New paint technology
#1
07-23-2014, 12:09 AM
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New paint technology
Did all you guys read about the new paint process Ford has been developing along with the new Transit? Sucks that it's only on the Transit right now, and so far only with boring Oxford White because they sell so many Transit's in that color. The paint retains it's original luster up to 4 years! 
The New Ford Transit Will Keep On Shining
New paint technology increases durability and improves environmental performance
Ford was already proud to be bringing its redesigned Transit line of vans, long popular in Europe, to the United States. Making the van brand spanking new from rooftop to tailpipe wasn't quite enough to give the North American Transit debut the spark Ford was looking for though, so the company decided to push it one step further. Now, the unveiling of the Transit is also the unveiling of a new paint and painting process developed by Ford.
The Kansas City Assembly Plant has been going full tilt retooling and retraining to get the Transit out and on the road for the 2015 model year; production officially began on April 30th of this year and the vans should be available on dealership lots any day now. The excitement is building that much more with the announcement about the Transit's new paint job.
This new paint is more resistant than ever to chipping and scratching, and has been designed to stand up to pollutants and sun exposure that might otherwise dull the paint's luster. Application of the paint using the two-wet technology developed by Ford means each Transit van will still have 90 percent of its gloss four years after it rolls off the lot.
"Durability was a critical consideration when we initiated this project," said Dennis Havlin, Ford global paint engineering development and launch supervisor. "The advancements in paint chemistry enable us to deliver the appearance, performance and durability our customers demand."
The new paint and painting process does more than give Transit owners a car that still looks new four years down the line. It also reduces the resources Ford needs to paint each van, and improves the environmental sustainability of the auto painting process as a whole. The incredible efficiency Ford has achieved with its Transit painting process uses less water, produces less carbon dioxide, and even requires less space - so much less space that even the full-sized Transit cargo vans require less painting space than the compact Ford Fiesta!
“The two-wet mono-coat process allows us to design a system considerably smaller than a conventional paint shop, especially with regard to a vehicle of this size and complexity,” said Havlin. “Because painting time is cut down, the technology enables greater productivity using less equipment.”
Numbers don't lie, and the numbers here show this new paint process is anything but hype. A 44 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a 75 percent reduction in water use, and a whopping 99 percent reduction in particulate emissions, all leading to an 89 percent improvement in paint gloss durability. Though paint might be the finishing touch of car production, Ford has set everyone back to square one with this new innovation.
Each color of paint requires some intensive development before it's ready for the two-wet process developed by Ford, and right now the company is only set up to paint its Transit vans white using this new technique. But with 80 percent of the Transits rolling off the line calling for white, the impact is still going to be huge. Time will tell how quickly this process spreads to the rest of the Ford fleet.
The New Ford Transit Will Keep On Shining
New paint technology increases durability and improves environmental performance
Ford was already proud to be bringing its redesigned Transit line of vans, long popular in Europe, to the United States. Making the van brand spanking new from rooftop to tailpipe wasn't quite enough to give the North American Transit debut the spark Ford was looking for though, so the company decided to push it one step further. Now, the unveiling of the Transit is also the unveiling of a new paint and painting process developed by Ford.
The Kansas City Assembly Plant has been going full tilt retooling and retraining to get the Transit out and on the road for the 2015 model year; production officially began on April 30th of this year and the vans should be available on dealership lots any day now. The excitement is building that much more with the announcement about the Transit's new paint job.
This new paint is more resistant than ever to chipping and scratching, and has been designed to stand up to pollutants and sun exposure that might otherwise dull the paint's luster. Application of the paint using the two-wet technology developed by Ford means each Transit van will still have 90 percent of its gloss four years after it rolls off the lot.
"Durability was a critical consideration when we initiated this project," said Dennis Havlin, Ford global paint engineering development and launch supervisor. "The advancements in paint chemistry enable us to deliver the appearance, performance and durability our customers demand."
The new paint and painting process does more than give Transit owners a car that still looks new four years down the line. It also reduces the resources Ford needs to paint each van, and improves the environmental sustainability of the auto painting process as a whole. The incredible efficiency Ford has achieved with its Transit painting process uses less water, produces less carbon dioxide, and even requires less space - so much less space that even the full-sized Transit cargo vans require less painting space than the compact Ford Fiesta!
“The two-wet mono-coat process allows us to design a system considerably smaller than a conventional paint shop, especially with regard to a vehicle of this size and complexity,” said Havlin. “Because painting time is cut down, the technology enables greater productivity using less equipment.”
Numbers don't lie, and the numbers here show this new paint process is anything but hype. A 44 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a 75 percent reduction in water use, and a whopping 99 percent reduction in particulate emissions, all leading to an 89 percent improvement in paint gloss durability. Though paint might be the finishing touch of car production, Ford has set everyone back to square one with this new innovation.
Each color of paint requires some intensive development before it's ready for the two-wet process developed by Ford, and right now the company is only set up to paint its Transit vans white using this new technique. But with 80 percent of the Transits rolling off the line calling for white, the impact is still going to be huge. Time will tell how quickly this process spreads to the rest of the Ford fleet.
#2
07-23-2014, 12:19 AM
