Patent ID: 6921558

Claim:
A method for powder coating a plastic injection molded article comprising the steps of: preheating the article to a preheating temperature that is above a melting point temperature but below a curing temperature; substantially completely degassing the article; coating the preheated and degassed article with a polymeric powder coating, the polymeric powder coating having a cross-linking temperature that is above the preheating and melting point temperatures, the powder coating softening and adhering to the preheated and degassed article, the powder coating being sprayed from an electrically charged device; and heating the article having the powder coating applied thereto at the curing temperature, which is higher than the preheating temperature, the curing temperature being at least 375° F. and being between the powder coating cross-linking temperature and the melting point temperature of the article to produce a coated and cured degassed plastic injection molded article.