Automotive Paint = History?

[Magellan498]

Just found this article in Business 2.0.



A Glint in Detroit`s Eyes A new plastic from GE could one day replace paint on cars--and eliminate the biggest expense in auto manufacturing. - February 1, 2003 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/02/01/335967/index.htm)



So what do you all think about it?

[thevolvoguy]

I don`t like it at all...



I don`t think either that it`s gonna happen in our life time though, so... :nixweiss

[RegalGS]

Hmmm. Interesting article. I think that the most likely area this will end up first will be where plastics are being used now. Imagine the Avalanche or Grand Cherokee... instead of lots of grey plastic cladding, automakers could use this stuff. (Sure would make some vehicles look better!) Bumper guards, spoilers, ground effects... hmmm.

[Jake11375]

Wonder how they would do in a crash test....:hm

[David Fermani]

Interesting proposition.

[Bill D]

That`s a blast from the past--`03. You`d think by now we`d see more of this material. I recall back then detailers being somewhat concerned, but also to be rest assured because there would still be plenty of vehicles around with "old fashioned paint" to correct the "old way". Certainly, with the introduction of any new material, will follow products and processes to correct them too so just a bit of a learning curve at first to get used to them, then correcting them along with typical paint.

[Ron Ketcham]

Let`s see-predictions in the press over the past 15 years regarding miracle paint systems.

Did they produce a real change?

Lotus leaf effect paint-nope

Ceramiclear-nope

Self-healing clearcoat-nope

All received lots of automotive press when they were touted by the companies that said they were going to "change the way vehicles are coated".

Nope, didn`t really happen, oh, the ceramiclear made a small splash, but not really considering there are around 16 to 17 million vehicles produced around the world EACH year.

My prediction---an improved "vinyl wrap" will be a major player in the next 5 to 6 years.

This is not just an advertising wrap like most see or are farmiliar with.

In Germany, for over 12 years, the most taxi`s have used a vinyl wrap due to color regulations for cabs. Have to be a tan color, etc.

Improvements in this material are constantly being made.

Next, world wide VOC-green house reduction goals.

No spraying, even with huge improvements made over the past 20 years in OEM paint materials and processes, there is still one other area.

Collision repair refinishing!

So, consider this, the vehicle requires a new front clip-paint it-think not-just order out the correct color film and apply it to the parts before assembly.

As you can now see, things will change, but it will take years and years, and not all manufacturers will be willing to turn multi-million dollar paint facilities into junk before they are worn out.

Grumpy

[Nth Degree]

...the company is already devising ways to make Sollx mimic the odd imperfections of paint, so that a Sollx-coated fender will look indistinguishable from the painted metal body panel next to it. As Margaret Blohm, a research scientist at GE who headed Sollx`s development, explains, "We could look better than paint. But right now, we have to look like paint."





Am I the only one who finds that funny? It`s no wonder people often aren`t aware that a car isn`t supposed to have swirls and other imperfections. The company goes out of it`s way to "artificially" create imperfections in the coating to not increase expectations for the paint.:lol

[Ben@3D]

Wonder how they would do in a crash test....:hm



Plastics can work well.



I used to have an Oldsmobile Silhouette. All plastic. Was in a a low speed accident. (Car turned left right in front of me.) The other car needed body shop work. The bumper of my minivan popped back into place and was good as new. Only needed a light polish, a new license plate, and holder.

[Ron Ketcham]

In the early 90`s Cadillac was using plastic fenders, so was Chrysler on Intrepids, etc.

On and on, more would be using the thermo plastics for such if not for the efforts of the metal industry to promote their products to manufactuers.

Not that it is a bad thing.

Production cost for creating a "crash" zone, etc are a hold back for more use.

Of course there is carbon fiber, some other exotics, but the COST, Lord, the cost for 17,000,000 vehicles a year at this point.

Grumpy

[David Fermani]

Even though plastic is playing a very important role in today`s vehicles, I think this Sollx product would cause nothing but hardship on the auto repair/refinish industry. Plastics (most grades) are very repairable and should remain that way. All I see this doing is reinforcing "technicians" to be part replacing prima donnas.

[Darkstar752]

Plastics can work well.



I used to have an Oldsmobile Silhouette. All plastic. Was in a a low speed accident. (Car turned left right in front of me.) The other car needed body shop work. The bumper of my minivan popped back into place and was good as new. Only needed a light polish, a new license plate, and holder.



Interesting. I think there`s two sides to it though, although the plastic is better for low speed crashes, it may not perform so well in high speed crashes where the crumple zone absorbs some of the violent impact, where a plastic seems to transfer the force a bit more. I`m no expert, just interested in how it would perform in a higher speed crash.

[David Fermani]

Interesting. I think there`s two sides to it though, although the plastic is better for low speed crashes, it may not perform so well in high speed crashes where the crumple zone absorbs some of the violent impact, where a plastic seems to transfer the force a bit more. I`m no expert, just interested in how it would perform in a higher speed crash.



I have very little doubt that a plastic fender has any more or less crash value then most of the fenders on vehicles now a days. What car companies rely on is special crush zones as well as high strenght metals within the inner structure for higher speed crashes.

[Ron Ketcham]

Not sure of the 2012 F-150 cab and frame but for the 2009 there were 9 different metal compositions used, from mild steel, steel, high carbon steel, laminate steel, high strength, ultra high strength. boron and they use some aluminum alloy and magniesum alloy in certain areas.

Grumpy

[C. Charles Hahn]

Not sure of the 2012 F-150 cab and frame but for the 2009 there were 9 different metal compositions used, from mild steel,steel, high carbon steel, laminate steel, high strength, ultra high strength. boron and a couple of other blends.

Grumpy



Sounds about like the Cadillac ATS chassis buck they had at NAIAS in January; there were at least a dozen different types of steel and other metals used in the inner structures.