3 hilip Prior, Herberts CV Marketing iervices Co-Ordinator, looks at vhy
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the correct paint specification eally makes a difference to the leet operator.
'aint specifications leave a major question unanswered: Why spend 30,000 on a new vehicle and leave the )aint to chance?
Nhen a commercial vehicle operator s looking at a new vehicle, he will Audy the engine, gearbox and chassis ;onfigurations to find the right ;ombnaton for the job he needs to do. If le makes the wrong choice, it will cost lirn money.
L's just the same choosing the right paint ;pecificaton for a new vehicle. Getting he right colour scheme is only part of the DID — choose the wrong specification Ind the fleet operator faces the )ossibility of corrosion damage or ncreased down times caused by not ;hoosing the right material.
L's important to remember that paint loesn't just make the vehicle look t-tractive in a company livery. The paint 3 actually the first and last line of defense igainst corrosion, and must be carefully chosen to protect your vehicie against any possible chemical spillages from your cargoes, be that petrochemicals, tar, or just repeated cleaning such as for food vehicles.
Dave Bond, Fleet Engineer of Clwyd Fire Service, explains why he uses a Herberts paint specification. "It's to get the same quality of paint on each build, and also to solve matching problems with repair work. Herberts' back-up helps me complete the job."
The specification for each vehicle must be tailored to the job the vehicle is going to do, and to the company which is going to operate it. The decision on the specification must be made on the basis of the various substrates on the vehicle (and more and more different elements are appearing on commercial vehicle bodies), and the use to which it will be put. For instance, because buses constantly run the risk of small traffic accidents, they need paint materials which can be quickly refinished, perhaps in an open shop, to get the vehicle back on the road. But a long haul coach, subjected to fewer traffic scrapes, would benefit from the durability and extra gloss of a CV2K finish. The paint specification also needs to be carefully chosen to match the refinishing capability of the company which Intends using it.
The Clwyd Fire Service fleet — 30 water tenders plus specialised units — can face intense heat and regular washing in addition to tree branch strikes because of the tenders' height — but the finish must last much of the 12-20 year life of the tender. "The Fire Service has a high profile,says Dave Bond, -and a good quality, uniform finish is important across the fleet." By choosing a single specification from Herberts, the operator is guaranteed that the paint will match his needs, and that any repairs will be carried out to the same high standard as the original work. Once a colour specification for an operator is set, it is circulated to the near 200 Standox distributors in the UK. This will enable the vehicle to get a first time, accurate colour match no matter where the vehicle is refinished. This removes the possibility of human error when matching by eye, and also saves valuable down time. With the need for greater greater environmental awarenE Herberts is currently conduct successful trials with new devel ments in high solid materials reduce solvent emissions. The r high solid two pack materials only comply with the needs current legislation, but also o substantial time savings application with the durability c two pack. In this respect high sol two packs will form the basis c natural transition to water bal systems, often put forward as answer to lower solvent emissior The high solids materials have h under development for many year Europe, and will be offered in the Ul the near future.