Seeds form when powder partially fuses in hoses, pump throats, the gun or a warm hopper and then gets sprayed out as tiny pellets that will not flow flat. They differ from trash in that they are the same color as the film. Spitting guns, caked powder, old powder and a hot booth are the usual sources.
Heard on the job
Those bumps are the same color as the paint, so they're seeds, not dirt. Check the hoses for fused powder.
Also heard as
- gel particles
- lumps
Do not mix it up with
- Trash: Trash is foreign dirt or fiber in the film; seeds are lumps of the coating powder itself.
Related terms
Spitting
Powder bursting out of the gun in clumps, leaving lumps and heavy spots on the part.
Trash
Floor word for dirt, lint, fibers and debris cured into the finish as bumps.
Shelf life
How long boxed powder stays sprayable and reactive when stored cool and dry.
Fines
The smallest particles in a powder, roughly under 10 microns, which fluidize, charge and recycle poorly.