THE BUSINESS OF VISCOSITY BLOG

You just hit the open road. You see the sunlight reflecting off the hood of your car. You press the pedal down and as your car accelerates, you think to yourself, “Thank you, viscosity, for making this all possible.”

As an auto manufacturer, there are few problems that are more frustrating than stopping the production process due to issues with paint and coating application. Seeing defects pop up in the vehicle’s finish are particularly discouraging because they can be prevented with the right solutions.

In the early days of automobile production, everything was “local” and “simple.” The raw materials required for the car, such as steel or rubber may have come from other destinations, but the actual processing of those materials, and the eventual assembly were all done in the same plant.

Now, we live in a much more globalized industry. A car that is ultimately sold to a customer in New York or Chicago is no longer built strictly in Detroit. Materials used in assembly can come from all corners of the world. And one vehicle may have components made by suppliers in Mexico, Canada, or even China, which are then shipped to the United States, where the vehicle will ultimately be built.

Different stages of the painting process for industrial work will focus on different priorities. When creating paint, chemistry is the primary focus, making sure the mixture is right and that the substances included will result in an attractive color and finish.

However, once the paint is ready to go, the single biggest factor that will determine the overall success of a paint job is the viscosity, often referenced as the “thickness” of a fluid in non-technical terms.

Viscosity has an enormous influence on the final look and function of a paint job, and it impacts the finished product in many different ways.

Industrial innovation and technological advances have produ­­ced some pretty rapid changes over the past 100 years.

We’ve gone from primitive tools like mechanical gears and steam engines to a booming digital age where automation streamlines manufacturing, and robots and software can perform repetitive tasks that might otherwise be susceptible to human error.

The automotive industry has seen no shortage of innovation throughout its history – and that includes the processes used to paint and coat vehicles.

Viscosity is an important factor in quality control when it comes to painting. Different viscosities will yield different results, so if you want a consistent result in the finish of a painted surface, you must know the ideal viscosity of your paint, and then do everything technically feasible to maintain that viscosity.

Viscosity itself, however, is prone to many factors, and temperature is a key element. While specific numbers will vary, higher temperatures mean lower viscosities, while lower temperatures mean higher ones. And all of this comes into play at the most critical moment of all: right when it’s time to apply the paint to the surface.

Today’s automobiles aren’t just painted to look good. Automotive paints and coatings provide protection and durability to the exterior of a car.

A car’s paint job will always help define its style and visual appeal, but it also does much more than that. The finish helps define the vehicle’s aerodynamics, supports fuel efficiency, and protects against rust, corrosion, even ultraviolet radiation. 

All of these benefits are not just the result of better paint, but also better paint application. And better paint application requires greater efficiency and control at each step in the painting process.

People have now been relying on automobiles as a primary source of transportation for more than 100 years.

And if you look at early vehicles, you’ll see that we’ve come a long way in terms of automotive design, safety, and function. Twenty years from now, when self-driving cars become the rage, we may look at today’s vehicles and think the same thing!

Commercial and industrial painters already know that their clients are only concerned with the final results. The paint job needs to meet the clients’ requirements and quality expectations, no matter what it takes to get there.

If you are struggling with issues like color variation or surface texture, you may have to cut into your profit margins to add solvents, stop production runs to make corrections, or even waste some final products that don’t meet specifications.

Quality-control issues in the paint and coating industry can quickly become very costly.

The process of painting, can change in complexity depending on the demands. Commercial activities like painting walls for an office are usually a straightforward process of applying a coat or two of a designated color largely for aesthetic appeal.

But paint applied to automobiles can present many more challenges. In addition to the aesthetic needs of a pleasing color, there are technical considerations, like durability, reflectiveness and smooth surfaces that all need to be incorporated into a vehicle that is often constructed with a variety of different materials.