Range saves bodyshops time
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• An integrated range of refinishing products has been introduced by BASF Coatings -IInks for use within the Glasurite Ratio System, which enables all stages or repair to be carried out in a continuous operation.
Workshop attended a demonstration of these methods and has visited two companies in the Newcastle upon Tyne area which have been using the system for about a year.
George Lilley Coachworks is totally committed to using the system. Each painter in the firm's 1,115m bodyshop is equipped with a Fest() drysanding machine and IRT infrared dryers. "With a throughput of up to 50 vehicles a week, efficiency has doubled," he says.
Down the road at Felling, Keith Embleton, Reg Vardy's bodyshop manager, says it took three weeks to train his four painters on the system. He is planning to buy more infra-red equipment and wants to take on five new staff.
With this method, each stage of repair is rapidly cured so that the repairer is able to stay with the vehicle until the job is completed.
Festo dry-sanding equipment with vacuum extraction creates a better bodyshop environment and a 60% saving in time compared to wet flatting. 3M abrasive pads have been developed to produce a high-quality finish.
Sanding and edge feathering uses just two abrasives and avoids the problems associated with coarse grinding in the initial preparation.
Glasurite 839-10 body filler then partly fills the dent below the final required level. A 60second burst from the IRT infra-red heater semi-cures the filler allowing Glasurite 839-80 bushing polyester to be applied wet on wet. A final short burst cures the filler fully.
These fillers are suited to low baking temperatures of between 70° and 120°C.
When Combi-Guidcoat is wiped into the repair, it highlights any blemishes to ensure a clog-free, quality-sanding job.
The repair is completed using either Glasurite 54-line or 21-line. The final drying using 929-71 hardener needs no artificial accelerators.
The system incorporates a product range which is more expensive initially and specialist equipment is needed. A typical installation might be purchased for as little as £3,000. In a busy bodyshop the time saved will more than compensate for the extra expense. The system is claimed to reduce the time for a conventional repair from 115 minutes to just half an hour.
The refinishing system can be used on 90% of all vehicles. BASF Coatings Turbo 61