How to estimate powder coating coverage and consumption.

Steps

1. Get specific gravity

   Take the specific gravity from the product's TDS. Polyester powders in our catalogue range from 1.4 to 1.8 g/cm³ depending on colour and gloss.

2. Set film thickness

   Use your actual average cured film thickness in µm, not the minimum.

3. Calculate theoretical coverage

   Theoretical coverage (m²/kg) = 1000 ÷ (specific gravity × film thickness in µm). For example, specific gravity 1.5 at 60 µm gives about 11.1 m²/kg.

4. Apply utilisation

   Multiply by your overall utilisation, which reflects first-pass transfer efficiency, recovery and losses. A line with good recovery uses far more of the powder than one without.

5. Calculate consumption

   Divide the area to be coated by the practical coverage to estimate kilograms needed, then add an allowance for colour changes.

Parameters

Formula

m²/kg = 1000 / (SG × µm)

Specific gravity

per TDS (polyester catalogue 1.4–1.8 g/cm³)

Film thickness

Your measured average

Utilisation

Line-specific; measure on your line

Common mistakes

• Comparing powders by price per kilogram without considering specific gravity.
• Using the minimum specified thickness instead of the real average.
• Ignoring overspray that is not recovered.
• Treating the example figure as a product specification.