Münster-Hiltrup, Germany –BASF has inaugurated a new research centre at its German headquarters, where the coatings company will investigate the use of e-coat to “simulate [its] customers’ processes and paint systems” to paint pre-treated original parts like doors, fenders and hoods.
The electrophoretic or cathodic dip coat (e-coat) process protects the surfaces, edges and cavities of a car body against corrosion and evens out the roughness of pre-treated metal surfaces, “providing the optimum basis for the application of subsequent paint layers,” says BASF’s definition.
The process uses a 2,000-litre dip tank. Parts are then baked in a chamber oven.
“We can ensure that [our] coating quality is at a very high level immediately after having changed over to a new e-coat material and that it meets the customer’s specification,” said Frank Naber, head of automotive OEM coatings solutions, EMEA business unit for BASF.
This facility prioritizes the development of CathoGuard 800 e-coat technology which uses low solvent organic tin compounds for material stability, body protection and a more sustainable production process that reduces the amount of wastewater generated.
“The health and safety of our colleagues are particularly important to us at BASF,” said Mathias Schöttke, managing director of BASF. “This is why, during the planning stage, we have not only given high priority to the quality and efficiency of the coating process, but also to ergonomics and occupational safety right from the start.”
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