The Paintshop

The Paintshop

Nitrogen improves waterborne results
As collision shops in California, Canada and other regions face the prospect of switching to waterborne paint to meet new environmental regulations, shop owners have been searching for ways to offset the increased cost of these paints, and accommodate the longer flash off times that waterborne tyOften, this means installing new air moving equipment. But Todd D'Angelo of D'Angelo's Automotive & Industrial Coatings, a distributor that operates 13 locations in California, Nevada and Arizona, is promoting a new nitrogen-based spray system to his customers that can reduce flash times and significantly cut materials usage.
D'Angelo has been offering the NitroTherm Spray System from Haydell Industries for the past several months. The system was originally introduced in Europe, and made its US debut at the last NACE fair.
"We were impressed when we first saw it in action," says D'Angelo. "We were looking for a waterborne solution because of the rulings in California. If you have this machine, you can increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce materials cost."
NitroTherm uses heated nitrogen instead of oxygen, and can significantly improve transfer efficiency for both waterborne and solvent-based paints, cut flash off times, and reduce the amount of materials needed by 20 per cent to 30 per cent, according to Michael Haydell, owner of Haydell Industries, the U.S. distributor for NitroTherm.
Nitrogen is anhydrous, meaning it doesn't contain any water, so shops in humid areas could have an easier time using waterborne paints even in a moisture-heavy environment. Heating the nitrogen reduces the viscosity of the paint, which in turn reduces the need for solvents.
D'Angelo has installed the system for seven customers already (two of them are using waterborne paint), and has demos running at several other shops.
D'Angelo's reps spend a day setting up the equipment and showing painters how to use the system. "We have some benchmarking materials we use to show them how much paint they start out using, and how much they save," D'Angelo says. "They can see for themselves how fast they can do a point job."
One challenge in performing the week-long demos at the shops, though, has been getting the painters to mix less paint, so they don't wind up with wasted material.
"It's hard to teach people that in a week," says D'Angelo.
"Body shops have been told so many times by sales people and marketers that you can save on materials, and they are skeptical," says Haydell, who has sold approximately 200 of the spray systems in North America. "It's almost too good to be true. We're delivering more material per coat, but using less material overall."
Once the systems are in place, though, the benefits are significant.
"They told us it did three things," says Haydell. "It reduced materials because of the transfer efficiency. It eliminated static electricity and reduced overspray. And it helped accelerate flash times. We figured if it does those three things, it will sell itself."
"It lays the paint really flat, and 90 to 95 percent stays on the car," says D'Angelo. "Flash off times are cut in half. For a busy shop, if you can cut flash times in half, you can get one or two more cars in every day."
NitroTherm allows painters to deliver more paint with each coat, and reduce the overall amount of material used by minimizing overspray. With traditional spray guns, air is negatively charged as it's compressed and moved through the gun. Since the surface of the vehicle is also negatively charged, the paint is repelled, causing mottling and overspray. NitroTherm produces a positive charge, so the paint is naturally drawn to the negatively charged surface.
NitroTherm can also provide a better overall finish. "We did a demo in an open warehouse, using solvent-based paint on one fender with traditional spray equipment, and waterborne paint using the NitroTherm machine on the other," says D'Angelo. "The traditional equipment took twice as long to dry, and there was a lot of dust and dirt in the paint. The NitroTherm side was much cleaner."
BASF, Akzo Nobel, PPG and DuPont have all tested the system, but have not yet endorsed it. According to Haydell, the paint companies are not discouraging the use of NitroTherm, and have said that it won't affect their warranties. Sherwin Williams planned to evaluate the system as well.
Although the system will reduce the overall amount of materials that his customers will be ordering from him, D'Angelo believes that offering cutting edge technology to his customers will still benefit his business. "It's an issue, because they're buying less product. Hopefully, we can take this to a competitive shop and then make some new sales because we're saving them money," D'Angelo says. "If we're saving them money and making them more efficient, this secures our relationship with the shop, and gives us an edge on our competitors."

Metalux 2 new colour system
Boasting 12,000 colour swatches, this new colour tool is available to Chemspec's Metalux users and claims to be the largest collection of actual paint spray-outs in the world.
The colour unit is fully integrated with the Easimix Professional software, making this complete package, according to Chemspec, a superior offering to the leading European automotive paint systems.
Colour swatches featuring actual paint spray-outs have become the global standard for premium systems, as they enable the colour of the vehicle to be accurately matched even if it has faded from the original factory-spec colour formula. This tool alone can save up to half an hour per colour match.
With the introduction of additional colour swatches, subtle variations in colour can be accurately assessed and the correct mixing formula quickly obtained.
Chemspec has also upgraded its EasiMix Professional colour matching software. The extensive improvements to the software include a new interface which is easier to use than previously. The mixing screen has been optimised for speed and there are new filters for searching a specific colour. Colour information has also been enhanced, with technical details such as lead content, colour group and the like.
Chemspec has supplied a free upgrade to current users of EasiMix, and the response from the industry indicates that the new version offers the best balance of features and ease of use.

Tackling three-layer finishes
Three-layer paint finishes are now common on mainstream vehicles. PPG explains how to go about mastering the technique.
Tackling a refinish job on a three-layer (ground-coat, mid-coat and clearcoat) finish can be a little daunting for technicians who’ve had little or no experience with them. However, once the process is fully understood and followed without taking shortcuts, carrying out these types of repairs becomes fairly straightforward.
Identifying three layer
The first aspect is actually identifying whether you’re dealing with a three-layer finish. Naturally, this should happen at the quoting stage to allow the necessary labour time to be included and to avoid problems later in the repair process. Extra time is generally needed to match colours of this type and when scheduling jobs for the paint shop you’ll need to allow the extra booth time required to apply the larger number of individual coats. It’s often best to leave a three-layer job to the last of the day when booth space is not at such a premium. Finally, it’s important to allow extra room for blending – one full panel is generally required – and keep in mind that both the ground-coat and mid-coat will need blending.
Matching colours
Since differences in application techniques can significantly impact on colour accuracy for three-layer finishes it’s best to have the colour matched by the technician who will actually apply it. Gun settings (for fluid flow and air pressure) and application techniques (such as distance from panel, travel speed and overlap) must be consistent between the colour matching stage and actually painting the vehicle. With so many variables affecting the colour match and application, PPG does not recommend edge-to-edge colour matching.
After checking for available variants and establishing the appropriate formula to mix, you’ll need to accurately match the ground-coat. The most accurate method is to expose the ground-coat by carefully removing the mid-coat (using abrasion) in the repair area before applying primer. It’s important to note that the colour used under-bonnet and on interior spaces is not always the exterior ground-coat. It’s vital to ensure the refinish ground-coat matches the OEM ground-coat as accurately as possible since even small differences can lead to errors.
Spray outs
With three-layer finishes the mid-coat film build can significantly affect colour accuracy. As more coats are applied the colour varies – darker or lighter (generally darker), tonally and the effect level. This makes it essential that a series of spray out cards are produced using the following procedure:
? Apply the ground-coat to full hiding on four spay out cards – use an opacity mark to ensure opacity (coverage) is achieved.
? Once dry, attach the four cards to a piece of cardboard.
? Apply one normal wet coat of the correctly thinned mid-coat evenly to all four cards simultaneously.
? Allow flash off and remove one card.
? Repeat the process until you have cards with one, two, three and four coats of mid-coat.
? Record colour details and the number of mid-coats applied on the back of each card.
? When dry, apply clearcoat to all four cards and allow to dry.
? Check each card against the target area – the one with the closest match will determine the number of mid-coats that need to be applied to the vehicle.
Application
The effect mid-coat film build has on the end result also shows how important it is to have even application. Things like ‘double overlaps’ at the end of gun strokes leads to areas of big colour difference, especially if they occur in the same spot over the application of three or more mid-coats. Staggering these start-stop positions helps reduce the likelihood of ‘zebra stripes’ appearing, especially when coating the full side of a vehicle.
Please note that both the ground-coat and mid-coat need to be applied as normal, closed coats. Also remember that any defects or inclusions in the ground-coat should be rectified before mid-coat application because they’re often visible through the transparent layer.
When high ground-coat film builds are likely, such as when applying three-layer and PPG ‘Vibrance’ custom finishes, PPG recommends hardener be added to the ground-coat. This strengthens inter-coat adhesion and reduces the likelihood of excessive stone chipping in vulnerable areas. You’ll find the correct ratios for these additions in the RFU section of PPG Paint Manager or in the specific PDS.
Ground coat blending
Use the correct technique and the successful, full panel application of three-layer finishes is generally not a problem for experienced technicians. However, blending three-layer finishes can be a challenge for technicians who’ve had limited exposure to the process. The secret is in precise and progressive blending of both the ground-coat and mid-coat within a specified area.
Before applying the ground-coat to new/repaired panels, the already prepared blend panel should be masked off to prevent excessive overspray causing problems with the blend. Once you have full ground-coat opacity over the new/repaired areas, remove the masking from the panels to be blended. To help progressively blend the ground-coat its opacity needs to be reduced and that’s done in stages by adding increasing volumes of reduced PPG D895 Colour blender or C001 Flip Controller to the ground-coat.
If three mid-coats are required to achieve a colour match, the ground-coat will need to be blended in three stages. For the first stage, reduce the ground-coat opacity by half by adding 100% reduced D895/C001 (letting down).
Mentally divide the blend panel into five or six equal sections and blend the let down ground-coat within the first section. Use reverse blending techniques to contain overspray and prevent droplets being pushed to the panel end. Add a further 100% volume of reduced D895/C001 to the mix in the gun and, using the same reverse blending technique, start from the panel edge and blend into the second section. Add a further 100% D895/C001 to the mix in the gun and repeat.
Performed correctly, this process produces a very soft, progressive transition of the ground-coat into the existing colour and that’s the key to success when blending three-layer finishes.
Mid coat blending
Blending the mid-coat is far simpler since conventional blending techniques can be used, however precision is still important. When blending the mid-coat the first coat is taken to the end of the first section of the blended ground-coat, the second coat to the end of the second section and the third to the end of the third section.
To complete the blend out and prevent haloing, a half-coat is produced by adding 100 per cent PPG D895/C001 to the mid-coat remaining in the gun. Apply this let down coat over the entire blend area and blend into the existing finish. Take care to avoid excessively increasing mid-coat film build as this is the main cause of darkening of the blend edge.
High ground-coat film-builds often occur during three-layer applications so it’s important to allow extra flash off time prior to applying the specified PPG clearcoat to prevent solvent entrapment causing durability issues.
Training
Using the correct techniques and processes most experienced technicians will be able to produce a high quality three-layer finish and colour match. PPG regularly conducts specific three-layer courses at its network of training centres.

Superflow stakes its claim
Setting up as a new spray booth builder is hardly an easy way to a successful business, but that's just what Chris Lennon did three years ago when he opened in the Melbourne suburb of Croydon and installed his first booth. His company, Superflow Spray booths Pty Ltd, now has 12 booths to its name, along with prep bays, mixing rooms and concrete pits.
Superflow's gas fired booths are all Australian made and Lennon has pitched his price on par with other premium brands. His points of difference, he claims, are a five year guarantee on every component, rapid heat up (from 22 degrees to 60 degrees in two minutes), excess air flow capacity which means there is a margin to cope with clogging filters, lighting which will not yellow and internal booth design which has no debris collecting ledges.
Superflow stakes its reputation on after saleas service. Although aimed at long, trouble free life, when there are problems the Superflow man is there in a very short time. A recent problem in Adelaide was rectified within 40 minutes of the call for assistance.
On top of that, Lennon keeps in contact with his customers to check on the performance of his booths.
Superflow will custom build booths and assist with the placement and design of fully ventilated mixing rooms and prep bays. Lennon says that his prep bays are designed to provide even air suction all around the car.
The company installs ITR infra-red drying in its prep bays and next year will fit IRT heads to overhead power rails.
Superflow recently installed two booths and a mixing room at the Croydon TAFE in Adelaide.

Metalux CV colour tools launched
Recently launched, Metalux CV colour system enables a bodyshop to manufacture or repair commercial vehicles to the standards set by OE manufacturers, with the a wider range of colours than conventional systems catering to the fleet market.
The recently upgraded EasiMix Professional software controls the mixing bank and features advanced bodyshop management tools that help you manage your business and maximise profitability. With over 5000 colours stored on the system, EasiMix guides the user through the tinting process and recalculates for over or under mixing. EasiMix is the same software system driving Metalux 2 – ChemSpec’s flagship refinish system featuring over 140,000 international colours.
With the Metalux CV colour tools, ChemSpec has adopted the internationally acclaimed Swedish NCS colour system adding an extra 1750 paint swatches to the existing Metalux CV colourbox’s impressive 1400 colour chips. These swatches are actual sprayouts of the formulations and are packaged in colouristic sequence. Colour selection becomes as easy as matching a colour swatch to the colour of the vehicle by placing it against a panel, entering the swatch code into the computer and retrieving the exact formula for the job to be done. The colourbox is supported by a complete cross-referenced index and formula book.
Designed as an integrated system from the ground up, the Metalux CV range includes 36 basecoats (9 pearls, 5 silvers, and 22 toners), 15 2K toners, clearcoats, primers, hardeners and accessories. The range also features a popular polypropylene plastic primer for bumper and panel repairs. Each installation includes comprehensive training and support.
Backed by a five year warranty, Metalux CV claims to have created an entirely new category of paint systems for commercial vehicles.
Enquiries, Tel: (02) 9907 1425.

Towards a pristine booth
Sydney Automotive Paints and Equipment (SAPE)has launched a new product to help keep baking ovens and preparation bay walls clean.
How many hours are spent cleaning paint overspray off the walls, time and again?
The new Cam Peelable Booth Coating is applied using two coats, with a paint roller It dries fast and protects the walls and windows from the ugly overspray. When the time is ready to remove it for a freshen up, simply peel the coating off like a plastic sheet and apply again.
“The baking oven is a major investment in any repair facility” says SAPE’s product manager, Andy Miller. “The development of this product means the repair shop owner can have a well presented booth in the paint shop, minimize dust particles floating off the walls and improve paint work. So many repairers are presenting their front offices and reception in a magnificent manner yet leave the workshop looking a bit sad. By using the Cam Peelable Booth Coating you will see more pride in the paint shop from your staff and paint jobs will have less dust particles. It is a very sensible investment to apply our great new product.
Enquiries, Tel: (02)95682233.

Spies Hecker maps the future
Spies Hecker was keen to give visitors to the recent Melbourne AAAA trade fair a comprehensive briefing on the latest developments in UV and Waterborne paint systems, to enable them to more fully understand the positive impact they can have on their businesses and how they can adopt a transition plan to make the changeover easy and cost effective.
Those interested were transported by Spies Hecker to and from the show to Dandenong where the new paint technologies were explained in detail and demonstrated in practical workshop conditions. The presentation was an informal affair with refreshments provided and an opportunity for those attending to network with others in a friendly atmosphere.
All who attended were particularly impressed with the comparisons between both UV and Waterborne processes compared to the more traditional paint systems, both of which were demonstrated side by side in real time. The productivity gains of the new systems and the impact they can have on job turnaround time and business profitability clearly showed these technologies of the future to be productive options for the modern bodyshop.
Many bodyshop managers and painters took the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of where refinishing is headed and the changes they could implement to make the most of the processes that will represent the standard in the future.