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Letter to the Editor
This article originally appeared in the July 2000 Issue of INSIGHT
New and Notable
AutoLign Benchmark Quality Paint Adhesion analysis
A unique paint technology service offered to automotive collision repair body shops
This month’s New and Notable is a service rather than a product - and a free service at that. AutoLign Manufacturing Group, Inc. formerly known as The Colonel’s, the largest producer of aftermarket bumper covers, has developed a testing technology to identify and document the causes of paint failures on covers.
Historically, the finishing of covers as a part of the repair process has been a hassle, and the recommended procedures for refinish vary from paint manufacturer to manufacturer. Very often the cover manufacturer has taken the blame for adhesion problems.
AutoLign has stepped up to address this problem with its Benchmark Quality Paint Adhesion Analysis. I must say this service, which I recently tried out at the company’s Milan, MI plant, gets high marks from me. Here is how it works:
There are four primary problems associated with urethane and plastic preparation abuse, these include not using the recommended sealer for the refinishing system that paint technicians use in their shop, the misuse of adhesion promoter for raw or non-primed plastic by applying it over a primed fascia, excessive film buildup and the over sanding of the factory primer.
The Benchmark Quality Paint Adhesion Analysis begins when a body shop submits a paint chip sample and background painting procedure information to AutoLign for evaluation. The background information required includes the body shop name, address and contact information, the cover part number and application description, the distributor name and location where the bumper was purchased, the paint brand, the type of system used, the cleaning procedure used, and the sanding procedure.
Upon receipt of this information, the paint chip is placed under the scope, a state-of-the-art electron microscope with a magnification range of 5X to 50X and allows the company's technicians to visually dissect the paint chip to determine if the proper primer, sealer, base coat and clear coat layers are present - and in their proper order.
After re-examination and confirmation of a paint problem, AutoLign sends a written report to the body shop and a copy to the cover distributor. Included in the report are a complete listing of the film layers, measured in millimeters, exact explanations on why the paint did not adhere and a photograph of the paint layer magnification. AutoLign keeps a copy of the report and the paint chip on file should any further discussion be required with the shop.
"Ninety percent of a shop's adhesion problems stem from the improper application of sealers and adhesion promoters," said Gary Moore, head of AutoLign's paint technology department. "Paint manufacturers publish technical service bulletins outlining the proper paint procedures for their products and we make these available for free to our customers."
The service looks to be a useful addition to the services offered by distributors to their body shop customers, and mutually beneficial. Not only will shops be pleased with the results, at no charge; distributors hopefully will be able to lower and possibly eliminate unwarranted cover returns when the problem is paint-related rather than product-related. "We offer this paint adhesion testing service to body shops for all plastic bumper fascia - RIM, TPO and TPU," said Rick Schomer, vice president and general manager. "The goal of this program is to assist our customers in reversing the disturbing trend of taking back more and more product because of mistakes being made in the field - this delivers what we call Benchmark Quality Service."
The analysis submission form and paint service bulletins are available from AutoLign for PPG, BASF, Sikkens, Spies Hecker, Glassurit, Sherwin Williams, DuPont, and ICI Autocolor by calling the company's toll-free telephone number (800-445-9852) or by downloading from the AutoLign web site at www.AutoLign.com.
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