A Study of Electrostatically Applied Powder Paint in the Automotive Industry

The U.S. Automotive industry is struggling with the adoption of a solvent-free powder coating technology as a replacement for traditional liquid painting technology which is considered to be environmentally harmful. The Low Emission Paint Consortium (LEPC) was formed by Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors to tackle many of the technical issues that are associated with bringing a new technology into practical use. Additionally, there are managerial and manufacturing issues which will need to be addressed before powder coating can be fully implemented in auto assembly plants. Understanding the implications and potential effects of both the managerial and technical issues are a prerequisite to the successful introduction of a new painting technology. Studies performed by the LEPC have shown that powder transfer efficiency, film build, and film build uniformity are dynamically affected by the powder material and the specific set of applicators being used to deposit that powder. A thorough technical analysis which incorporates models portraying particle motion in an electric field, along with the effect of powder material properties, indicates many areas for technical improvement including revised application procedures and tightly controlled particle size distributions. Extensive experimental designs need to be run that account for product and site specific application requirements. While the LEPC was formed for environmental reasons, costs will ultimately affect the timing that determines the implementation of powder technology. Cost models can be used to establish the effect of various application measurements and parameters on the overall cost of a paint facility. These models provide incentive to focus technical efforts on cost saving items that will strongly impact the bottom line.