INDUSTRY NEWS
Nissan optimises paint room operations
Graco ’ s ProMix PD2K helps Nissan St . Petersburg improve paint quality , increase efficiency , and reduce downtime
On the northern outskirts of St . Petersburg , Russia , in the municipal settlement of Pargolovo , Nissan operates one of its highest quality factories globally . Established in 2009 on an area of 60,000 square meters , 1,500 people work at the plant to produce the Nissan Qashqai , Nissan X-Trail and Nissan Murano . The plant ’ s production capacity is 100,000 cars per year .
Not surprisingly , top-quality paintwork is a priority . To raise the bar still further , Nissan decided to increase the durability of the paint applied to its cars in St . Petersburg . This involved changing the clear-coat painting line from one-component to two-component ( 2K ). Also called plural component paint , 2K involves a resin and a catalyst that are mixed together in a certain ratio to start a reaction .
The benefits of 2K
Compared to single component paint , plural component paint displays improved durability . It has a higher mechanical strength which allows it to withstand abusive conditions better than other paints . It also has better chemical resistance , so can better withstand exposure to a wide range of abrasive chemicals . 2K paint is therefore being increasingly applied by automotive manufacturers .
Plural component paint demonstrates increased flexibility . This means that painted polymeric substrates such as a car bumper are less likely to crack on impact . Another benefit is that less energy is required to cure the paint . Ovens can therefore be run at lower temperatures , which reduces cost . Faster cure times are possible with plural component paints , and curing is much easier to control .
Increasingly important these days , especially with companies keen to enhance their green credentials , are the environmental benefits of plural component paint due to lower VOC ’ s because there ’ s no necessity to evaporate solvent . Finally , plural component paints can have a higher solid content , which leads to better surface coverage .
The challenges of 2K
However , 2K isn ’ t free from its challenges . The 2K mixing process requires constant monitoring . Moreover , to ensure the specified characteristics , the mixture must always be fresh .
In St . Petersburg , another challenge was that two different types of clear coat had to be used on one line . At first sight this might not seem problematic , but remember that the cars are constantly moving along the conveyor line ; the right paint must be ready instantaneously when needed . A further potential bottleneck in the process is that although most of the painting is done by robots , the door openings and trunk of each car are painted manually .
Furthermore , management at St . Petersburg was keen to reduce the effect of the production process on the environment . VOC emissions as well as paint waste had to be reduced to the absolute minimum .
Call in the paint-shop experts
To get some help navigating through these often conflicting requirements , Nissan sought the advice of paint-shop specialists from Graco . After visiting the factory and
22 OCTOBER 2021 twitter : @ surfaceworldmag