The technique of enameling, or fusing glass in some form onto a metal substrate, is something we encounter every day – found in sinks, stoves, cookware, building cladding, and many other applications.  When used on jewelry, enameling becomes a work of craftsmanship that transforms an object of adornment into something beautiful. Painted enamel, a design in enamel is painted onto a smooth metal surface. It is also an invaluable industrial process to coat steel for practical uses in appliances, cookware, and signage, where multiple enamel layers are sometimes required.

For a ground coat, the first layer of glass on the metal, the porcelain enamel glass must 1) adhere to the metal (bond), 2) match the thermal expansion of the metal substrate, and 3) have a smooth, defect-free surface. Second "cover" coats of enamel are applied over the fired ground coat. For electrostatic enamels, the coloured enamel powder can be applied directly over a thin unfired ground coat "base coat" layer that is co-fired with the cover coat in a very efficient two-coat/one-fire process. For cover coats, the frit is composed to bind to the ground-coat and produce the desired external properties. [6] Frit is normally prepared by mixing the ingredients and then milling the mixture into a powder. The ingredients, most often metal oxides and minerals such as quartz (or silica sand ), soda ash , borax , and cobalt oxide , are acquired in particulate form; the precise chemical composition and amount of each ingredient must be carefully measured and regulated..

As a general rule, we suggest: 1mm or lower should be counter enamelled 1-1.3mm may need to be counter enamelled, depending on size and shape 1.3mm or thicker enameling on metal, depending on the thickness and the technique you are working in, it is advisable to enamel both sides of the piece. This will help distribute the stress evenly and help lessen warping, which might occur as the metal and enamel expand and contract. These enamel layers are called counter enamel (the under or back side) and top coat (the layer that is facing forward).

Top Tips: Change your clothes after you have completed your enamel work for the day. Be aware of removing your shirt over your face, as some enamel particles may still be present. Work in as clean an area as possible, clean throughout the enameling process so you do not add particles of something to something else--e.g., introducing firescale to your enamel jars, or blue enamel into your transparent enamel or white enamel.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Nordson pioneered the technology and equipment for applying powder coatings with the development of the compact and efficient cartridge type recovery and recycle systems. Nordson continually refined its cartridge booth technology and is still an innovator in all aspects of the powder coating process.

From the 70's Nordson led the evolution of powder coating technology by inventing the internal voltage multiplier, a decisive development which has since become the standard across the globe. The worldwide patent has since been integrated to all our gun designs. Read more about Nordson history and find out more about our powder coating capabilities, equipment and technologies today.

The first utensils in enameled cast iron date back to the 18th century and appeared in Germany. The industrial revolution in the 19th century made it possible to manufacture cast iron and then steel in larger quantities, which opened the way for the development of enameling on these substrates. The Porcelain Enamel Institute, Inc. (PEI) was founded in 1930 and it remains the only trade association dedicated to the porcelain enamel industry. For more information or to join PEI please visit www.porcelainenamel.com.