Manufacturing Materials Used in Automobiles It is therefore important to recognize the limitations before too much paint has been removed. Just as simple washing and waxing will not remove some top layer paint damage, rejuvenation through sanding and buffing may not be adequate for removing deeper paint damage. Significant damage below the top painted surface may include deep scratches, etching, staining, and heavy oxidation. Such risks can be alleviated by monitoring and minimizing the amount of topcoat removed, which is best done through quick and easy measurements with an electronic paint gauge. Failures have the potential for lawsuits, unhappy customers, and loss of reputation. When too much topcoat is removed, premature failures such as fading or delamination may occur.
In a worst-case scenario with a single stage paint process, buffing down to the primer may result in a costly trip to the paint booth.Īlso consider that paint damage may not visually appear immediately. As thinner, more scratch resistant clear coats such as nanotechnology become more prevalent, it will become more critical to use high resolution electronic paint thickness gauge to determine how much paint thickness is being removed while finessing.īecause of the potential for removing the majority of the UV blockers, most auto manufacturers recommend that a maximum of 0.3 mils (8 microns) clear coat be removed as prevention from UV damage to underlying paint layers. Even an experienced detailer finds it difficult to determine paint thickness, especially clear coat, through visual inspection. When detailing thin coatings or unknown paint layer thickness, an alternative system such as hand polishing may be the only safe option.Īfter determining the paint system used on the vehicle and thus the expected paint thickness, it is important to determine the actual paint thickness. No matter how careful the operator, buffing or polishing on thin coatings risk paint damage to the vehicle. When repainting is detected, the operator has a difficult task in evaluating the suitability (thickness) of the top layer of paint for buffing. As represented in the photo above, thicker readings are often an indication that repainting has occurred. Thinner readings indicate that the clear coat is almost entirely removed or in the case of single-stage systems that the primer is about to show through.
Most factory paint jobs seem to range from 4–7 mils (100–180 microns). When the need to polish (sand and buff) has been identified it is important to evaluate the paint in surrounding areas. While it could be argued that a detailer’s ability to take quick readings with a paint thickness gauge in order to determine the remaining paint thickness is an efficiency benefit, the primary benefit is the increase in effectiveness. Any added cost must result in improvements in either efficiency or effectiveness. To ensure consumer value and thus maintain profitability, there are two main considerations when justifying equipment and processes involved in the detailing process. Why Measure Paint Thickness and Clear Coats? Since most detailing chemicals are designed to work on both paint systems, the paint detailing process does not significantly change based upon the type of paint system. Used less frequently today is a single-stage paint system that consists of the application of multiple layers of pigmented paint. The most common used today is a clear coat system in which a thin layer of color is applied, followed by multiple layers of clear non-pigmented paint. Automotive manufacturers typically use one of two main types of paint systems in their vehicles. This polishing process is often referred to as finessing.Įxtensive paint problems may require the use of several sanding and buffing steps to bring the paint back closer to its original beauty. When rejuvenation is required, detailers often polish the top clear coat layer of automotive paints to remove surface damage such as fine scratches, scuffs, swirl marks, oxidation, stains, paint overspray, tar, tree sap, acid rain, or water spots.
Simple washing and waxing will not remove many types of surface paint damage a rejuvenation step (polishing with an orbital or a more effective high speed polisher) is added before the waxing step. PosiTest DFT measuring paint thickness on an automobile
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