Session Details

Session 4: Advancements in Automotive Finishing

Abstract Number:

118

There has been a developing trend towards electro-colored black ‎finishes. Although electro-coloring ‎has been the process of choice ‎for the architectural industry, automotive requirements are more ‎‎stringent and require different process technology. This ‎presentation will be beneficial to designers, ‎specifiers and ‎applicators.‎

Topics:

Automotive Industry
Light Materials – Treatments Optimizing ‎Performance

Electro-coloring processes have been widely used in the architectural industry for many ‎decades. ‎This process of choice exhibits unsurpassed lightfastness for exterior applications ‎and offers a range ‎of colors that can be achieved. By varying the metal ions of the electro-‎coloring process, color tones ‎from stainless steel, light to dark bronze, copper and true blacks ‎can be achieved. Although these ‎processes seem to be well understood, the finish ‎requirements in the automotive industry are ‎different and continuously changing. High gloss ‎surfaces and pH resistant finishes have been ‎becoming the norm for the automotive industry ‎and pose challenges for applicators.‎

‎ This presentation will illustrate the various influence factors on color tones and gloss levels ‎of the ‎final finish. It will demonstrate how quality consistency is achievable by optimizing ‎pretreatment, ‎anodizing, electro-coloring and sealing parameters. Besides the traditional ‎silver and black finishes, ‎newly developed electro-coloring process can extend the range of ‎lightfast colors for exterior ‎automotive applications and provide additional design ‎opportunities.‎