Ford Transit new paint process

[markopolo]

The Transit vehicles built in Kansas City are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process developed by Ford and its paint suppliers. Advanced weathering testing indicates that paint applied with the new process will retain 90 percent of its gloss at four years in service compared to 1 percent gloss retention for paint applied using a conventional monocoat process, based on preliminary tests. The technology uses less energy and water, and reduces carbon dioxide and particulate emissions compared with conventional paint processes.

Video:
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More info: http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/Arti...px?categoryId=

The new process is only being used on white-colored vehicles at first.

[booster]

It sounds like a return to the non clearcoat process, although updated I am sure. Makes sense that they would start with white as it is non metallic and hides imperfections well. It is also not the silver or blue like they had so much adhesion problems with when they changed paint style a number of years ago.

The non metallic colors were the last to go to base and clear and will probably the first to go away from it. Metallics are special problem in that they can't really be buffed without changing the color, unless they have clear on them. It will be interesting to see how they handle that part, as you could have some very upset detailers in the field. 4 pounds less paint is somewhere in the 1/2 gallon range, which is quite a lot.

Progress marches on!

[Caped Crusader]

"The new paint procedure is being used for white-colored vehicles, which account for 80 percent of Ford Transit production at Kansas City Assembly Plant. As each color must be developed uniquely for the two-wet monocoat process, other colors will be considered based on demand. A conventional three-wet process – primer, base coat, clear coat – remains in use for metallic-colored vehicles."

[Fastpaddler1]

That composite process is fine from a cost efficiency factor. However, high end vehicles like my BMW5 series use the following which does not lose it's lustre due to electrolisis etc.
Quote
Manufacturing
Production Process


Paint Shop


BMW Manufacturing’s state-of-the-art paint shop covers about 700,000 square feet. Inside this sterile environment, robots, electrostatic adhesion, and the sensitivity of the human hand combine to create a tough yet flawless finish that protects as well as impresses. In addition to receiving two protective corrosion coats, sealant, primer, basecoat, and clear coat, every BMW also receives supplemental bead seams of seal for sound deadening, and cavity wax that adds further rust protection.


In all, there are over one dozen stages in painting your BMW, and a computerized tracking system monitors every car through each stage. The result is a classic finish that is consistent, durable, and tough. Equally impressive is the unique way the entire process is powered.
Our paint shop is the first “green” paint shop in the world. We use methane gas from a nearby landfill to power the Paint Shop ovens and most of the energy used in the Paint Shop.
There are about 6 miles of conveyors inside the Paint Shop.
The Paint Shop produces a finished vehicle every 78 seconds or 46 units each hour.
More than 4,000 gallons of paint travels through about 13 miles of stainless steel pipe.
It takes about 12 hours to complete the painting process, and the vehicle travels about four miles.
The Paint Shop contains 90 robots.
The Paint Shop applies five coats: Phosphate, E-Coat, Base Coat 1, Base Coat 2, and Clear Coat.
The Phosphate Coat provides corrosion protection for the car body and adhesion for the E-Coat.
The E-Coat is where the paint is electro-depositioned onto the car body for corrosion protection.
Underbody Sealer is where PVC is sprayed onto the critical seams of the car to ensure a quiet, water-tight underbody.
After all coats are applied, the total paint thickness is 120 microns or about the thickness of 5 human hairs.
About ¾ gallon of paint is used for the base coats (excluding clear coat).

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I supopose it depends on what is acceptable to people with their specific vehicles. I havent noticed a commercial van yet with a great paint job.


AL

[slim4511]

The Transit vehicles built in Kansas City are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process developed by Ford and its paint suppliers. Advanced weathering testing indicates that paint applied with the new process will retain 90 percent of its gloss at four years in service compared to 1 percent gloss retention for paint applied using a conventional monocoat process, based on preliminary tests. The technology uses less energy and water, and reduces carbon dioxide and particulate emissions compared with conventional paint processes.

Interesting they would compare the new 3-wet technology to conventional monocoat processes when the only facilities still using conventional monocoat processes is for construction vehicles and in very few emerging market country plants. The 3-wet process is a solid process already being used by several automotive OEM's with good success. It is clear however that the 3-wet process does not offer any improvements in durability over the traditional base/clear process and in fact depending on the paint supplier, could be slightly worse in performance. The true advantage is that with the 3-wet process, they do not need to bake after primer and before base coat. It goes wet on wet on wet and then through the oven. Tremendous energy savings for the automaker and lower VOC emissions which is a real positive from an environmental standpoint.

[wincrasher]

I'm sure for Ford it's all about cost cutting. They'll use the "shine retainage" for the marketing materials.

I'm not very happy with the paint quality/durability of recent Ford (2014) and Mazdas (2011) that I've bought lately. GM vehicles still seem to have durable paint. Same with Honda. My Fiat/Chrysler Promaster seems to have tough paint, but the spots were you might easily damage paint are black plastic instead, so we'll see how long she stays shiny.

Commercial and RV service vehicles need to have durable paint considering their time in the great outdoors and where they are driven. Durability should trump pretty, but often doesn't on the sales floor.