Service

2 PREPARATION
BASIC SELF-STUDY MANUALS
FORMACION POSTVENTA

PAINTING CONCEPTS

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopyng, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright holders . TITLE: Painting Concepts. Preparation (B.M. No 2) - AUTHOR: Service Organisation - SEAT, S.A. Zona Franca, Calle 2 Register of business names Barcelona. Volume 23662, Folio 1, Page 56855 1st edition - PUBLICATION DATE: January 97 - LEGAL REGISTER: B.4504-98 Preprinting and printing: TECFOTO, S.L. - Ciutat de Granada, 55 - 08005 - 08018 Barcelona - Desing and Composition: WIN&KEN

O
OF

N
STEEL

S
4-5 6-10 11

OXIDATION

ORIGINAL BODYWORK PAINTING REPAIR PAINTING MATERIALS ABRASIVES MATERIALS PAINTS PAINTS: CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE METHOD REPAIR SHOP REPAINTING PROCESSES PREPARATORY PAINTING: PRE-TREATMENT
OF OF FOR FOR

REPAINTING: 12-16 REPAINTING: 17-21

DRYING

22-23 24

SURFACES TO

BE

PAINTED

25-27

PREPARATORY PAINTING: APPLICATION

OF

PROTECTIVE PRIMERS

28-29

PREPARATORY PAINTING: APPLICATION

OF

STOPPERS

30-31

PREPARATORY PAINTING: FLATTING

OF

STOPPERS

32-33

PREPARATORY PAINTING: APPLICATION

OF

FILLERS

34-37

PREPARATORY PAINTING: FLATTING

OF

FILLERS

38-39 40-42

SELF-CHECK EXERCISES

The steel used to build cars needs to be protected from oxidation: Zinc coating and painting accomplishes this task.

O X I DAT I O N
Oxidised material

OF

STEEL
The oxidation
The chemical process of oxidation consists in the atoms of the oxidised material losing electrons to another material, in other words, this process involves greater corrosion tendency passes electrons to the material with less corrosion tendency and thus corrosion begins. In this case, the material which looses electrons is known as the anode and the material which gains electrons is known as the cathode, since this is a chemical process which leads to the formation of a battery, producing the flow of electrons from the anode to the cathode.

Oxidising material

the exchange of electrons between two materials. The material which looses the electrons is known as the corroded material, and the substance which gains the electrons as corrosive (capable of corroding other materials) The reduction process is the inverse of oxidation, a material which undergoes reduction gains electrons. Materials have different tendencies to either gain or loose electrons, metals such as steel, for example, have a tendency to loose electrons and will corrode with time if they are not protected properly. However other metals such as

Anti-corrosion protection
Presently car bodies are built with sheet steel which has a tendency to undergo this process of oxidation by corrosion. For this reason the automobile manufacturers place utmost importance in the protection of the steel against corrosion, and the complex operation of painting at the factories is designed to ensure optimum protection of the car body throughout its entire service life. The method used to protect the car body, consists in insulating it from the atmosphere by covering it with a protective layer in the form of paint. Steel can also be protected from corrosion by placing it in contact with a metal which has a greater

ZINC

IRON

copper are much less prone to undergo oxidation and this can only occur by adding certain

COPPER

strong acid oxidising agents. Some metals, such as gold, are almost impossible to corrode and have very little tendency to loose
Tendency to oxidise

GOLD

electrons. When two metals with different corrosion tendencies are placed in contact, the material with

tendency to corrode than the steel itself, so that the corrosion of the steel does not start until the protecting metal has completely corroded away. The most common metal used for this purpose is zinc, giving rise to the term known as galvanised or zinc treated metals which have an excellent resistance to corrosion. When paint is also added on top of zinc protection, the anticorrosion resistance will be optimised and this type of protection is known as the duplex system .

The reason for the excellent protection offered by zinc, is due to the fact that the zinc particles do not fall off under the action of corrosion, they remain attached to the metal causing the corrosion to progress very slowly. The contrary occurs with steel, where the corroded material constantly falls off, exposing new layers to attack by corrosion. Summarising, zinc has a greater tendency to corrode than steel, but zinc corrosion progresses much slower than steel corrosion.

INTERESTING FACTS
Electrolytic corrosion of steel When steel is in contact with water, either directly or through the humidity in the air, a chemical reaction takes place which leads to the corrosion of the steel. This is due to the fact that zones of different corrosion tendencies exist in the steel called anodic and cathodic zones. These are the result of variations in the composition, structure, or tension within the steel. A flow of electrons takes place between these two points through the steel itself and this circuit is completed by the humidity on the surface with the help of H+ and OHions resulting from the hydrolysis of water molecules. If this surface humidity did not exist, corrosion would not take place since the circuit would not be closed and the electrons could not circulate. If on the other hand, salt is found in the atmosphere, in coastal areas for example, the salt dissolved in the water would accelerate the corrosion since it provides more ions for circulation and completion of the electrical circuit for the movement of electrons. For this reason, the presence of a protective layer of material such as paint insulates the surface of the steel from humidity and

ELECTROLYTIC OXIDATION OF STEEL Anodic point (oxidation) Oxygen from atmosphere Cathodic point

Humidity layer

makes the circulation of the ions more difficult in the interface between metal and paint.

Steel plate

Iron oxide

The original paint on cars and spare parts provides an optimum anti corrosion protection. Every effort should be made in all painting and repair operations to conserve paint quality.

O R I G I N A L B O DY WO R K PA I N T I N G
INTERESTING FACTS Zinc treatment of metal sheet
Nowadays, anti-corrosion protection begins even before the parts are fitted to the vehicle, since the steel sheet used is covered with zinc, these are the so called zinc pretreated parts. This coating provides the initial anti-corrosion protection, if for any reason the paint layer is damaged on the vehicle, exposing bare metal, the corrosion will not progress on the steel but it will start on the zinc: this zinc protection is known as sacrificial. rinsing and dr ying will ensure that the bodywork is in perfect condition to receive the protective and decorative layers of paint.
G a l va n i s i n g a n d z i n c t r e a t m e n t of metal sheet par ts The zinc (Zn) applied to metal sheet parts fitted to the bodywork is commonly known as galvanising or zinc treatment depending how the zinc was deposited on the metal. This could be by immersion in a molten zinc bath or by electrolysis. The thickens of the zinc coating could vary depending on the subsequent use of the sheet metal: the average thickness is about 5 m ( * ), and the steel could be treated on one or both sides. External surfaces which need to be painted and therefore require a better finish are usually treated using the electrolytic (electroplating) process.

Phosphatising
The application of this treatment has two main objectives: provide a good base on the metal and ensure better adhesion of subsequent paint layers and to protect the bodywork from corrosion. This treatment is carried out by dipping the bodies in large baths containing various phosphate salts in solution. These solutions react with the steel and form a cr ystalline layer of metal phosphate on the sheet steel which firmly adheres to the entire body.

* m is the symbol for the micron, one micron is equal to 1 / 1 000 of a millimetre

Metal sheet preparation: cleaning and degreasing

When the assembly has been completed, the first operation which is done on the paint line is the cleaning and degreasing of the steel. During the operations of welding, cutting and assembly, greases and waxes are used which smear the bodywork and

C a t a p h o re s i s primer
The following protective coating applied to the body is known as a cataphoretic primer or cataphoresis treatment. The particularity of this treatment lies in the way the paint layer is deposited on the surface. This is done by a process of electroplating or electrophoresis resulting from the passage of an electric

STEEL SHEET TREATED WITH ZINC ON BOTH SIDES

Zinc Steel Zinc

leave residues. Under these conditions, it is impossible to achieve good paint adherence. The bodywork has to be dipped and sprayed with degreasing solutions to eliminate these residues, and the subsequent

current. The ionised paint particles are dissolved in a solution made up basically of water. The paint particles adhere to the bodywork because they have positive electrical charges. The bodies or parts to be painted are generally totally immersed in the electrolyte solution containing dissolved paint. The metallic part to be painted is connected to the negative pole of a direct current supply, and the positive pole is connected to a series of inert anodes placed within the bath. The application of electrical current causes the paint particles with positive charges to be drawn with the flow of electrons towards the body, on which they become deposited. Since the deposition of paint is dependant on the current, paint is deposited on all surfaces, both internal and external, and this is one of the major advantages of the electrophoresis process, as well as the fact that the paint coating is ver y uniform in thickness. The advantages of this method of treatment are obvious, since it is possible to reach all the

hidden corners of modern bodies. When this process of electrodeposition of the paint has been completed, the body is rinsed several times in order to recover any paint which has not adhered to the body. Finally, it is washed with de-mineralised water and left to drain, and then introduced to the drying ovens to cure and harden the paint at a temperature of 1 80 C. When this operation is completed, the bodywork will then have an excellent anticorrosion protection. The bodywork parts supplied by the parts department also receive a cataphoretic protection treatment, this ensures that these parts do not corrode in the warehouses.
CATAPHORESIS

Application process for primer paint by cathodic electrophoresis.

Putty and sealant

In joints or panel overlap areas, such as the folds around frames or due to overlapping of sheet metal for strengthening, the normal paints are not sufficient to provide proper protection of the bare edge of the metal. For this reason it is necessar y to apply sealant or putty. These products are generally made with a polyurethane base and have excellent viscosity properties. They are squeezed out in circular or oval section strips, and placed on the bare edge of the metal, thus avoiding corrosion attack of these exposed areas. At the same time, in areas of severe exposure to stone chipping, a special stone chip protection coating is applied. These are high viscosity paints

which remain permanently flexible and their function is to absorb impacts which could break the cataphoresis coating and thus cause corrosion due to perforation of the paint film. These stone protection paints are generally applied to the lower side of the door sills and the wheel arches.

Surface filler or foundation paint coat

The next coat of paint applied to the bodywork has many varied names, surface filler, base coat, undercoat, sealing base, although the first two are the most appropriate. The task of the surface filler is to cover small defects and unify the surface of the bodywork before the application of the finishing paint layers while, at the same time, providing some anti-corrosion protection. Presently the method used by automobile manufacturers for the application of these paints is known as centrifugal electrostatic projection. This consists in applying the paint with special nozzles, that give the paint an electrostatic charge and then project them on to the body which is also electrically charged. This method improves the

APPLICATION OF PUTTY

efficiency of paint use. The surface filler is dried in ovens at a temperature of 1 70 C. When the paint has hardened and dried at ambient temperature, it is possible to correct any light defects by flatting. The dust particles created must then be cleaned off before passing the body for the final paint coats. The only sure way to achieve an excellent result is by following the above methods and always applying the final coats on the preparation coats mentioned. For this reason, it is also important that only good quality preparation coats are used (acrylic 2 pack surface fillers).

dual coat finishes . In both cases, the centrifugal electrostatic projection spray method is used since this gives better results than the traditional compressed air projection method. However, in the case of metallic paints, the compressed air projection spray method is still used, since the orientation of the aluminium particles produced by the electrostatic method would be too difficult for the external repair workshops to reproduce. The final paint coat provides the specific effect desired which could be pastel, metallic or pearl effect and gives the shine, finish and hardness required to protect the undercoats. In the case of the single coat paints, the paint itself provides the protection and with metallic paint, this protection is provided by the clearcoat varnish layer.
2 coat base Filler Cataphoresis Phosphate Zinc Clearcoat DUAL LAYER Filler Cataphoresis Phosphate Zinc Lacquer single layer SINGLE LAYER

Finishes
The final paint coats on the bodywork are designed to provide it with several properties such as: final appearance, colour, shine, specific effects and hardness. According to the type of finish the final paint could be applied in one coat, known as a single coat or in two coats: the first is a colour base (known as a 2 coat base), and finally a clear coat is placed on top. These two finish procedures are therefore known as the single coat and

Wax and anticorrosion

When the final coat of paint has been applied, the areas of the body such as the various holes and cavities, which could be prone to rust due to their exposure to water accumulation and condensation, are wax treated to ensure their long
Protective layers applied to steel sheet on automobiles during original painting using single layer and dual layer processes.

lasting and efficient protection from corrosion. Nowadays, in certain cases polyurethane foam which expands on injection is used
Paint process diagram in a modern automobile factory.

pillars and side members etc.). The protection offered is similar to wax treatment since the foam expands and fills the cavities, thus preventing condensation and moisture accumulation.

instead of wax, to protect hidden cavities (interior of

ORIGINAL PAINTING OF BODYWORK

Cleaning and degreasing

Phosphating Bath recovery

Rinsing

Rinsing

Sealing Cataphoresis

EN KN OC TR

Cleaning
YI DR

Underbody painting
YIN DR G YIN DR

NG

Finish paints

Filler

YIN DR

Inspection

Paint repairs done in automobile paintshops should be capable of reproducing, with the help of the tools and equipment available, all the aesthetic and protection characteristics of the original paint.

R E PA I R P A I N T I N G
Differences with regard to original paint
When a vehicle is involved in an accident and the consequence is the deterioration of the bodywork, the painting of the affected parts, which are either repaired or replaced, is essential to ensure recovery of the bodywork protection, as well as the external vehicle appearance. There is a considerable difference between the paint applied to the bodywork in production and the paint used for repairs. The first main difference is that the bodywork in production is painted alone without all the cladding, trim, mechanical components etc., while during service repairs, except in the case of complete body shell replacement, all these components are not removed from the vehicle. For this reason the paints used in service repairs should be low temperature drying, since it is not possible to subject the plastics, mechanical and electrical components to temperatures above 60 C or 70 C. Also, the fact that a service repaint has to be done, usually means that a heavy thickness of paint or undercoat needs to be applied, to cover up defects not repairable by the panel beater. Care must be taken as well, to protect the parts of the body which will not be repainted with the appropriate materials. In order to carry out painting repairs, the specific tools, equipment and installations are required, and repair procedures for the application of the materials used need to be followed. We will now take a closer look at the materials used in the paintshop: the abrasives and the paints. The main equipment and tools will be studied in the basic self study manual No. 5.

11

The flatting operations are essential to any repainting operation, and they provide the superficial preparation for the correct adherence of the paint, and also ensure the smoothing of the filler paints applied previously in the areas repaired by the panel beater.

M AT E R I A L S ABRASIVES

FOR

R E PA I N T I N G :
Applications of flatting in automobile repainting
In order to apply paint on any surface and ensure its perfect adhesion, certain surface conditions are required: in other words, a specific roughness depending on the type of paint which will be applied and the material of the base to be painted. It is ver y difficult to achieve good adhesion on a high gloss surface with any kind of paint. For this reason it is essential to do a proper flatting to achieve the correct surface roughness on any surface which has lost its normal adhesion properties, such as dried paints, stamped panels, cataphoresis treated parts for the parts department, etc. It will also be necessar y to use surface fillers on parts repaired by panel beaters, which will need to be sanded down later in order to level out the surface to the desired shape. certain precision, which then penetrates the sanded surface. Flatting materials are generally composed of ver y hard substances such as: emer y, corundum, carborundum etc. The surfaces which are sanded also generally contain soft material, such as talc and barium, to facilitate flatting.

INTERESTING FACTS
Hardness: physical property of materials Flatting consists in the elimination of material by physical means . When friction occurs between two materials of different physical proper ties , one of these will always wear into the other. When materials of different hardness rub together, the softer material is worn away by friction with the harder one . This proper ty which resists wear is known as HARDNESS . A material is harder than another when it penetrates it. A material is SOFTER than another when it is penetrated by it. There are various means of measuring material hardness . The simplest method was developed by the a geologist named Mohs . It consists of a scale made up of 1 0 minerals , arranged according to their hardness , the first one being talc which is the softest, and the last one is diamond, which is the hardest. All other materials will be classified according to which of these 1 0 materials it can scratch. Mohs hardness scale: 1.- Talc 2.- Gypsum 3.- Calcite 4.5.6.7.8.Fluorite Apatite Felspar Quartz Topaz

Composition of sandpapers
Sandpaper (technically speaking, a flexible abrasive ) is an abrasive or flatting material, which is made up of a flat flexible support that could be paper, cloth or vulcanised fibres and may even be plastic film and minerals with ver y high hardness levels, ground into var ying grain sizes according to their use, are attached to the support by means of different layers of adhesive glue.

Abrasive minerals
The most common minerals used in the manufacture of abrasives are silicon carbide and corundum . CORUNDUM is a ver y hard mineral, whose basic constituent is aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) which is white in colour in its pure form and

9.- Corundum 10.- Diamond

Basics of flatting
Sanding or flatting consists in the removal of material from a surface by mechanical means, in other words, by sliding a harder material over a surface with

COMPOSITION OF SANDPAPERS

Abrasive mineral Bonding

Flexible backing

could be rose or brown coloured according to the quantity of other substances it contains. SILICON C ARBIDE (SiC) also called carborundum is black in colour with blue iridescence . It is harder than corundum but it is also more brittle; this means that during its use , small par ticles of cr ystals break off and leave more sharp edges, while corundum cr ystals have more tendency to become rounded with continuous wear. To make the sandpapers, these minerals are selected and ground into grains of different sizes, in order to achieve

different grades of paper. The different grit sizes of the grains will give us different sandpaper grades. The EFAP (European federation for abrasive products) scale , indicates the different sizes of the par ticles by using a number preceded by the letter P . The higher the number, the smaller the grit size on the paper. The grade P 1 2 for example , corresponds to the coarsest grade (therefore it will have a ver y large grain) and the grade P 1 200 corresponds to the finest grain (this will be have the smallest grain size).
SILICON CARBIDE CORUNDUM

13

INTERESTING FACTS
EFAP abrasive paper grades The size of abrasive grit is determined by passing it through a sieve with a mesh having a fixed number of holes per square inch. This means that for a P80 grade paper, the sieve used to separate the grit has 80 holes per square inch, if a sieve with 1 00 holes was used the grit would not pass through. The complete EFAP scale is shown in order below, from the coarser grain to the finest one. P12 P16 P20 P24 P30 P40 P50 P60 P80 P 1 00 P 1 20 P 1 50 P 1 80 P220 P240 P280 P320 P360 P400 P500 P600 P800 P 1 000 P 1 200

When making sandpapers, the choice of the abrasive grit, corundum, silicon carbide , flint, etc ., depends on the type of flatting which is to be done , the hardness of the material to be flatted, and the efficiency of the flatting process, ambient conditions etc . In effect, the use of the proper sandpaper for each job is a guarantee of maximum efficiency.

The main organic glues such as animal hide are made from organic extracts. They are water soluble and when the water evaporates they bond the abrasive grit solidly to the support, however they have the disadvantage of being affected by water, in other words, when placed in contact with water, the adhesive deteriorates. The synthetic resins used as bonding material could be phenolic resins, epoxy ureas etc. and are generally thermosetting or thermohardening, therefore water does not damage abrasives made with this type of bond. The manufacture of abrasives takes place in two stages, known as bonding and orientating. During the first stage, the grit is fixed superficially to the backing, and during the second stage of glue application to the entire surface, the grains are orientated on the entire surface. The glues used in both these stages could be different or the same, and a combination of two different glues could also be used in both stages, depending on the future use of the abrasive.

The backing
Flexible backing is achieved by the use of the materials already mentioned previously, such as paper, cloth etc. The thickness of these materials determines the flexibility of the sandpaper. The backing material is chosen by the manufacturer according to the functions for which the sandpaper will be used, the type of surface and the hardness of the material to be flatted.

The bonding
Different types of bonding material is used to fix the grit to the backing, however these can be divided into two main types:

Organic glues Synthetic resins

Sandpaper manufacture
The most important aspect of the manufacture of flexible abrasive or sandpaper is the way in which the grit is deposited on the support. This can be done in two different ways:

tendency of the material on the sandpaper. Clogging of the sandpaper with the dust from flatting is one of the main causes of rapid deterioration of the abrasives, and for this reason, certain products such as zinc stearates are often added to provide lubrication for the sandpaper and facilitate evacuation of the

Gravity deposition Electrostatic deposition

Electrostatic deposition ensures a specific orientation of the grain, and this orientation can var y the behaviour of the sandpaper. Another important factor in the performance of the sandpapers is the number of grains placed on the surface. Sandpapers with close coat structure on the support have grains placed over the entire surface in a close pattern, and abrasives with an open coat structure have spaces between the grains on the support. This latter type of sandpapers permits displacement of the abrasive dust and therefore is less prone to clogging of the sandpaper. It is important to select the type of paper grain structure in accordance with the surface to be flatted and the clogging

PLACING OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL BY DEPOSITION

ELECTROSTATIC DEPOSITION OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL

15

residue, thus reducing the tendency to clog. The sandpapers are made with different grain size, however it
Different shapes of sandpapers used in repainting workshops.

measure of the quality of the abrasive. A ver y important aspect of the sandpaper quality is related to the absence of irregularly large abrasive grains which could cause deeper scratches than those expected from the paper according to its number classification.

is important to bear in mind that this is not the only

SHAPE OF SANDPAPERS Disk

Sandpaper shaping
The procedures mentioned above are those used to make the sandpapers in huge rolls
Sheet

which are generally not employed in this form. The next process is that of forming or shaping the sandpaper by perforation to produce the shapes which we are most accustomed to using, these could be sheets, disks or rolls. As well as the perforation of
Perforated sheet

Roll

the paper, it is also common to find sandpapers with other perforations which could ser ve to permit the elimination of flatting dust when fitted on machines during the use of the sandpaper.

Perforated disk

The application of paint provides a protective coating which can increase the life of the component painted, and at the same time give it an attractive finish thus enhancing its value.

M AT E R I A L S PA I N T S
Basic concepts of painting

FOR

R E PA I N T I N G :
Basic terminology
A very vast terminology exists when it comes to describing the different products known as paints. We will talk here below about the different products used in one or another form in the painting of automobiles.

In general we understand paints to be varnish, enamel, lacquer, in other words, a liquid substance, with more or less viscosity, which when is applied by different methods on the surface to be covered, solidifies by some process, leaving an even layer firmly adhered to the component painted. When the paint applied to the object being painted has transformed into its final state and can be called paint layer , it will then provide the object with the one or both of the following qualities: On the one hand it will provide a protection against the elements such as humidity, solar radiation, heat, abrasion, various chemicals, thinners, petrol etc. On the other hand, it will improve the beautification of the surface being painted and even out surface irregularities and textures, and also give colour, shine and diverse optical effects to the surface. For this reason we will talk about the technical and aesthetic aspects of paints when dealing with the protective and decorative aspects of painting.

F IL L E R

RIMER

S TO PPER

L AC

QUE

VA R NI S H

ENAMEL

17

STOPPERS
The composite plastic type
STOPPER

ENAMEL
This is a paint which is known for its ability to give a very smooth finish.

products supplied in putty form are known as stoppers and can be applied with a putty knife or similar tool. Stoppers are designed to cover up irregularities or cracks in the base material.

LACQUER
This is a paint made basically from organic colour pigments which are soluble in the binder, base or organic composite. Its

PRIMER
This is the name given to a liquid composition, with or without added pigments, which is used as the first coat to cover up pores, give anticorrosion protection
PRIMER

main characteristic is its vivid colours and it is more or less translucent or transparent.

and improve the adherence of the paint layers which will come after.

VARNISH
This is the name given to all liquid compositions, which give a transparent film when applied in a fine and dry coat.

FILLER
This is a pigmented coat which is applied to level out small irregularities in the surface to be painted, in order to achieve an even
FILLER

STAIN
This is a product which deeply penetrates the substance to which it is applied and changes its colour. This is normally a transparent substance in its pure state and it does not form a coating.

smooth surface ready to receive the final or finish paint coats.

Paint composition
To enable the liquid substance known as paint to carry out its function of protecting and/or decorating, it needs to be composed of a series of components which help it to achieve this task. The basic components of paint are:

hardness, shine, resistance to the elements, flexibility etc. The binder is also at the origin of the name given to the type of paint, thus acrylic paints are made with a binder having an acrylic resin base, cellulose paints have cellulose binders etc.

Pigments
Pigments are very fine solid particles and are insoluble in the binder. They give different properties to the paint, such as colour and opacity. Pigments are obtained by grinding or crushing different organic or inorganic materials. The description pigments is taken

BINDERS PIGMENTS SOLVENTS ADDITIVES

Binders
The binders or fixers are substances which transform themselves into solids once the task of painting has been completed. These are also known as resins , and they are the essential ingredients of paints, since they carry the remainder of the components and additives, and for this reason they are sometimes technically known as the fixed vehicle or non volatile vehicle . The chemical nature of the binders is in reality what defines the characteristics of the paint: its drying or curing method and properties of the finish coat regarding its

BASIC PAINT COMPONENTS Binder

PA IN T
Pigments Solvents

19

from the fact that the main task of these materials is to add pigmentation, although in reality there are materials which are used to make paints which are added as pigments, but whose tasks are completely different. For this reason, we can list them in the following families:

Specific action pigments

These are made from various products which give specific characteristics to the paint such as:

Anti encrustation (for marine

use on boat hulls)

Fungicide effect for paints used in areas affected by the presence of micro-organisms.

Anticorrosion pigments
Includes all those pigments capable of providing an anti-corrosion protection to the base (steel, aluminium, copper, etc.).

Fire proof or fire retard effect. Etc.

Solvents
Solvents are substances which are added to the paint to maintain the binder (or non volatile vehicle) in a liquid state, preventing its coagulation or precipitation until the moment of application. When the mission of the solvent has been accomplished, it evaporates from the paint and does not form part of the final paint finish. The technical definition of the solvent is known as a volatile vehicle . The paint may require more or less fluidity depending on its use, for this reason it may be necessary to add more of the volatile vehicle to the paint than that initially used for its preparation. This volatile vehicle is then called diluting since its

Extender pigments
These are opaque pigments with a well defined and stable colour which provide opacity and colour or opaque and chromatic effects, (due to their composition and structure). The first group of these includes the traditional pigments (red, green, blue, etc.). The second group includes aluminium and mica, which produce metallic and pearl effects.

Load pigments
These pigments on their own have low extending ability, but when combined with extender pigments give body to the paint.

task is to dilute the paint. The chemical composition of the diluting may or may not be the same as the solvent. The main characteristic of the solvents and dilutings is that of keeping the binder in solution, and their chemical composition must be compatible with that of the binder. Paints are generally divided into two groups according to the nature of the solvents. These could be either organic, meaning they are formed of volatile organic composites (VOC) like acetone, benzene, butyl acetate and these are known as solvent

based paints , or the other group of paints, which use water as the main substance in the solvent and diluting, in this case the paint is known as water based paint .

INTERESTING FACTS
Paint additives The high quality of a paint depends not only on the quality of its basic components and the excellent mixture preparation, but also on the careful formulation of the additives, without which the paint will not conserve for long or perform as expected. Some examples of additives are given here below: Hardening and drying: These have an influence on the hardening and solidifying aspects of the paint. Texture: These additives modify the final finish texture; surface roughness or paint build. Plasticiser: Modifies the elasticity or flexibility of the final paint coat. Thickener: This improves the resistance to peeling of the paint (tixotropic). Wetting: Improves the dissolution of the various components of the paint. Dispersing: This avoids paint clogging during storage. Anti-sediment: These avoid solidification of the pigments in the paint. Emulsifying: These facilitate the mixing of the paint components. Etc .

Additives
Despite the fact that the three principal components of paint are the BINDER, the PIGMENTS and the SOLVENT, it is generally necessary to add a range of other substances which improve or modify the characteristics of the paint, and these are known as additives.

Binder

Pigment

Paint film

The solvents do not form part of the final paint layer; they evaporate from the paint during the drying process.

21

The paint drying method will define many of the characteristics of the final paint layer.

PAINTS: CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OF DRYING

Paint drying
Paints can be classified according to the nature of the binder, based on different criteria. An important aspect is the drying, hardening or curing process of the paint. With this in mind, the paints used in automobile repair can be classified according to their drying process: Drying by a chemical reaction between two or more components

Drying by solvent evaporation Drying by oxidation

of the binder

DRYING BY SOLVENT EVAPORATION

Drying by solvent evaporation

This is the simplest of the drying processes and involves drying of the binder by evaporation of the solvent. This drying could take place with or without the addition of heat to accelerate the process. Obviously, if the paint film comes into contact with the solvents, these will be removed by dissolving of the film.

Drying by oxidation of the binder

DRYING BY TRANSFORMATION (OXIDATION OF THE BINDER)

This drying process not only involves evaporation of the solvent (similar to all drying processes) but also a chemical reaction in the binder due to its contact with the oxygen in the atmosphere. This process could be assisted by the addition of accelerators. The chemical content of the final

paint coat is different from that of the initial binder, for this reason the film is rarely affected by the action of the solvents in the paint. The drying phase could also be accelerated by the application of heat to speed up the evaporation of the solvents.

paints are known as 2K or two pack paints . In the second case, when the reaction between the components is only possible at high temperatures, the product is usually delivered already mixed form the supplier. This paint is known as thermohardening . In all cases, the curing of 2K paints can be accelerated by the

Drying by a chemical reaction between two or more components

This process consists in the production of a paint film as a result of the chemical reaction or polymerisation of components, which are mixed just before being used, when this reaction takes place at ambient temperature: when the products are already delivered premixed from the manufacturer, the chemical reaction will take place when a high temperature is applied to the paint. In the first case, only two components are generally used, and one of these is called resin and the other is called hardener, cataliser or activator . Each one of these components is supplied in separate containers and they are mixed when being used in precise and accurate proportions. These

application of heat, which aids in the evaporation of the volatile substances. The paint film produced with this process will then have properties very different from those before curing: it will generally have very high chemical and physical resistance.

DRYING BY A CHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN TWO OR MORE COMPONENTS

23

Repainting can be divided into two stages: - Preparatory painting whose mission is to level out and protect the surface. - Finish painting which should restore the external appearance.

R E PA I R S H O P R E PA I N T I N G P R O C E S S E S
Repair shop operation
When a vehicle which has had an accident arrives in the workshop, the first task which has to be done is the repair of the bodywork: panel beating or panel replacement. When the panel beaters have finished their work, the vehicle is then transferred to the repair tshop for repainting. The repainting operation protects the damaged parts from corrosion, levels out the irregularities produced by the repairs and finally restores the original colour of the vehicle. All the above operations can be divided into two working stages, which are known as: Preparatory painting processes Finish painting processes The final paint coats should be applied on primers or fillers which have been sanded with the sandpapers, grade corresponding to the final paint type to be used, or on other paint layers also sanded in the same way as for the base coats. of paint used are generally of the following types:

Stoppers Primers Fillers

Finish paints
The finish paint is the final protection layer which is applied to the vehicle and is therefore the layer which is in contact with the atmosphere. It should be resistant to the sun, humidity, abrasion, etc., and protect the layers of paint underneath. At the same time, since it is the finish paint coat, its appearance plays a vital role in the final quality of the repainting job: the shine, the colour and the covering consistency will give the vehicle its desired attractive finish. This manual will cover the preparator y procedures. The final painting processes will be dealt with in the manual no. 5.

Preparatory paints
The preparator y paints or base coats are used to protect the bodywork from corrosion, level out the surface and prepare it adequately for the application of the final paint coats, which under no circumstances should be applied directly to the sheet metal. The preparator y or base coats

In order to ensure correct paint adhesion, the surfaces to be repainted need to be thoroughly prepared: the cleaning, degreasing, removal of rust and correct flatting are the basic preparatory operations which need to be done.

P R E PA R ATO RY PA I N T I N G : P RE - TREATMENT OF THE S URFACES

Cleaning of the vehicle
When a vehicle or parts of a vehicle arrive in the repair shop for repainting, the first and most important job which has to be done is a thorough cleaning of these parts. Never forget that it is also essential to clean other parts of the vehicle that may not need to be painted but which could include dust particles, and these particles will be blown around when using the spray gun and could get stuck in the paint film. We are talking basically about the mud and dirt particles that should be removed as much as possible before starting to paint. When the above tasks have been completed, adjoining parts should be adequately covered to ensure that these are not stained during bodywork repainting. a long delay between panel beating and repainting. It is also possible that the vehicle to be repainted could have some traces of corrosion, which should be completely eliminated before repainting. The rust scales should be removed by flatting. The sandpaper grade should be sufficiently rough to remove all

TO BE

PAINTED

Removal of rust
Presently the majority of automobile bodywork parts are built with galvanised steel, when the repair of these parts involves the removal of the top layers of paint, there is a risk of corrosion, moreover if there is

the rust but should not damage the metal excessively by reducing its thickness. When the rust has been removed, it may be possible that some hidden traces still remain. To ensure an efficient anti-corrosion protection, it is

25

necessar y to protect the metal with passivating agents (treatment with phosphate acid, zinc or similar products), which practically stop the corrosion process and create a protective binding layer. These products should only be applied to bare metal or galvanised sheet, and should never be used on aluminium or other surfaces for which they are not specifically recommended. When the passivating process
The parts to be painted should be degreased according to the procedure described. Moisten the surface with a rag dipped in the degreaser, and then before evaporation, dry the surface with another clean dry cloth.

desired, the maximum time delay should be no more than 20 minutes.

Degreasing of surfaces to be painted

To ensure that a layer of paint designed to be applied on a specific surface adheres correctly, it is vital that there are no particles or foreign material which prevents the proper contact between the paint and the surface. Normally the most common problem on surfaces to be painted is the presence of grease, wax or oil, and these form a barrier between the paint and the surface, which causes adhesion problems. For

has terminated, the protective primer should be applied immediately, since otherwise the effect of the passivator could be completely contrar y to that

DEGREASER

DEGREASING OF THE SURFACE

this reason it is very important to correctly degrease the surfaces to be painted. Degreasing is done by using a degreasing solvent which should be spread over the surface with a cloth steeped in this fluid and only a small area of the surface should be covered since the solvent should be removed form this area before it evaporates by using another dry clean cloth. The composition of the solvent

should be such that it is capable of absorbing the contaminating substances while at the same time not damaging the surface to be painted, and it should have an evaporation time sufficient to permit cleaning as described previously. If we simply apply the degreaser and leave it to evaporate from the surface we will only move the contaminants from one point to another without removing them. Degreasing should be done not only before painting, but also before any flatting operation, for the following two reasons: 1 . A surface flatted with contaminants causes the formation of lumps when mixed with the flatting dust, which could cause undesirable scratches on the surface and deteriorate the sandpaper. 2. The lumps cause the oil or grease to penetrate to the inner layers, from where it could be very difficult to remove them. correct roughness for the paint which will be applied. This is achieved by the use of a sandpaper with the adequate grit size for the job. However, these two operations of degreasing and flatting cannot be done properly on panels which have undergone panel beating, since they will have areas with sharp separation lines between areas which have paint and bare metal. In these areas where the surface is not flat, it will be difficult to do proper degreasing and flatting, and an orbital sander will have to be used with a abrasive paper grade of P80 or P 1 00 to give a feathered edge to the transition zone between the paint and the bare metal.
The feathering of the edges facilitates the formation of an even surface with little irregularities and permits the execution of an optimum painting job. Before After FEATHERING EDGES

Preparator y flatting
To ensure that a paint adheres properly to a surface , this must not only be correctly degreased, but also have the

27

The phosphate primers or wash primers and the epoxy primers are the most commonly used by repair shops for anti-corrosion protection.

P R E PA R ATO RY PA I N T I N G : A P P L I C AT I O N O F P R OT E C T I V E P R I M E R S
INTERESTING FACTS
Pot Life This is the term applied to the working period available for a mixture. With a two pack or (2K) paint, the mixture of the resin and the cataliser is usually done just before use, and the chemical composition could affect the workable time of the mixture. The paint can spread and will have acceptable adherence within the pot life period specified for this mixture and when this period, indicated on the manufacturers specification sheet, has been exceeded, the paint should be discarded. Drying time The drying time of a paint is the time since its application when the paint film has formed and the part can be manipulated. Hardening is progressive and is thus divided into various stages:

Bare metal priming

When doing a repainting job, it is important to tr y (with the best use of available technology) to offer the maximum anti corrosion protection, as close as possible to factor y painting, where the bodywork receives an optimum anti-corrosion protection. One of the prime factors in this process is the use of protective primers on those areas of the bodywork stripped to bare metal, where they will have lost the cataphoretic protection applied at the factor y. Two basic types of primers are used in repainting, and these are classified according to their chemical composition as follows:

complies with the above requirements. It is usually 2-pack and its useful life or Pot Life when mixed is 24 hours at 20 C, which means that it can be mixed and kept in the gun throughout the day and used when required, and then emptying and cleaning the gun at the end of the day. The only inconvenience with this type of primer is that it is not possible to use polyester stoppers over it. This is due to the fact that non hardened stopper affects the chemical composition of the primer and causes peeling. On the other hand, it should be pointed out that it is possible to use this primer on top of polyester stoppers since in this case the stopper will be dr y and chemically inactive and have no effect on the primer. When the metal to be painted does not need the application of stoppers and can be levelled with the use of surface fillers, phosphate primer is the best choice for protection. The filler used to cover the primer should be applied when the wash primer has dried but still retains its binding power. The phosphate primers can be flatted when they are perfectly

Dust proof dry: at this stage, the dust no

longer adheres to the paint. The part must be handled with care since the finger pressure could mark the surface. Refit dry: the part can now be refitted, but note that very strong finger pressure will leave marks, since the paint is not yet completely hardened. Final dry: the part can now be used for its final purpose, or it can be flatted.

Phosphate primers Epoxy primers

The primers also have to have a perfect bind to the metal and at the same time serve as an optimum base for the adherence of the paint coats which will be applied later.

Binding power or wet on wet application When paint has been applied and it is still not fully dry or hard, it will still retain its binding power. This means that another layer of paint can be applied on top without the need for flatting, this process is known as wet on wet or W/W. When a paint layer has lost its binding power, it is necessary to lightly scuff the surface to ensure good adherence.

Phosphate primer
The phosphate primer also known as wash primer

dr y, if need be, to eliminate any small defects or if they have been on too long and require flatting to ensure adherence of the next coat. The best choice for this is to use dr y flatting paper with a P400 grade. The evaporation time between coats is usually about 5 minutes and 2 to 3 coats can be applied if required. The dr ying time at 20 C before filler can be applied is about 30 to 90 minutes.
Filler Phosphate primer Polyester stopper Metal Filler Epoxy primer PRIMER APPLICATION

Metal

Epoxy primers
Primers with epoxy resin based binders have the advantage over the previous mentioned primers in that they are resistant in any thickness when applied on top of polyester stoppers and they can be applied in thicker layers, making it possible to use them as fillers. Their disadvantage in relation to phosphate primers is that they need a long drying time in the region of 4 hours at 20 C. A good option is to use these primers on bare metal when a small area has to be repaired with the aid of stoppers. This avoids having to apply the stoppers directly on the bare metal.
Polyester stoppers can be applied on top of epoxy primers but this is not possible with phosphate or wash primers , and it is only possible to apply fillers on phosphate primers.

29

The polyester stoppers should be used in a controlled fashion, since if excessive thickness of stoppers is used to compensate for a shoddy panel beating job, this will lead to poor paint quality later.

P R E PA R ATO RY PA I N T I N G : A P P L I C AT I O N O F S TO P P E R S
INTERESTING FACTS
Catalisation of polyester stoppers The mixture of the cataliser and the hardener for stoppers should be done using the proportions specified and these should not be altered under any circumstances since this could seriously affect the paint process:

Polyester stoppers
Polyester stopper is a paste composition and is applied by using a putty knife . It is a 2-pack paint which should be mixed just before use: one of the components being the resin, and the other, the cataliser. To prepare the mixture , the correct amount of cataliser indicated by each manufacturer should be added to the paste . This is usually about 2 to 3 grams of cataliser for each 1 00 grams of paste; in other words about, 2 % to 3 % in weight. These components should then be well mixed until it is not possible to distinguish the red colour of the cataliser, (for this

reason it is coloured red), and thus a perfect mixture will be achieved. The pot life of the stoppers is ver y shor t, about 5 to 1 0 minutes, and when this period is exceeded, the stopper will have hardened on the putty knife , therefore the application should be fast and precise , eliminating all traces of stopper from the knife and cleaning these with common solvent. The amount of stopper mixed should only be sufficient for application in this shor t space of time and could even be a little less, since as time passes, the stopper gets more and more difficult to work, and loses its adherence .

If too little cataliser is added....

The stopper will not dry in the specified time, flatting will be difficult, the sand paper will clog up and the surface will be marked and scratched.

I f t o o mu c h c a t a l i s e r i s

added.... The stopper will not harden faster than normal, but some residues of active cataliser (organic peroxide) will remain and this will react with the pigments of the fillers and final coats when these have been applied on top, changing their colour and creating stains and shades.

Application of stoppers
PREPARATION OF POLYESTER STOPPERS

The areas which have been repaired by the panel beaters need to be laid bare at first and then degreased and sanded and only then can polyester stoppers be applied to level the surface, removing the undulations and roughness left after the panel beating hammers and dollies and
CATALISER

any other tool employed in this process. Polyester stoppers permit the removal of

S TO PPE R

deformations in precise points where this is necessary and

impossible to achieve with the use of sprayed surface fillers. To ensure good quality repair it is necessary to moderate the thickness of stoppers applied: the repaint quality starts with the panel beaters work . The thickness of the stopper when flatted should not be greater than 400 to 500 microns to ensure a high quality repair. Polyester stoppers should only be applied strictly where needed and then using the minimum quantities and trying to shape the profile with a scraper as much as possible. This ensures than the subsequent flatting takes less time: spending a little more time in the

application of stoppers will help to reduce the time required for flatting . Polyester stoppers can be applied directly to degreased and sanded sheet metal, although it should be taken into account that they may be formulated for application on sheet steel only. In this case they will have poor adherence on galvanised steel and therefore polyfunctional stoppers which adhere perfectly to sheet steel and galvanised steel should be used. Another option is to apply the stoppers on top of a primer layer(this should be epoxy) which will provide greater anti-corrosion protection.

INTERESTING FACTS
Preparation of polyester stoppers The most important points to bear in mind when preparing stoppers are:

The stopper mixture in the can should be

well homogenised with the help of an agitator before removing the amount required with a putty knife, since the solids could percolate down and the resin will float on top. If the can is not well stirred, the stopper taken out could have more resin or solids than normal and the mixture with the cataliser will not have the specified proportions( the reaction takes place between the resin and the cataliser and the solids take no part). This not only means that the mixture will have the incorrect proportions but also the material remaining in the can will be affected since it will have a different proportion of solids and resins than originally intended. Do not place any tool or knife in the can which is not perfectly clean, and above all these should not contain any cataliser or mixed stopper (which contains cataliser), since when cataliser comes in contact with the resin in the can, a chemical reaction will take place, and although this may be slow, it will reduce the quality of the can contents.

APPLICATION OF STOPPERS ON ZINC TREATED STEELS Polyfunctional stopper Zinc treatment Paint

Stopper application options Steel Stopper application area

Standard stopper Only polyfunctional stoppers will adhere directly to zinc treated steel.

Epoxy primer
B2-29

31

The flatting of stoppers presently used in repair shops should be done dry, the use of water in this process will increase the risk of corrosion and subsequent paint defects.

P R E PA R ATO RY PA I N T I N G : F L AT T I N G O F S TO P P E R S
Flatting of stoppers
The dr ying time and hardening of the polyester stoppers is short, thus making it possible to flat them after a short period. However it is important to allow this short dr ying period of about 30 minutes at 20 C. With ver y low temperatures it is advisable to wait for 40 to 45 minutes. A incomplete dr ying of the stoppers will lead to defects when flatting similar to those produced by incorrect catalisation. The surface of the stopper could have sticky extrusions of material caused by residues of resin, causing clogging of the flatting paper ; to avoid this effect it is sufficient to clean the surface with cleaning solvent, this will enable faster, easier and more efficient flatting to be done. The flatting of polyester stoppers can be superficial and it not necessar y to use fine grade paper, since it will need to painted with a filler or base coat before applying the final coat. For this reason it is possible to use medium to rough grade paper, thus speeding up the flatting process. Paper grades of P80 to P 1 20 are the most adequate to start, and the finishing off should be done with a P240 grade to cover the marks made. Sanding can be done manually with blocks or planes or by using sanding tools, however water should never be used to facilitate the process, polyester stoppers should always be dr y flatted , since due to their composition they retain water, and this will be covered by the layer of paint. This could cause blisters on the surface when curing the final coat of paint caused by evaporation of the water retained in the stopper. The presence of water in the paint layers will also lead to the appearance of corrosion points. The most adequate tools recommended for flatting polyester stoppers are orbital sanders with a hard base for use on large flat surfaces, while rotar y orbital sanders should be used on irregular surfaces. When flatting of the stopper has been completed on an area, it may be necessar y to reapply more stopper when a lack of material is noticed in any point; in this case, the excess flatting residues are removed with compressed air, dilutings and rags, and the process of

stoppers application is started over again. In general, this process should not be repeated more than twice. To do an excellent job, it is a good idea to protect the areas which could be damaged or dirtied during the application of stoppers. The cost of the protective material and the time required to place it on can be compensated by the time required to do unnecessar y cleaning of the bumpers, mouldings, sidelights etc., as well as the additional risk of causing damage to these items. When the stoppers application process has been completed, the next job is the application of a surface filler as well as a primer on those areas of the sheet metal which has been left bare. The surface filler should completely cover the stoppers and must therefore be applied to an area larger than the area of stoppers, and this area must be previously flatted to ensure proper adherence. This flatting should never be done with the same paper as that used for flatting the stoppers, since it could cause excessively large crevices which may be partially covered by the surface filler, but will later reappear when flatting again and the final paint coats will not hide these marks. The flatting of the perimeter area adjoining stoppers is known as feather edge flatting and this should be done with a fine grain paper. The best method for this job is to use an abrasive sponge known as Scotch Brite U.F. or V.F., manually or by using a sander to flatt an area of 1 5 cm wide around the stoppers.

FEATHER EDGE FLATTING AROUND THE STOPPERS Stoppers flatted (grade P220)

Area to be flatted (abrasive sponge)

B2-30

33

The surface filler is the paint which will act as a base for the subsequent finish coats of paint, which should only be applied on the correct base or on existing finish coats.

P R E PA R ATO RY P A I N T I N G : A P P L I C AT I O N O F S U R FA C E F I L L E R S
Solvent Loading pigments

Task of surface fillers

Surface fillers are base or ground coat paints with a dual task: on the one hand they must smooth out the zone which has been repaired, and on the other hand they must provide a perfect base for the final coats

known according to their filler ability, in other words, according to the maximum thickness which can be achieved. Since this thickness relies on the composition of the filler and more specifically on the solids content, this gives rise to the designations known as STANDARD, MS and HS, which correspond to: standard STANDARD, solids content medium solids MS, content HS, high solids content

2K ACRYLIC FILLER

Binder

applied later, so that these can develop all their qualities of coverage and shine. The final paint cannot be

Binder

applied directly on the stoppers or primers, since they do not offer sufficient surface quality and could cause the appearance of paint absorption problems (sinkage), loss of
Solvent

Covering pigment

gloss, etc. The composition of the surface fillers is usually of the acr ylic 2K type similar to the single layer paint, which offer the best preparator y paint quality. The surface fillers should be

2K SINGLE LAYER ACRYLIC ENAMEL

Types of surface fillers: methods of ap p l i c a t i o n

Wet on wet fillers One of the application methods used for fillers is that known as wet on wet which is usually indicated by the symbols W/W. With this method, the fillers are used solely as an intermediate or sealing layer between the stoppers and primer and the finish coat, without tr ying to achieve a levelling effect, and the final paint coat is applied when the fillers still retain their binding power (when wet).

The basic difference between the 2K acrylic fillers and the 2K finish paints (single layer enamel) is in the type of pigmentation.

used to cover the stoppers and primers.

Types of surface fillers: solids content

The surface fillers are designed to do a finer job of surface levelling not possible with stoppers alone, due to the thickness of the dr y paint film available with surface fillers. For this reason, surface fillers are

Sandable fillers This is the most common method of fillers application, where the fillers are allowed to dry completely and are then flatted. Tintable fillers Another important application of the filler paints is that of providing a base paint with a colour tint similar to the final coat, so that this can be applied with the least number of passes possible, while at the same time giving correct coverage. The coloured fillers can be formulated by the addition of specific quantities of the finish coat colour, making it possible to prepare these as required with the colour desired. according to the temperature conditions during its application, and choosing a fast filler when the temperature is below 1 8 C and a medium filler when the temperature is between 1 8 C and 25 C, and a slow filler when the temperature is above 25 C. An important factor in the use of fillers is the Pot Life or useful life of the mixture, which generally oscillates between 30 and 60 minutes for acrylic fillers. For this reason, only prepare the quantity required for immediate use.
POOR COVERING COLOURS TINTABLE HIGH FINISH QUALITY FLATTABLE NORMAL FINISH QUALITY H/H INTERNAL PARTS H/H PANELS REPAIRED HS REPLACED PANELS STANDARD OR MS Characteristics of the parts to be painted Filler to be used

WHAT TYPE OF FILLER SHOULD BE USED?

SMALL REPAIRS TO PANELS

MS

Formulation of the surface fillers

In general any filler product can be used in different forms according to the combination of solvents, catalisers and additives used and the mixture proportions of the final product. In other words, the same base product can be used as a standard, a HS or MS or wet on wet filler etc. It is important to decide on the type of filler to be used

35

specified pressure adjustment,

PARTIAL FILLER USE

which is generally between 3 and 4 kg/cm 2 . The utilisation of HVLP (high volume low pressure) spray guns improves efficiency of filler use. The ideal place to apply filler paint is in the spray booth, especially if the area to be covered is large. However, a flat platform with extraction

COMPLETE COVERAGE WITH FILLER

facilities could be sufficient, especially if it is fitted with an overhead extractor cowling. Moreover, if a HVLP spray gun whose spray diffusion is much less than normal guns is used, the difficulties associated with compressed spraying outside the paint booth can be largely overcome. A point which should

Stopper

Filler

not be overlooked when applying fillers is the need to do a good masking job of all surrounding

Filler application
The filler should be applied in such a way that it covers all the stoppers and primers used. In the case of small damages, it is not necessary for the filler to cover the entire area since the present paint provides a good base for the application of the finish coat.

parts, in order to avoid the need for later cleaning of windows, panels and mouldings which have got paint stains. As in the case of all paints, it is vitally important to respect the flash off times, and with medium or high density fillers, this is crucial since it directly affects the drying quality of the paint job. The flash off times between paint coats will be between 5 and

The surface fillers are applied with a spray gun on the area required: either on a complete part or panel, as in the case of replacement, or large panel repairs, or on a specific part of a panel, to cover a small deformation, or to cover the application of polyester stoppers. Each type of filler requires a different spray gun nozzle and a

1 0 minutes, depending on the thickness of the coat applied. When dealing with fillers used to provide surface levelling (sandable fillers), it is common practice to use several layers in order to completely cover the damage, and more layers should be used directly on the damaged zone. For example, on localised panel repair, it is normal to apply more filler paint to the area repaired with stoppers than on the surrounding area. The filler layers should always be applied, by starting to apply paint to the widest area and then

gradually moving into the centre, to the area which requires the heaviest layer, the opposite should never be done. The reason for this order of application is that after applying a paint layer to an area with stoppers, some stopper dust will be dusted out to the edges. When this area is covered with the following layer of filler paint and subsequently flatted, some stopper dust will come to the surface, and this will form a very poor base for the following finish coats and could lead to shrinkage and sinkage of the paint.
When applying filler, care should be taken to ensure that each successive layer remains within the area covered by the previous paint, this prevents coverage of areas with filler dust which could show up later when flatted.

Sprayed

CORRECT APPLICATION OF SUCCESSIVE FILLER LAYERS

Flatting

INCORRECT APPLICATION OF SUCCESSIVE FILLER LAYERS Shrinking will be created when the finish layers are applied Flatting

Sprayed

37

To ensure that the final paint coats can develop all their shine and covering qualities, as well as the absence of sanding marks in the repaired area, it is essential to carry out a proper flatting process of the filler.

P R E PA R ATO RY P A I N T I N G : F L AT T I N G O F F I L L E R S
INTERESTING FACTS
Comparison between wet and dry flatting Different types of abrasive are used for the flatting of fillers depending on whether this is done wet or dry. This is due in the first instance to the fact that the abrasive has to withstand contact with water and also depends on the tool used.

Flatting of fillers
It is very important to carry out a proper flatting of the fillers, since the final paint coats will be applied to this surface, and blemishes will show as a clearly visible defect. Fillers should only be flatted when they are completely dry, especially when they are thick, in which case they often appear dry on the surface but internally they may not be so, and when flatting, the damp filler could be reached and then large scratch marks will appear and the abrasive paper could clog. The drying time of fillers at 20 C varies between 3 and 1 2 hours according to their nature and the layer thickness applied. During the flatting operation, two phases can be distinguished:

filler so that the final paint layers will adhere perfectly and be capable of covering up the flatting marks. For this reason, finer grade paper is used. The lighter the layer of filler applied, the less the work of rough flatting which has to be done.

Tools used for dry flatting

Electric or pneumatic sanders and sanding blocks.

Wet and dry flatting

Fillers can be wet or dry flatted, although presently it is more advisable to choose the dry method, since it gives the same surface quality results as the wet method and in less time. This is mainly due to the fact that the wet flatting has to be done entirely manually, creating a lot of dirt, while the wet flatting method can be carried out with sanders which are generally fitted with dust suction heads.

Tools used for wet flatting

Sanding blocks. Since the cutting power is greater when wet flatting, the grain of the abrasive used can be smaller. The comparison of the sanding paper grade when wet flatting with manual blocks and dry flatting with rotary orbital sanders are as follows: Rough flatting: Dry : P220/P240 and P320/P360 Wet: P320/P360 and P500/P600 Fine flatting for single layer paint: Dry : P400 Wet: P 1 000 Fine flatting for dual layer paint: Dry : P500 Wet: P 1 200

Rough flatting Fine flatting

in the first of these, the rough flatting is intended to adjust the surface to the same plane as the panels. Rough grade abrasives are used. The task of the fine flatting is to prepare the surface quality of the

Wet sanding is generally associated with use of finer grade paper than dry flatting, since the presence of water accentuates the action of the abrasive.

Progressive flatting
This flatting method consists, as mentioned previously, in a progressive flatting process, starting with the roughest grade

paper and finishing off with the finest grade, leaving slight marks which can be covered by the finishing paint coat. However, it is not possible to pass from the rough grade paper directly to the finest one, since the difference in the grit size will be too much, making it necessary to use one or more intermediate grade papers. The main reason for this process is that the difference between one grade of paper and the following should not be too great, otherwise the finer grade paper will only scratch the peaks of the ridges left by the rough paper. During a progressive flatting operation, it is possible to remain within acceptable quality limits by using a sandpaper up to three grades finer on the EFAP scale (page 1 4) than the previous one.

finish on the other hand can cover the majority of the deep flatting marks.

A good flatting procedure, using the paper grades in the right order, and going through the required stages, will ensure that the marks of the abrasive material are not visible.

ABRASIVES P80 P150 P240

PROGRESSIVE FLATTING INCORRECT PROCEDURE CORRECT PROCEDURE

Surface to be flatted

Surface to be flatted

1st Flatting with P80

1st Flatting with P80

2nd Flatting with P150

Final flatting for single or dual coat finish paints

The final flatting of the surface filler paint is different depending on the type of finish coat to be applied, since a single coat finish will be thicker than a dual coat finish (if we discount the thickness of the varnish, since this is transparent and will not be able to hide the marks left by the flatting process), the single coat

2nd Flatting with P80

2nd Flatting with P240

3rd Paint application

4th Paint application

FLATTING MARKS CAN BE SEEN

NO VISIBLE FLATTING MARKS

39

SELF-CHECK EXERCISES
The following questions will serve as a self-evaluation test, which will enable the degree of understanding of the present self study manual to be determined.

1.What is the basis of the corrosion process? A - A flow of electrons, resulting from the contact between two substances which have different tendencies to lose electrons. B. - A chemical attack by surface water. C.- A chemical reaction with oxygen in the air. 2. Why is zinc used as a plating for many of the steels used in automobile manufacture? A. - Because of its greater tendency to corrode than steel. B. - Because of its lesser tendency to corrode than steel. C.- None of the above replies are correct. 3.What is cataphoresis? A.- A layer found on spare parts to provide protection. B. - A protective primer applied both to bodywork and spare parts. C.- A mat black paint. 4.Which of the following orders is correct during production line painting of automobile bodies? A. - Phosphatising, Cataphoresis, Surface filler, Finish paint. B. - Phosphatising, Galvanising, Cataphoresis, Surface filler, Finish paint. C.- Galvanising, Cataphoresis, Phosphatising, Surface filler, Finish paint. 5.What is the purpose of the complex painting process used during the painting of bodywork in production? A. - Protect the steel from corrosion. B. - Decorate the vehicle. C.- Both the above replies are correct. 6.What is a 2K paint? A. - A paint made up of two components, a binder and a pigment. B. - A paint which at the moment of application has to be mixed from two different containers. C.- A paint whose curing process depends on the reaction between two components which are mixed just before use. 7.What are the basic components of a paint? A. - Binder, solvent and cataliser. B. - Binder, solvent and pigment. C.- Binder, pigment and additive.

8. What paint dr ying processes are used in the automobile industr y? A.- Evaporation, oxidation or transformation of the binder and a chemical reaction between two components. B.- Evaporation, precipitation and a chemical reaction between two or more components. C.- Evaporation, chemical reaction between two components and chemical reaction between three components. 9. What materials are used in the manufacture of flatting or sanding paper? A.- Silicon carbide and corundum. B.- Abrasive mineral (silicon carbide and corundum), animal glue and paper. C.- Abrasive minerals, support and glues. 10. What is the best type of primer for a bare metal panel which has been replaced but does not need the application of stoppers? A.- Phosphate primer. B. - Epoxy primer. C.- Both of the above can be applied. 11. What is the difference between the flatting of stoppers and surface fillers? A.- Surface fillers should always be dry flatted, while stoppers can also be wet flatted. B. - Stoppers should always be dry flatted, while surface fillers should be wet flatted. C.- Stoppers should always be dry flatted, while surface fillers can also be wet flatted. 12.What type of surface filler should be used for two different panels; one which has been replaced and the other which has been repaired after having received a heavy dent? A.- A surface filler in preparation for the application of the following coat wet on wet. B. - Any type of surface filler can be applied provided it is 2K acrylic. C.- An MS or HS type surface filler which can be flatted. 13.What is a primer? A.- A protective paint. B .- A paint used to cover the pores left by the polyester stoppers. C.- A paint which improves the adherence of subsequent paint layers. 14. Associate each part with the most adequate type of surface filler: A. - Replaced panel B. - Interior par t C. - Repaired panel 1 .- HS surface filler 2.- MS surface filler 3.- W/W surface filler

41

15. What protection do the polyester stoppers provide against corrosion? A.- Good, on condition that they are dry flatted. B.- G o o d , o n c o n d i t i o n t h a t t h e c o r re c t p ro p o r t i o n o f cataliser is added. C.- Poor, in all cases. 16. What is the correct procedure for flatting of a surface filler in preparation for the application of a dual coat finish paint A.- Dry flatting, starting with a P 1 80 sandpaper, continuing with a P280 and finishing with a P500 grade abrasive. B.- Dry flatting, starting with a P220 sandpaper, continuing with a P220 and finishing with a P500 grade abrasive. C. - Wet flatting, starting with a P360 sandpaper, continuing with a P500 and finishing with a P800 grade abrasive. 17. What is a HS paint? A.- A paint with a low volatile vehicle content. B.- A paint with a high pigment content. C.- A paint with a high binder content. 18. What is the difference between solvents and dilutings? A.- The solvents are an integral part of the paint, while the dilutings are added to the paint during use. B.- There is no difference, these are similar terms. C.- Dilutings is the name given to substances which dilute the paint, either during manufacture or later by the painter and solvents are products used to clean the surfaces to be painted as well as the tools used for painting, such as spray guns, containers, mixers, etc, etc.

S OLUTIONS :
1 : A 2: B 3: B 4: A 5: C 6: C 7: B 8: A 9: C 1 0: A 11 : C 1 2: C 1 3: C 1 4 : A2, B3, C1 15: C 16: B 17: A 18: A

ECOLOGICAL PAPER

SERVICE DIVISION Service Organization

Technical state 11.96. Owing to the constant development and improvement of the product, the information which appear herein is subject to possible alterations. The handbook is for exclusive use of the commercial organisation SEAT. ZSA 23807975002 ING02DB JAN. 97 50-02