It is expected that the market will increase at just over three percent over the next few years, on a global level, with higher figures
for the Asia Pacific region and slightly lower in the developed markets, such as North America. Air traffic is expected to grow over the
coming years by around five percent in Western Europe and North
America compared to around 13 percent in the emerging markets.
Current estimates differ slightly but in terms of numbers, but the
current global commercial aircraft fleet is estimated at around
20,000 aircraft growing to around 40,000 by 2030.
The aerospace coatings market itself is expected to grow at a
slightly higher rate than the increase in new aircraft build as there
will be a higher number of larger aircraft in the market.
Aerospace coatings technology
There are a number of drivers in the aerospace coatings market.
The environment is a key player in these, with new legislation such
as REACH in Europe, as well as a number of directives to control
solvent emission globally. Both aircraft manufacturers and airlines
have had to make sustainability and environmental commitments.
This means that the manufacturers such as AkzoNobel have had to
develop products with REACH compliant materials. At this time
the big issue is how long chromates will still be allowed under
REACH. AkzoNobel themselves want to stop the use of chromates
in their coatings altogether but in a couple of markets there is a
need, driven by customer specification to keep chromates until such
a time that it can be proved that chromate-free alternatives give the
same kind of protection in the same environments. Epoxy technology is mainly used for primers, both structural and exterior, with
polyurethane technology being used for topcoats.
Reduced process times are increasingly required, both to ensure
that the OEM can produce more aircraft but also to ensure that the
airline can reduce the time the aircraft is on the ground, returning it
to passenger revenue quicker. Low VOC, either waterborne (for
structural application) or high solids dominate in new developments,
with conventional products being used in steadily reducing volumes.
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coating’s Aerodur 3001 Basecoat and
Aerodur 3002 Clearcoat is a superior basecoat/clearcoat coatings system specifically designed to meet the requirements of the
commercial aircraft market and is currently going through approval against a number of Airframe specifications, having recently been approved by Bombardier. The Aerobase Basecoat
system is also under final qualification.
The basic idea of a basecoat/clearcoat system is to apply color
in less coats than conventional high solids formulations, leading
to time savings. For example, on a recent application, only one
coat of orange was needed, compared to a number of coats when
using more conventional high solids technology. This not only
saves time in the application of the color but in the time taken to
wait for each coat to dry, before applying the next.
Coupled to this, tape times are around two hours compared
to eight to 12 hours and this means quicker masking and appli-
cation of multi-color schemes. All these reduced application and
taping times mean that, dependent on the refinishers shift pat-
tern, an aircraft can be turned around in quicker times. Material
usage is also significantly lower meaning that the applicator has
lower emissions from the process and this helps companies meet
their sustainability commitments.
“It is expected that the market
will increase at just over three
percent over the next few
years, on a global level, with
higher figures for the Asia Pacific region and slightly lower
in the developed markets,
such as North America.”
Cabin coatings technology
Paint is used in aircraft cabins either in specific areas such as
overhead luggage bins or in wider areas such as cabin walls,
where an airline does not want to use foil type coatings. Often
coatings can be used in aircraft cabins to provide a cost effective
refresh or help as part of rebranding. The current systems on the
market tend to be very expensive, in part due to the significant
burn testing and certification needed to be applied on the inside
of an aircraft or they are older technologies that do not comply
to VOC regulations and therefore hinder companies who have
sustainability commitments or specific regulations to meet.
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings will launch in September a
brand new range of cabin coatings. The Aerofine brand stands
for consistent, durable performance, easy application and value
for money while also being VOC compliant. Most products in
the line are waterborne single component products. They will
consist of a waterborne topcoat, a waterborne primer/surfacer
and a near solvent-free pinhole filler. These will be supplemented by a unique touch up repair kit that can be used between flights (i.e overnight). A mixing facility that can be
installed within the customers hanger—Mix2win—means that
small amounts can be produced around the clock to assist the
MRO or help the airline get paint quickly when an AOG (
aircraft on ground) situation occurs. This also reduced freight
costs for the facility. The quick drying of the Aerofine products
mean that process times are shorter then with solvent-based
products and enable too the application of special effects within
very short time periods. CW
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