Problem:
A prospective client contacted us about a problem they were experiencing with their current UV Cure Coating and coating supplier. Although the coating appeared to have applied and cured well on the parts, it started peeling off after exposure to outdoor conditions after a couple of weeks. The current supplier requested process modifications and equipment upgrades to address the issue, but the problem persisted. To help the client, our technical team was sent to evaluate their process and provide recommendations.
Solution:
By conducting a thorough assessment of their coating program, including the type of coating chemistry used, substrate nuances, surface preparation, application equipment, environmental and yard conditions unique to the client’s location, we aimed to identify the root cause of the problem.
Over three days, our technical team thoroughly documented the entire processes to better understand not only the client’s performance requirements, but to lay a foundation for understanding the specific pain points leading to premature film failures.
Results:
Using the information and materials collected from the client’s operation, our lab conducted tests on several performance characteristics, including salt spray, humidity, Xenon Arc, QUV, hardness, adhesion, and chloride levels. Our objective was to identify the obvious root cause of the coating failure.
After conducting the tests, we found that in salt spray testing the competitive product exhibited peeling at 200 hours. A Marcus Paint control coating on the same substrate was fully intact, no loss of adhesion. These findings helped us to further narrow down the potential causes of the failure and develop more focused recommendations for the customer. While there were several factors that contributed to the coating failure, our top priority was to switch them to a higher-performing coating that would provide better adhesion and durability while the material was stored in their yard.
We trialed our new coating and ran yard evaluations side by side with the competitive coating. The scope of the testing was to leave the parts outside for 180 days and compare the two products. The testing results showed that the competitive coating began to significantly peel under 8 weeks of exposure to the outdoor conditions, while our new coating exhibited little loss of adhesion in 12 weeks and continued well on toward meeting the 180-day requirement. This demonstrated the superior adhesion and durability of the new coating system and validated our recommendation to switch to a higher-performing coating.
With our new coating system in place, our work with the client is far from over. As a consultative and service-oriented company, we are committed to continuously evaluating and improving every aspect of their coatings process to ensure optimum performance and quality. As part of our ongoing partnership with this client, we will continue to collaborate closely to identify potential areas for improvement and develop solutions to any issues that arise. We understand that their success is our success, and we provide them with the highest level of service and support possible. Whether it is optimizing theirsurface preparation process, fine-tuning their coating application equipment, or conducting ongoing testing and analysis to monitor the performance of the coating system, we are always looking for ways to help the client improve their coating process and achieve their goals.