Modern painting process in details

The number of applied coatings had been

reduced to four or five layers, all hand sprayed
this time
The function of these layers were corrosion
protection
for the primers, smoothness and chip resistance
for the primer surfacers and color and weather
resistance for the final top-coat layer. In the
1950s the process of applying the primer
changed to dip coating, a more automated
process, but a hazardous one owing to the
solvent emission of the solvent-borne paints.
Explosions and fire hazards then forced
Multilayer coating
What is Corrosion?

Corrosion or rust, when it occurs on steel is the product

of a complex chemical reaction with series and costly
consequences.

Chemical corrosion requires three elements

Exposed metal
Oxygen
Moisture (electrolyte)

Usually three types of corrosion can occur in car body

surface corrosion
crevice corrosion
contact/galvanic corrosion

Corrosion Prevention in the Design Phase

If the corrosion appears on a coated and exposed metal

surface, it is called surface corrosion.

Crevice corrosion can occur in cavity,flanges, under seals and

sharp panel curves . It can largely be traced back to the fact
that humidity can not sufficiently escape from gaps. Residual
salt has a hygroscopic effect, and keeps the gap humid for a
longer time.

galvanic /contact corrosion. This occurs when two

dissimilar metals are placed in contact with each other.
The more chemically active of two metals will corrode,
protecting the other metal in the process Mg Al Zinc
Chromium Nickel Lead Copper least active
three basic types of corrosion protection used in todays
car body

Body Paint
Anti corrosion compounds
Galvanizing or zinc coating
A paint system:-
A paint provides a barrier between the atmosphere and the steel
surface. When this barrier is in place, the moisture and impurities
in the air can not interact with the steel surface and the steel is
protected from corrosion.
Anti corrosion compounds
Anticorrosion compounds are additional coatings applied over the
paint film. Protective coatings can be applied either by the
manufactures or as an after market process. The two most popular
types of anticorrosion coatings are:
Petroleum based compounds
Wax- based compounds
Galvanizing is the process of coating steel with zinc. It is one of
the principal methods of corrosion protection applied during the
manufacturing process. On galvanized steel, the zinc forms a natural
barrier between the steel and the atmosphere. As the zinc corrodes a
layer of zinc oxide will form on the surface exposed to the
atmosphere.
the zinc oxide adheres to the zinc coating tightly forming a natural
barriers between the zinc and the atmosphere. When the surface of the
cars finish is damaged by a scratch or nick, the zinc coating under
goes corrosion, sacrifying itself to protect the iron under it. The
resulting zinc oxide actually forms a protecting coating and repairs
the exposed area of the steel. Thus zinc performs a two fold protective
process; first it provides chemical galvanic protection and second it
forms a repair over the exposed steel with a layer of zinc oxide.
 then why corrosion ?
breakdown of corrosion falls into three general categories.
Paint film failure Collision damage Repair
process

The paint film is the result of the entire process of coatings,

primers, and colour coats that the manufacturer applies. When the
paint film fails, corrosion begins stone chips, moisture and
improper surface preparation can all lead to film failure.

During collision, the protective coatings present on a car are

damaged. This occurs not; just in the area of direct impact, but also
in the indirect damaged zones. Seams pull apart, could break loose
and paint chips and flaks. Locating and restoring the protection to
all affected areas remain a key challenge for the auto body
technicians

Vehicles repair is one of the major protective coating damage. Even

minor straightening and stress relieving procedures can damage
these protective coatings so corrosion can start. Abrasive
corrosion protection in the design phase of a car.
selection of suitable materials, and material mating or
the avoidance of contacts, ventilated
Cavities can contribute to prevent contact corrosion in
this phase sharp-edged transitions should to avoided.
Anticorrosion compounds either wax or petroleum based
compounds are resistant to chipping and abrasion, they can
undercoat, sound leaden and completely seal the surface of a car
from the destructive causes of rust and corrosion. They should be
applied to the under carriage and inside body panels so that they
can penetrate in to joints and body crevices to form a pliable,
protective film.
Body sealer or sealant:- This prevents the penetration of
water or mud in to panel joints and serve the important role of
preventing rust from forming between adjoining surfaces.
Antirust agents: They are used where it is difficult get unit
corrosion material coverage. This includes such areas as the back
sides of welded parts . such as side members and body pillars that
can not be painted.
Paint its primary purpose is to enhance the appearance of the
body. Another purpose is to protect the vehicle body from rust,
sunlight, dust, and rain.

1. Sheet metal
2. Primer coat Protects body
fromrust
3. Intermediate coat
Makes the substrate and the
primer coat smooth.
4. Top coat is final coat that
gives the paint its gloss and
attractiveness.

Color Pigment
Glowing
/glosom
Types of top coats
A. Solid color
Consisting of a single layer of
top coat, this type of paint
uses only color pigments that
do not contain aluminum
particles.
B. Metallic color
The top coat consists of two
coats: the metallic color coat
in which aluminum particles
are mixed in the paint, and the
clear coat made of transparent
paint. Care is needed during
maintenance or washing of
the vehicles, because slight
scratches on the clear coat
layer are conspicuous.
C. Pearl mica color
Consists of three layers of top
coat. The intermediate layer
contains tiny mica particles.
The unique features of this
paint are a deep, pearl-like
 Surface refinishing preparation

The life of a finish and the appearance of that finish will

depend considerably up on the condition of the surface
over which the paint is applied in other words, proper
surface preparation in the foundation of a good paint
job, with out it, these can results in the failure of the
finish.

The word surface as used in the automobile refinishing

trade is the stage in the painting process just before the
application of the final colour coats. To get smooth, level
surface is therefore going to involve the steps necessary
to get good adhesion and also the subsequent filling and
sanding operation any pointer knows that the colour
coat does little filling of rough areas and that the
finished job is no smoother than the surface over which
 Determination of surface condition

The first job before the refinisher is to correctly identify

the surface and overall condition of the existing paint
system.

Clean the area to be inspected

Look carefully for any signs of surface or other forms of
firm breakdown such as checking, cracking and
blistering
Note the gloss level Low gloss level will often indicate
surface irregular ties.
Any signs of disfigurement or discolouration of the point
film due to attack of industrial fall out/acid rain must be
completely removed.
It must be determined that the old finish has good
adhesion and that rust is not developed under the paint
 Electrogalvanized
Cold-rolled steel

Aluminium AA 6016 Hot-dip galvanized

 Pre treatment of Multi metal Car Bodies
is mandatory for -of-the-art corrosion protection and provides best
adhesion for coatings.
Car bodies manufactured today frequently contain many different
substrates,
for example, cold-rolled steel, bake hardening steel,
electrogalvanized steel, hot-dip
galvanized steel, galvanneal, aluminum sheets made from different
alloys, and
plastic hang-on parts.

pretreatment line can have up to 14 stages for a safe and

reproducible process

The process comprises several stages,

namely,
degreasing, activation rinsing, ,
phosphating, passivation (optionally),
 De greasing
Removing all kind of contaminations from the metal surface, to achieve a
water-break free surface, that is, a continuous water film on the surface after
rinsing off excessive degreasing chemicals with water and to obtain a
reactive surface which is able to build up the phosphate coating that is, the
conversion layer

In car body phosphate lines, liquid- or powder-type alkaline degreasers are

used to
feed the tanks.
Liquid cleaners are typically two-pack products with the builder and the
surfactant separate, whereas powder products are typically one-pack
products.

Alkaline degreasers, which are the standards for car body cleaning, are
composed
of inorganic salts, the builder, and organic compounds, the surfactants.
The predominant task of the builder is to remove inorganic and pigment
contaminants like metal grains and welding pearls. The task of the
surfactant is to remove oils, lubricants, soaps, and other organic
contaminants.

Typical builders used in alkaline cleaners are the following:

In practice, degreasers are typically applied by spray
process followed by immersion application
In addition, immersion tanks are equipped with entry
and exit sprays.

The bath is kept level either by addition of water from

the city supply, or by addition of deionized (d.i.)
water, the latter being preferred in order to prevent
precipitation of calcium and magnesium salts.
Control of degreasing baths is accomplished mostly by
titration methods:
total alkalinity
free alkalinity (optional)
conductivity
pH (optional).
Oil removal can be accomplished by ultrafiltration, decanter,
thermal separators
Most recently, static oil separators are more popular in
combination with the use of demulsifying degreasers.
Compared to ultrafiltration,

Removal of dirt particles may be accomplished by a set

of micro hydrocyclons combined with pressurized paper
band filters and magnetic separators.
Amphoteric substrates like zinc-coated steel and
aluminum are etched by alkaline degreasers. Inorganic
inhibitors like borates and silicates are used to protect
the metal surface against excessive etching on these
substrates. Inadequate formulation of the degreaser, for
example, with lack of inhibitors like borates or silicates,
may
lead to excessive local etching and formation of so-
called white spots. After cleaning and rinsing, defects
that are several mm in diameter would result on the zinc
 Do all manufacturers use cleansers?

in European use of complexing agents and certain salts that

are normally used to formulate the inorganic part of cleaners
are limited

In Denmark and in Italy, for example, the use of borates is

prohibited in metal cleaning formulations. Throughout
Europe, the use of the very active complexing agent
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is forbidden.

In Japan, degreasers free of nitrogen and phosphorus

compounds (P&N free cleaner), that is, aminocarboxylic
acids and phosphates, have been introduced

more recently. In North America, cleaners mostly need to

fulfill local regulations. The use of the complexing agent
nitrilo-triaceticacid (NTA) is prohibited throughout the United
 Activation

The main task of activation is to deposit Ti phosphate colloids

on the cleaned metal surface, providing a denser and faster
growth of the conversion layer.
Characteristic data are as follows:
controls: conductivity, pH
dump frequency: weekly to monthly; in some cases
biannual
heating: no heating
agitation: continuous, even when production stops to avoid
settling and agglomeration of Ti phosphate colloids
time: in/out to 60 seconds
temperature: <40 C, for selected products <50 C
spray application: at entrance and exit
consumption: 0.030.1 kg of powder activator for 100 m2
body-in-white.
 Activation

Activation increases the number of crystallization

nuclei on the metal surface. This results in an
increased number of phosphate crystals per unit
surface area and a reduced coating weight for the
applied conversion layer. As the surface will be
uniformly covered with crystals in a shorter time,
activation treatment also has an accelerating effect in
the phosphate process. For activation prior to zinc
phosphating, aqueous dispersions of titanium ortho
phosphates with a pH between 7 and 11 are typically
used.
The manufacturing process determines the
performance of these activators and is proprietary
know-how of pretreatment manufacturing companies.
Titanium phosphate activators are available on the
market both in powder and liquid form, the latter
Most recently, liquid activators based on zinc phosphate have
become available
and have been introduced in the Japanese automotive industry
2004).
The performance of activating baths diminishes with time,
independent of the
throughput of parts. This phenomenon varies to a great extent
and depends on the specific product formulation. This can be
explained in terms of titanium phosphate colloids being
negatively charged and being precipitated out by divalent or
trivalent cations, especially Ca(II) and Mg(II) ions, which are
contained in hard water. In order to reduce degradation by
divalent ions, most activator products contain condensed
polyphosphates to form complexes with the aforementioned
cations. It is strongly recommended that activator baths be made
up using demineralized water and losses be compensated with
water of the same quality. Depending on the activator product,
the level of contamination in the bath, and the specifications with
regard to crystal size and coating weight, activating baths are
dumped at fixed intervals. These time intervals may range from
about 1 week to about 6 months. Liquid activator products are
normally fed directly into the supply tank, although special pumps
 Passivation

In order to improve the corrosion resistance of phosphated

and coated metal sheet, the conversion layer can be given a
passivation as a postrinse with chrome(VI), Cr(III), or chrome-
free solutions. Today, hexavalent chrome has been replaced
by irconium-based solution due to the toxic danger of
chromiumVI-compounds. Generally passivation is accepted
that the effect of improved corrosion protection is mostly
associated with reduction of the pore size by precipitation of
insoluble compounds and removal of secondary phosphate
crystals from the surface of the phosphate layer by the acidic
solution of the passivating agent
Zirconium-based postrinses are typically operated under the
following conditions:
zirconium concentration 50150 ppm
fluoride concentration 50200 ppm
pH 3.55.0
conductivity(20 C) <600 S cm1
controls pH, conductivity, Zr content and/or total acid titration
 Rinsing
The main task of rinsing is to remove excessive
chemical from the metal surface and hence to avoid
contamination of the following stage, which may cause
severe problems in the chemistry of the process
 Phosphating
The main task of phosphating is to deposit a thin, dense,
and uniform conversion layer on the cleaned and prepared
metal surface.

Characteristic data are as follows:

controls: free acid (FA), total acid (TA), Zn concentration,
accelerator free fluoride (where applicable)
dump frequency: never dump
heating: plate heat exchanger; T <10 C
time: approximately 180 seconds (120 seconds in Japan,
for
trials with optimized process 90 seconds)
temperature: 3555 C
sludge removal: filter press, pressure band filter, tilted
plate clarifier
spray application: none
consumption: depends on substrate
15 g m2 for cold-rolled steel
 Painting lines

The following types of lines for the standard continuous manufacturing

process
exist:

spray line
horizontal spray/dip line with dip phosphate, in some stages
spray application
RoDip3
Vario shuttle
Spray Lines
Spray lines have a considerably smaller space demand than horizontal dip
lines,
but have the disadvantage that box sections and possibly other interior
parts of
the car body are not properly degreased and covered by the conversion
layer. The
carryover of oil through the pretreatment line and subsequent
contamination of
the cathodic electrocoat tank is considerably higher than for spray/dip or
dip lines.
 RoDip3 line (source : Durr).

the bodies are carried through the line by a conveyor in a

horizontal line, but are immersed into the tank with a 180
turn, that is, they are turned upside
down for treatment in the tank , then turned again through
180 at the exit of the tank to complete a 360 turn, and
become upright again [9].
The advantages of the system are low carryover, efficient
rinsing, and fewer immersion marks compared to current
horizontal lines. As the phosphate process of aluminum
results in enormous generation of sludge, there is a risk of
sludge sedimentation on horizontal parts of the car body;
this equipment minimizes this phenomenon on visible
defects on horizontal areas. Furthermore, the space
occupied and the tank volume are lower compared to
standard horizontal lines
 Vario Shuttle Line
Vario Shuttle lines do not use the conveyor system; instead, they use a
motorized
transport and immersion system (Vario Shuttle) to take the individual
car body through the pretreatment and, in most processes, also the
electrocoat line (look the Figure).

There exist single-loop and double-loop systems, depending on whether

the same Vario Shuttle takes the car body through the pretreatment and
the electrocoat stages or not. The advantages described for the RoDip3
system also apply to the Vario Shuttle system
 Surface primer

In modern automotive OEM (Original Equipment

Manufacturer) coating, the primer surfacer often termed
primer or surfacer provides the bond between the primer
coat and top coat.

Three technologies have now been established:

solvent borne primer surfacers
waterborne primer surfacers
powder primer surfacers.

functional characteristics sis that both good corrosion resistance and good
build could be were obtained:
good build is necessary to mask the rough surface texture of the metal
substrate.

for the primer coat, significant progress is made in ensuring durable

corrosion resistance.
 Top Coats
While pretreatment and primer are required for corrosion protection,
and primer surfacer for levelling of structure and stone chip protection,

function of the top coat layers to give color and durability to the coating
system.

today approximately 1000 new colors come to the market each year, and
a color databank covering the last 30 years may hold 25 00040 000
entries.

With the widespread use of effect pigments aluminium flakes, micas, and
all other types of interference pigments color design capabilities have
become unlimited. To protect these pigments from the environment, a
clear coat is applied over the colored base coat. These clear coats offer
protection from extensive sunlight, scratches, and all types of chemical
attack.
Top coats have been and still are the major source of emissions from paint
shop. This led to the development of high solids (HS), waterborne and
powder base coats, and clear coats. The emissions of volatile organic
compounds (VOC) have there by been reduced from 150 g m2 coated
car surface (1970) to <35 g m2 in modern paint shops.
 Single-Stage Top Coats (Monocoats)

Until 1970, most cars were painted with solid color paint as
the only top coat layer in a 1-coat1-bake system. While
initially these coatings were based on alkyd resins and were
not very durable, later they came to be based on
thermoplastic acrylic enamels, which had slightly better
outdoor durability. At the same time, aluminium pigments
were used to give ametallic effect. The durability was not
sufficient, which then led to the introduction of base coat
clear coat as 2-coat1-bake systems.
 Base Coats
Base coats bring the color to the car. They are applied over the primer
surfacer and
covered by the clear coat layer to protect it from the environment.

There exist three main base coat systems in the paint shops of the
automotive industry worldwide:

medium solids (MS)

high Solids (HS)
waterborne.

North America predominantly uses HS, whereas waterborne base coat is

the
preferred technology in Europe (see subsequent chapters).
In a typical paintshop layout, the car body enters the top coat line and
passes
an emu station (feather dust off) followed by base coat application to the
internal
areas, either by manual or robot application, which is then followed by the
 High Solids (HS) Base Coats

High solids coatings formulations were developed from medium solids

solventborne
coatings formulations. In response to EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency
in USA), the total solids of coatings had to be increased and the amount of
organic
solvents reduced. To maintain good spraying properties, the molecular
weight
of the resins used was decreased. Lowering the molecular weight of the
resin
reduces the viscosity, and therefore, less solvent is required to reduce the
coating
to application viscosity. As a negative side effect of this, these coatings
show less
physical drying and are more sensitive to sagging.
To prevent sagging in high solids coatings, the coating must be either
pseudoplastic
showing shear thinning at higher shear rates or have a yield stress
showing
high viscosity behavior below a certain shear rate. The common method to
 Removing old paint

Sanding is one of the most import and steps of surface

preparation. In fact this operation is standard part of
most surface preparation procedures. Sanding prepares
the surface for painting in several ways.

Chipped paints is sanded to taper the sharp edges that

would show up as ridges under the new finish.
Cracked or peeling paint and minor surface rust must be
removed before applying a fresh top coat. If not these
conditions will continue to deterioration and will ruin the
new finish.

The entire surface to be refinished must be cuff sanded

to improve, adhesion of the new paint. Scuff sanding
removes any trace of contaminants on the existing
finish. A clean, scatted is very important for proper
 Coated abrasives (sand papers)
Abrasive types
The abrasive grains used in body refinishing are selected on the
basis of hardness, toughness, heat resistance fracture
characteristics and particle shape. Abrasives, for most body
shapes stock are two:
a) silicon carbide which is a very sharp and fast penetrating
grain for feat
herding and dry sanding soft materials such as old paint, fibber
glasses and body putty. The major limitation of silicon carbide
grain is that is it tends to break down and dull rather readily
when sanding hard surfaces.
b) Aluminium oxide which is an extremely tough, wedge
shaped grain that abetter resists fracturing and dulling.
Aluminium oxide is also preferred for use with to days paint
which are predominantly base coat/ clear coat, have harder
surfaces and are applied in thinner layers. Aluminium abrasive
when compared to silicon carbide makes is not as likely to create
deep scratches right through to the base material and so reduces
risk of over cutting.
zirconia, aluminium It has a unique self sharpening
Glass is an important component that ensures the safety and
comfort of the vehicle. In addition to being transparent, automotive
glass protects the occupants by not breaking easily upon contact
with an object.
1. Sunlight 2. UV (Ultraviolet) ray
A. Laminated glass
A clear film is sandwiched between two sheets of ordinary glass, and
pressed together.
It is designed to prevent objects, such as stones that are flying from outside,
from penetrating the glass. It also prevents the broken pieces from
shattering. Nowadays, this glass is used in the front windshield. The film
that is used in laminated glass cuts ultraviolet rays.
B. Tempered glass
Ordinary glass is heated and cooled rapidly to produce this glass that
provides enhanced shock resistance. It provides four times the strength of
ordinary glass. Although tempered glass breaks upon receiving a strong
impact, it breaks into a granular form in order to minimize injury
C. UV reduction glass
"UV" is an abbreviation for "ultraviolet rays", and UV reduction glass has
been developed to reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays that could cause
sunburn. Used primarily on doors and the rear window, the UV reduction
glass reduces approximately 90 percent of the UV rays.
D. Tinted glass
The entire glass is tinted green or bronze. Shaded band glass is used for the
front windshield. Only its top portion is tinted, and its border is gradated to
enhance the quality appearance.

E. Solar- energy absorbing glass