Powder coating

Powder coating

by donr - 2012-09-13 06:09:04

Powder coating should be safe.

As I understand powder coating & as I have seen it done, the gun puts a static electric charge on the "Paint" particles. They are then ejected from the gun towards the object being coated, which is either at a high positive voltage or at ground potential. Matters not - because either way, the particles are attracted toward the target & stick to it because of the static charge they carry. All the electric fields are static, so SHOULD not affect the PM/ICD. Also, the fields are in front of the operator, so exposure to them is minimal. There are NO significant magnetic fields associated w/ the process. The charged particles flowing from gun tip to target constitute an electrical current, hence it will generate a weak magnetic field surrounding the stream, but that will be all in front of the operator & not subject him to any effect.

I've been in a booth while powder coating was being done & felt no effect - If there were a strong static electric field, I should have sensed it by the hair on my arms standing on end.

Why not have Husband visit the facility & slowly approach the booth to see if it affects him. If it does, he can immediately leave the area before it has a significant effect.

Don

Some of us kids are luckier than...

by donr - 2012-09-14 01:09:57

...others. I visited a facility that powder coated Rebar for bridge construction in FLA. Quite the operation.

Don

You have a Pt Id card

by PacerRep - 2012-09-14 11:09:09

I'm not so sure DonR's advice is 100% accurate. (Sorry). I agree with DonR as to the fact that I don't believe it will effect the pacemaker, but all of the devices have different "BandPass Filters" that filter outside interference different. I don't know enough about the powdercoating machines to anwer for all 5 companies.

Being in the booth and "seeing how you feel" is not necessarily a good idea, only because you have an ICD. If it was just a pacemaker this advice would be spot on. What the tech is worried about is that the device will think that the electrical interference is a fast heart beat and it will shock you (this is worse case scenario). So what I suggest is call the 800 number on the back of your Pt ID card. Ask the operator for "Technical Services" and go over every detail of the powdercoating machine you use (be ready with specs). If you don't care about getting a shock, then go try it out (no suggested). If you don't get shocked, then you don't need to worry about it. If you do get shocked, maybe the tech can program around it by extending persistence, detection criteria or lowering the sensitivity if you have a safety margin built in.

More on Static Electricity

by donr - 2012-09-15 08:09:39

Pacer Rep: I screwed up - I clean forgot that an ICD doesn't act as subtlely as a PM when it comes to interference. But - don't all ICD's have PM capability?

However - We all collectively need to discuss what STATIC ELECTRICITY can do to us & our devices.

There is a thread on Crocs just above this post. The OP brought up the problem of Crocs being insulators & allowing their wearers to build up a static charge while wearing them.

Do you have any experience w/ wearing Crocs in the OR? I know a lot of medical people do wear them. Static electricity is an absolute No No in an OR - because apparently a lot of equipment is sensitive to it & some anesthesia is flammable/explosive & susceptible to detonation from static electric sparks generated by discharge.

I wrote a comment about static electricity in the Croc thread. Static electricity is NOT time variable. It is not "Flowing" through conductors (like our bodies). It does NOT generate magnetic fields, only "Flowing" electricity (Current) can do that.

Static electricity exists on the SURFACE of conductors (or non-conductors) because the electrical charges repel one another, hence force themselves to the surface of a conductor; they cannot flow through a non-conductor, so they stay on the surface where they are generated. That's why your hair tends to "Stand on end" when your body has a significant static charge built up on it. Also why you don't get electrocuted when you discharge a static charge. The charge does not flow THROUGH your body, hence does not pass through the heart or ypr PM/ICD if you have one.

A powder coating system puts a static charge on the particles in one of several ways via the "Gun." The operator is not involved in the charging process, & in most systems stays at a nice, safe ground potential. The target is held at a non-varying potential voltage - either well below the voltage of the gun, or at ground potential w/ the gun causing a very high negative charge on the particles. Either way, the particles are attracted to the target. All the fields are in front of the gun & if you drew lines representing the electric fields involved, they would start at the tip of the gun & end on the target. The operator is not in them.

Now, since the charged particles move toward the target, they constitute a weak electric current & generate a cylindrical steady magnetic field centered on the stream of particles. It will not slop out of the area in front of the gun because there is no current to support it.

Face it - wee all suffer static electricity during the winter. Just sliding in & out of our cars on non-conducting seat covers while wearing non conducting clothing will generate a significant static charge that will discharge as soon as you touch the metal surface of your vehicle. Recall all the signs & warnings about staying OUTSIDE the vehicle while refueling to prevent static charge sparking to the gas filler neck & causing an explosion of the escaping fumes.

There's been more than one airplane that has burned to the runway because a fuel handler or the system was NOT adequately grounded between the aircraft & the fuel supply system. It is possible to generate a significant static charge between two objects just from gasoline flowing from one system to the other.

I suspect that Every Pm & ICD host out there has been subject to a static electricity discharge at one time or another. Makes me wonder if the concern about powder coating is a tempest in a teapot.

Don

Powder Coating and Pacemakers

by dtadeson - 2020-05-27 16:52:39

So I work for a company that makes powder coating for Canada and the United States, and I just got a pacemaker myself.  We make the powder coating and not the equipment.  However I interact with companies that make the equipment on a regular basis. I also have 18 years of experience in the business.  I am considered Technical Sales which involves educating my clients and solving powder coating problems.   I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU READ THE MANUAL OF A REPUTABLE POWDER COATING EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER.  I read a few manuals myself. Gema who is one of the most reputable powder coating equipment companies out there, makes the following statement about pacemakers and powder coating.  "Persons with pacemakers should NOT enter areas with powder coating installations."  Off to the side of this portion of the manual they also say "Cardiac Pacemakers forbidden".

Prior to getting my pacemaker I have had instances where my hand was near the charging field of the powder. It's absolutely no small static charge. (I was not holding the gun).  It can feel stronger than getting a shock that you would get from the electricity that runs your house (120V).  Especially if the equipment is not grounded properly.  The charge can also depend on the equipment and the settings but either way I think we should do as the manual suggests. I see a lot of companies who use powder equipment and generally the equipment is not well looked after and maintenance is not always top priority. So that may pose some extra risk for the operator of the gun if he/she has a pacemaker. I think we should respect the people who make the equipment and agree that they have a very good understanding of safety when using their equipment.  Clearly "Pacemakers Forbidden" is the way to go as far as being near a powder coating booth.

The idea of testing to see how close you can get without causing a problem is probably not a good idea.  I have no doubt that it could cause problems with your pacemaker and potentially your well being.  I really don't want to get a new pacemaker earlier than I need to.  Nor is my Job worth taking that kind of risk.  I will be contacting a few manufactures to ask what a safe distance is.   If the person who is spraying the powder coating gets a pacemaker, there is many other jobs they can possibly do within the company, that is far enough away from the actual guns.  

I personally will never put a powder coating gun in my hand again and if I have to go and solve powder issues I will consult with the experts as what is considered a safe distance.

If you would like a copy of the manual I read, you can get it off the Gema website under the Support/Operation Manuals/.OptiFlex Pro-B.pdf

PLEASE STAY SAFE / WORK SAFE - READ THE MANUALS AND AVOID BEING NEAR A POWDER SPRAY BOOTH (If you have a pacemaker)