Automobile paint must endure the very harsh and damaging environment of sun, rain, snow, ice, salt and highway hazards. Automobile paint is formulated to not only resist the sun's intense heat and the winter's bitter cold but also be flexible so it gives without cracking or chipping when struck by a small rock or other flying debris. Finishing a car's exterior involves prepping the metal (or fiberglass, plastic or composite material), priming, painting, sealing and possibly coating with wax or other hand-rubbed protectants.
Prepping
Metal surfaces must be completely clean of grease, oil, dirt and cleansers. The metal must be completely clean, rinsed and bone dry. Other surfaces such as plastic, fiberglass and the more exotic carbon composite body panels must also be clean of any contaminants and especially the fine glass, plastic or composite dust generated by fabricating the panel.
Once prepared, paint the panel with a primer coat. Primer is different for each material. Primer not only seals the body panel to prevent oxidation (on metal) or sun damage (on other materials) but it also acts as a go-between for the paint and the surface: primer sticks to the surface and paint sticks to the primer.
Painting
Auto body paint is an acrylic enamel produced both as a decorative and protective surface. Auto body paint must be flexible like a sheet of paper. When the body panel flexes, the paint must bend and give with the panel or else it would crack and split. Auto body paint goes on in two ways: submersion or spraying. Usually, only the factory can submerse the car in a vat large enough for the entire vehicle. Spraying is the usual method. Painters spray autos in special sealed rooms (or paint booths) that assure no dust or particulate matter is floating in the air to land on and mar the wet paint. These paint booths also have heating elements to "bake" the paint dry to a consistent tough and durable finish.
Sealing
The final spray coat on the car is a clear sealant. This additional protection is to prevent salt, dirt and other damaging agents from adhering to the paint. Clear coat is a plastic bond sealing the car's finish against the elements.
Waxes
Finally, cars may be finished with various waxes. These not only add shine and luster to the finish but also add another layer of protection over the clear coat. Depending the type of clear coat, however, wax is not always recommended. It depends on the brand and consistency of the clear coat to determine if wax is necessary.
0 comments:
Post a Comment