2.5.

The Process of Making Automotive Car Paint

Paint is one of the most important industrial products that currently used to coat the surface of a
material so that the surface appears to be more smooth, evenly coated and have a higher value. In
general, a paint consists of binder, solvents, pigment/filler, and various additives. The pigments
give color to the paint, solvents to dissolve different components employed in the paint
formulation, resins to hold the pigment particles together and provide adhesion to the surface paint,
and additives serve as everything from fillers to antifungicidal agents. In painting cars, automotive
paint is used. Automotive paint is used for both protection and decorative purposes. In general,
there are four steps to make an automotive paint.
2.5.1. Measuring Ingredients
In the first stage in the manufacture of paint, all raw materials are weighed first. After
weighing, the ingredients are mixed into the dissolver. The scales allow addition of ingredients
with a measurement accuracy of ±5 kg in 20,000 kg. If greater accuracy is needed, highly
accurate floor scales are used.
2.5.2. Dispersing The Pigment and Mill-base Preparation
The dispersion process will get optimal results if the principles of dispersion are met. As for
the principles of dispersion that need attention are: mixing peripheral speed, shape of the disc,
diameter of the disc against the tank, height of the disc from the bottom of the tank, tank
diameter, tank height and ratio of solids and mixed liquid (solid content = PVC) and the correct
addition additive wetting and dispersing. If the ideal conditions are met, then a donut-like
flow will form, and a "donut effect" is formed. In this condition the optimal dispersion process
is obtained.
With just dispersion, we have not gotten finer particles lower than 20 microns, which is the
average size of primary particles of pigment and/or extender. For this reason, a further step is
needed in which the physical bonding of the pigment particles will be further broken down
into smaller particles. This stage is called milling. To facilitate the manufacture of paint;
usually pigments, extenders, some resins and additives are milled first to make a paste (semi-
finished ingredients). This paste can be stored in a warehouse or directly processed to make
paint.
2.5.3. Let down
In a separate vat; the resin, solvent, and additives are combined and mixed. This process is
called the let-down. When the let-down and the mill-base are completed, the mill-base is added
to the let-down. At this stage, any final additions are made and added in. The volume of the
paint can increase significantly depending on the final product specifications.
2.5.4. Laboratory Testing
The quality of the paint product is tested by the quality control section to find out whether the
paint product is in accordance with the formulation. Tests for paint products include viscosity,
pH, coverage, specific gravity, and drying power. Coverage is the ability of a pigment to cover
a substrate that has a contrasting color (usually black or white). Coverage is very important
 because it determines the amount of pigment needed and will affect the cost of raw materials,
consistency, glassiness, and other properties.
2.5.5. Canning the Paint
The finished paint product is then pumped into a canning chamber where a standard 8 liter
paint can be available for consumers. Then the first empty can is rolled horizontally onto the
label, then made upright so the paint can be pumped into the can. A machine will fill the can
with paint and then cover it again. After that the second machine will press on the lid to close
the can and a wire will be put into it from the roll. The process is followed by the bailometer
cutting process and forming a handle before hooking them to the hole of the can before cutting.
Certain number of cans are then put into a box and stacked before being sent to the warehouse.

2.6. Trends in Automotive Paints & Coatings

Color often plays an important role in choosing a new car, and usually a vehicle’s color is a
personal choice. Consumers usually want colors that attract attention and give an exclusive and
prestigious impression. Changing consumer desire, globalization in the automotive market, and
hopes for greater functionality and performance have influenced the development of colors and
technologies for automotive coatings. Current trends in the automotive coating process are
motivated by lowering production costs, providing customer satisfaction through aesthetic features
and corrosion protection, and reducing environmental problems. A large number of considerations
have been incorporated into the current automotive coating system, and they have a level of
sophistication that satisfies the majority of customers throughout the world.
Compared to 30 years ago, the problem of corrosion was almost reduced, and the durability and
appearance of the topcoat became acceptable for the lifetime of the car. In fact, with the advent of
two-layer topcoats around the world, the color, gloss, and chip resistance of automobile coatings
remained in relatively very good condition during the first 7-10 years of car use. Aesthetic features
are also a trend with automotive fashion. The latest trends in automotive coatings are presented as
follows.
2.6.1. Powder Coating
Powder Coating is one of the fastest growing painting systems today. This system was first
discovered in 1967 in Australia. The powder coating painting system does not use liquid or
thinner which is usually done on conventional coating. Powder coating is generally used to
coat metal surfaces such as iron and aluminum. To achieve maximum adhesion, before
painting is done, the material to be painted is cleaned and given a certain treatment, so that
the paint that was in the form of powder can glue perfectly then it must go through an oven
with a temperature of 180-220°C. The powder used in powder coating is a mixture of fine
particles of pigment and resin that is electrostatically sprayed onto the surface to be coated.
Powder coatings emit zero or near-zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and can be
used to produce much thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or
 sagging. While powder coatings have many advantages over othercoating methods, there are
some disadvantages such as color change difficulties, start up costs are high, and difficult to
touch up.
2.6.2. 3-Wet Paints
Automotive coating systems consist of several types of metal pre-treatment and primers. Over
time, primers are replaced with electrodeposition primers, which greatly increases corrosion
protection. A wet-on-wet-on-wet-system (3-wet) mostly eliminates the primer oven in the
coating process. An additional step has also been taken to remove the primer surfacer
application with its function preserved by the application of the first basecoat layer. The 3 wet
paint systems have been developed to reduce VOC and CO2 emissions. This process can
reduce carbondioxide emissions 15-25% and VOCs 10% compared to other conventional
paint processes. The 3 wet paint technology has the potential to be cost efficient,
environmentally friendly, and produce high durability and quality product.

2.7. Auomotive Paint’s Environmental Problems

Paint, as a material that functions as a coating, is indeed made from hazardous materials if the
content exceeds the permissible threshold value. One of the dangerous ingredients is VOC (volatile
organic compound) or volatile organic compound content. Included in the VOC category are
solvents and thinners. VOC is characterized by smell, although paint that does not smell is not
necessarily VOC-free.
Most automotive companies and customers are concerned about the environmental impact
generated through the use of cars. In addition to the environmental impacts generated during the
use of the product itself, the environmental impact of the car manufacturing process is also
important. The main source of air emissions and hazardous waste at an automotive assembly plant
can be traced to one operating unit: automotive paint. More than 80% of the environmental
problems at this facility come from paint shops and related operations.
The painting process is a complex multistage operation and uses a lot of energy. It is also a major
source for emissions of various chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
hazardous air pollutants (HAP). Automotive paint consists of six layers of different coatings which
are applied separately but must work together to provide protection against corrosion, durability,
and color. Each of these layers has special performance requirements and must be formulated to
bind with the next layer to form a durable layer that will not peel or chip. Solid and hazardous
waste is created in the process of painting from paint waste to excessive spray (paint that is not on
the surface of the vehicle) and chemicals are used to clean paint lines and application equipment.
The painting process is also have a high production cost, with large capital investment and high
material costs. Specific costs for automotive paint materials vary depending on the exact chemical
formulation, color, and application process used. In general, however, the coating represents the
cost of painting a vehicle. In addition, quality in automotive painting is very important for product
sales. The assembly plant must thus balance the reduction in environmental emissions and
production costs while maintaining the quality of vehicle finish.
Over the past decade, there has been an updated trend toward the reduction of environmental
releases in the automotive manufacturing sector, as measured by the EPA's toxic release data. This
is primarily in response to increasingly stringent regulatory limits on allowable levels of emissions
at the plants. Most factories produce low emissions because they use emission reduction tools,
rather than material substitution. However, the capital and operational costs of traditional
environmental control technology are very significant. For example, more than 60 percent of
General Motor's annual pollution control costs (which in 1996 were more than $110 million for
US automotive operations) were devoted to controlling air emissions.

2.8. Automotive Coating Performance

The quality of automotive paints can be seen from various aspects such as durability, resistance
to corrosion, and aesthetics.
2.8.1. Coating Quality
The quality of the coating can be evaluated in three aspects: protection from harsh
environment, durability, and appearance quality. A harsh environment refers to damage
caused by falling objects, ultraviolet rays, hot or cold environment, scratches, chipping,
and the rust from salt or road deicers. A measure of durability is the car has not rusted for
more than 20 years and has a good color/gloss appearance for more than a decade.
Appearance quality has three parameters: color, paint smoothness, and gloss.
2.8.1.1. Gloss and Smoothness of Paint Material
If we talk about the gloss resistance in car paint, the coating layer has a quality that
is superior to other ordinary polishes such as sealant or wax, where both layers are
only able to survive in a short period of time such as 1 to 3 months and easy to fade,
but the coating layer can offer years of durability.
Unevenness in the films formed during spraying is mostly related to atomization
performance and liquid properties. The better the atomization of a paint material,
i.e., producing smaller Sauter mean diameters of the droplets, the less unevenness
is formed in the film when spraying. The more a paint wets a surface and with less
viscosity, the more the unevenness is decreased.
2.8.1.2. Color
Uniform, opaque, and consistent color is essential to achieve the impression of a
high quality finish. This issue is important throughout the lifetime of a vehicle.
Factors that influence color tone include pigment orientation and concentration.
Pigment orientation is influnced by atomization, the viscosity of the paint after
coating a surface, the interference of dust, and the spray impact speed onto the
 surface. Pigment concentration on a surface is also affected by the TE of the spray
and pigments onto the substance.

2.8.2. Corrosion Protection

Automotive coating has a protective function. This protection is to prevent corrosion due
to the influence of weather or the environment, so that it can extend the life of the car. In
addition to beautifying the appearance, the paint is also for protecting the car panel from
oxidation or the influence of the environment, for example heat, rust and others.

Akafuah, N., Poozesh, S., Salaimeh, A., Patrick, G., Lawler, K. and Saito, K. (2016). Evolution
of the Automotive Body Coating Process—A Review. Coatings, 6(2), p.24.
Geffen, C. and Rothenberg, S. (2000). Suppliers and environmental innovation. International
Journal of Operations & Production Management, 20(2), pp.166-186.