1. Customer Background
The customer is a manufacturer of Buddha statues, with products mainly made of gypsum. The statues feature intricate carved details; however, gypsum is fragile and highly absorbent, creating higher requirements for coating application.
2. Project Requirements
• Achieve a high-gloss gold finish with a visual appearance close to real gold;
• Ensure complete coating coverage of detailed carvings without affecting texture clarity;
• Provide wear resistance, temperature and humidity resistance, and touch resistance to prevent powdering and cracking;
• Ensure stable mass-production performance with uniform film thickness and consistent drying to avoid color variation and uneven adhesion.
3. Solution
• Sealing Primer: Apply a gypsum-specific sealer primer to fill surface pores, improve coating adhesion, and protect the substrate;
• Multiple Thin Coats: Control each coating layer at 15–25 μm to preserve fine carved details and avoid texture blockage;
• Special Resin Binder: Improve bonding strength between the gold coating and gypsum substrate, preventing cracking or powdering;
• Protective Topcoat: Apply a UV clear coat or PU clear coat to improve wear resistance, dust resistance, and fingerprint resistance.
4. Implementation Process
• Pre-treatment: Clean the surface thoroughly to remove dust and loose powder;
• Spraying Process:
- Mix high-gloss gold paint with a dedicated resin binder at a specified ratio and dilute using mild solvents;
- Apply multiple thin layers to ensure uniform film thickness while preserving carved details;
- Cure at room temperature or bake at 50–60°C to ensure consistent coating drying;
• Clear Coating: Apply a protective topcoat to enhance wear resistance, dust protection, and surface feel.
5. Project Results
• Appearance: Uniform high-gloss gold finish with clear carved details and a visual appearance close to real gold;
• Adhesion: Cross-cut adhesion rating 5B for the gypsum sealer + gold coating system, with no coating peeling;
• Wear Resistance: No peeling or coating damage after repeated light touching or wiping;
• Temperature & Humidity Resistance: No blistering or gloss loss after 50°C × 72h and 40°C × 96h cyclic testing;
• Substrate Protection: Gypsum brittleness effectively controlled, with no coating cracking or powdering.
6. Project Highlights
• Solves challenges related to high porosity and brittleness of gypsum substrates;
• Multiple thin-coat process ensures both high gloss and clear preservation of intricate carving details;
• Dedicated resin binder and protective topcoat enhance wear resistance, dust resistance, and fingerprint resistance;
• Stable production process suitable for mass production, ensuring consistent appearance across all Buddha statues.
