Coastline Collision Auto Paint & Body Repair Center Blog Proper Auto Paint Procedures

Proper Paint Procedures

Source: Autobody Pro

Comeback paint repairs all have one thing in common: they are absolute financial losses for the collision shop. These "re-do's" reflect poor quality standards, inconvenience the customer, and can cost the shop more than just money if they lead to a bad business reputation. It makes good business sense for collision shop managers to be proactive in stopping paint comebacks before they occur.

There are several reasons why refinish repairs end up as comebacks: shoddy preparation; a poor paint finish (such as a dull topcoat); grinding marks showing through the surface; paint cracks, runs or dirt on the surface; and paint overspray on glass, jambs, moldings and/or wheels. And then there's the most common complaint of all: the color doesn't match.

Let's face it--mistakes happen. But it's important to treat each comeback as a learning experience, analyze what went wrong and make adjustments to prevent the problem from occurring in the future.

The blame for many complaints usually falls on both the technician who performed the repairs and the management team who failed to maintain a level of quality control for the shop production process. Either way, you have some work to do.

Technician Character and Conduct

"Painters are in a world of their own," says John Leach of Delran Auto Body, in Delran, N.J. "Their character and disposition are different [from that of] technicians." Another shop owner believed that paint technicians are more like artists and artisans who must be pampered each day in order to produce quality refinish repairs.

But while a good painter is worth his (or her) weight in gold, allowing shoddy or inefficient work processes in the name of keeping that employee happy doesn't do the shop--or the painter--any good in the long run. Artistic or not, every technician needs good work habits and a certain amount of discipline to ensure uniform quality at all stages of the repair process. Setting those quality standards is up to the management team. Costly mistakes can be eliminated by following specific shop guidelines and standards.

A collision shop paint department is constantly being lambasted with problems, whether it's staffed with apprentices or veteran technicians, says Leach. Some of them (usually the novices) bluff their way through assignments without really knowing what they are doing. When complaints surface, either from customers or other technicians, the painter generally blames the paint, the materials, the equipment, the shop conditions and even the weather, but rarely himself.

According to Leach, many refinishing complaints occur because inexperienced painters fail to realize that a quality paint finish is largely dependent on understanding preparation for topcoats. A shop owner who does not appreciate the importance of paint preparation may never obtain quality paint repairs if his technicians don't receive proper training in preparation.

Several paint manufacturers recommend using a guideline or procedure format that includes items such as proper cleaning before beginning surface preparation, level sanding, proper sand scratch filling, vehicle covering and application techniques. The paint companies also suggest that a mistake in any of these areas can result in a paint comeback ... and costly damage to the shop's reputation.

Establishing Guidelines and Standards

According to Ferdie Gonzales of High Tech Auto Body, in Philadelphia, Pa., problems in the paint department usually start with a lack of understanding of the shop's guidelines, procedures and standards of repair. It's also important, he says, to have equipment and products necessary to perform those repairs. Gonzales' standards include having the proper authorization, a qualified technician, and enough money to complete the repairs.

And, he notes, it is not enough to simply establish guidelines: you must make certain that each technician knows, understands and can follow those guidelines. "The amount of comeback repairs will decrease if every technician [adheres to] shop standards," says Gonzales.

Another guideline: Perform each repair as as if it is an "A" repair. For example, he says, some technicians gauge their repair according to the condition of the undamaged portion of the vehicle: if it looks like a pigpen, the technician will repair it that way. Technicians may be performing "A," "B" and "C" types of repairs, none of which follows any kind of shop procedure. "The condition of the vehicle should not prevent the technician from completing a quality 'A' repair," insists Gonzales.

So, quality repairs begin with quality technicians and repair shop guidelines.

But another problem that affects some paint repairs is whether the shop is being paid for performing specific procedures. According to Gonzales, getting paid to perform the repairs does not--and should not--be the employees' problem or the customer's concern: "The [Pa. Appraiser's] Law explains that non-payment of a procedure does not mean that the technician should not do it." There should be an obligation to the customer to perform certain necessary repairs, says Gonzales; the customer should not be forced into accepting a less-than-professional job. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that insurers often insist on materials caps and refuse to pay for necessary procedures, making this admirable dedication to quality difficult to achieve at best.

Leach agrees that you need quality technicians and quality products in order to prevent comebacks. He believes that technicians must attend ongoing training programs in order to become and remain qualified. Proper training also helps the technician learn to think about the repair before it becomes a comeback. For example, Leach set guidelines for his paint department on how to properly blend tri-coat and pearlcoat colors. The procedure helped his technicians reduce customer complaints and maintain his shop's reputation for quality repairs. Leach notes that although painters may have individual techniques, their results and performance should be positive if they follow the product application procedures. Leach also believes that spending money on a good product and its support can reduce comebacks.

Cleaning and Surface Preparation

One major paint manufacturer has compiled a list of proper preparation guidelines to follow in order to help avoid costly "dirt" comebacks. Extensive cleaning should be the first phase in preparing the vehicle for refinishing. The goal here is to eliminate any contaminants which can ruin the paint job. And cleaning should not begin with the vehicle, but rather with the paint shop area. While a collision shop should be kept clean at all times for health and safety reasons, a refinish area should probably be as close as possible to sterile. Shop dust and pollutants are one of the worse contaminants, and paint technicians may be walking dust magnets. A top priority in the cleaning operation should also be the painter.

A top-notch technician realizes that the spraygun is only a tool of his trade: what really counts is the person behind the spraygun. The technical knowledge of the painter must encompass many areas of refinish--how a spraygun works, adequate air pressure at the gun, the importance of application conditions and how to properly clean a spraygun. (This may sound foolish, but some technicians concentrate only on cleaning the cup and not the moving parts.)

Before the refinish application:

Clean the area in and around the paint shop daily and, if possible, before each refinish repair. (This is also recommended for technician health and safety reasons.) Keep the paint spraybooth clean at all times, and have it thoroughly washed at least once a week. Maintain filters and ventilation areas weekly. Replace filters at recommended intervals according to your shop production levels. (Again, this is recommended for technician health reasons.) Make sure the area being refinished is free of all hardware, lamps, mirrors, moldings, trim and bolted-on options. This will help eliminate topcoat/clearcoat cracking. Wash the vehicle with soap and water before any surface preparation in order to remove water soluble contamination (e.g., bird droppings, dust, soda, fresh tree sap). Some paint companies suggest a pressure wash. NOTE: The sanding process does not remove surface contamination; instead, contaminants are pushed below the surface, into the sand scratches, making later removal (by surface cleaners or detergents) difficult or impractical. The vehicle should be detergent-scuffed with a mixture of an all-purpose household detergent and hot water. This will remove most "high-tech" wax and paint sealants. Scrub the surface using fine, waterproof sandpaper or a gray nylon scuff pad. Rinse well and dry. All areas on the vehicle that require refinishing should be solvent cleaned with an appropriate greaseand wax-remover. Surface cleaners must be used liberally in order to work effectively. Contaminants

broken loose by the cleaner float on top of the wet film, and are then removed by drying the surface with a clean, lint-free wiping cloth. Never use thinner or reducer as a surface cleaner. It may be necessary to remove the old paint finish from the damaged area using a 24 to 36 grit grinding disc. Grinding the damaged area is generally included in the section for the application of body filler. Upon grinding the damaged painted area, sand the old paint film along the edge of the damaged area with a random orbital sander and 80 grit paper. Gradually taper (feather) the edge away from the damage until a minimum 1/4-in. of each layer of undercoat, colorcoat and clearcoat is exposed. Apply an etching filler over body filler and/or bare metal, and featheredge the area to provide adhesion and corrosion protection. For maximum protection, the etching filler dry film should be at least one mil thick. A primer surfacer application is recommended in two to three medium coats of tintable two-component acrylic urethane primer surfacer, allowing five to 10 minutes of flash time between coats. Blend the last coat of surfacer into the fine grit sanded area. For faster coverage of basecoats and single-stage finishes, choose a primer surfacer color that closely resembles the topcoat. Using an acrylic urethane primer surfacer eliminates the need for a sealer to provide gloss holdout, thereby saving an additional step. The cure time of the primer surfacer can be greatly reduced by force drying it with short-wave infrared heat or utilizing a baking booth. However, cold temperatures and excessive film thickness will extend the cure time. Block-sand by machine or hand with 320 grit treated sandpaper. Avoid sanding through and exposing the substrate. Re-apply primer as needed and finish-sand with 400 grit or finer treated sandpaper. For best results in finished appearance if you're not sealing, wet-sand with 600 grit waterproof paper. Using tintable acrylic urethane primer surfacer, then finish-sanding with 600 grit sandpaper, eliminates the need for a sealer as a ground coat or for gloss holdout. The painter should wear a body suit, gloves and head covering. (One strand of hair on a clearcoat surface looks like a heavy rope.) In addition to protecting the painted surface from dust that may be on clothing, a suit can also protect the painter from isocyanates that may be absorbed through the skin. Gloves keep moisture and/or oils from the hands from being transferred to the surface to be painted. Finally, use only recommended spray equipment for base- and clearcoat application. Adjust air pressure to the required psi for either conventional equipment or HVLP, depending upon the procedure.

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When educating your staff, take advantage of the materials your paint suppliers can provide. There are excellent pictorial data sheets that are designed to give the painter clear instructions in the use of

refinish products, product development and proper painting procedures. Some of the printed procedures offer information about the entire process of repairing a vehicle properly, including which hardeners and thinners work better in different temperatures and airflow filtration systems. Some illustrate techniques for blending, plastics repair and polishing. While the materials vary from one paint company to the next, most feature step-by-step guides to using products effectively. These can come in handy when you're negotiating with a less-experienced adjuster to justify what is necessary for a proper, quality repair.

Paint Manufacturer Training Programs

In addition to product instructional sheets, some companies offer training classes on topics such as safety, sprayguns, paint chemical fundamentals, product use, substrate prep, sanding, spraygun technique, undercoat systems, single-stage system application, basecoat/clearcoat system application, and tricoat application. Some programs are designed not only for technicians, but also for body shop owners, managers and insurance personnel. Classes on more advanced procedures may include color theory and its practical application to specific refinish material used in tinting.

A few tips from paint suppliers:

Proper application, sufficient drying and flash time between coats, and correct sanding techniques are paramount in creating an invisible refinish repair.

Always use the manufacturer's recommended mix ratios. Never substitute chemical hardeners or change the mix ratios, because it may affect the drying and/or curing property of the paint.

A proper sanding technique is described by one supplier as "the one single action that may have the biggest impact on sand scratch swelling." Guidelines for sanding should include the use of various grits: the finer the grit, the smaller the sand scratches will be, and the better the refinish job will look once it is topcoated. Controlling Paint Waste

With the cost of some products well in excess of $100 per gallon, you can't afford not to control usage with a good mixing system. Waste in the paint department will penalize a shop not only in terms of squandered inventory, but in increased disposal costs as well. And in the end, it is the shop owner who pays dearly for these mistakes.

A skilled technician can help the shop maintain its productivity and reputation. That's more than enough reason to examine your refinish production process today!