at 1 mil thick. Powders are denser than water, which is what specific gravity measures, so heavier powders cover less. This is the theoretical figure. In practice some powder never reaches the part, which the utilization percentage accounts for.
Frequently asked questions
Why does specific gravity change how far a pound of powder goes?
Powders with a lower specific gravity are less dense, so a pound of them contains more actual volume — since coverage is fundamentally about spreading a volume of material over a surface, a lighter powder covers more square footage per pound than a denser one at the same film thickness.
What film thickness should I aim for?
Most automotive and general-purpose powder coating falls in a commonly cited 2-4 mil range, with the exact target depending on the powder product and the look or durability you want — check your specific powder's data sheet for its recommended range.
Does this account for overspray and transfer efficiency?
The base coverage formula assumes ideal application; real electrostatic powder coating typically reclaims and reuses a lot of oversprayed powder, so actual usage often comes reasonably close to the calculated figure, but budgeting a small cushion for setup and reclaim losses is still a reasonable practice.
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