Robin Peffer, PPG senior research chemist at the company’s
Coatings Innovation Center in Allison Park, Pa., was instrumental in the development of Aerocron electrocoat primer.
“PPG’s strong history of developing corrosion-resistant elec-
trocoat products for automotive and industrial applications en-
abled us to adapt the technology for aerospace,” Peffer said. “The
value for aerospace is to continue this history of providing pro-
tection while meeting the specific performance requirements of
aircraft operators. Aerocron electrocoat primer coats parts uni-
formly, even in the recessed areas of complex-shaped parts, and
at reduced weight, which translates to long-term aircraft opera-
tion savings.”
Andreas Tolz, PPG aerospace coatings technical projects man-
ager for Europe based at the Gonfreville, France, aerospace coat-
ings facility, leads the commercial introduction of Aerocron
electrocoat primer in Europe.
“Aerocron electrocoat primer is formulated to help applicators get the most from the electrocoat process, providing a real
breakthrough for the aerospace industry in several ways,” Tolz
said. “For aircraft manufacturers and subcontractors, the electrocoat process can be fully automated and offers increased material utilization, making it a good ‘green’ choice. For their
customers, it adds value to finished aircraft by providing better
corrosion protection and lighter weight.”
What is electrocoat?
Electrocoating, or electrodeposition, uses electrical current to
Aerocron electrocoat primer by PPG Industries’ aerospace coatings
group affords better corrosion protection to metal parts than does
conventional spray primer because electrocoating enhances part coverage. It also provides nearly 100 percent product utilization, reduces
primer weight for enhanced aircraft fuel economy, and eliminates
worker overspray exposure. Electrical current is used to apply Aerocron primer to a conductive part. After pretreatment, the part enters
an electrocoat dip tank where a charge is applied and the amount of
primer needed is deposited onto it. Once coated, the part moves to
the rinse stages, and then it is thermally cured to achieve final coating properties.
apply a coating to a conductive substrate submerged in a water-based paint bath. The process can be fully automated.
After pretreatment, the part enters an electrocoat bath where
a charge is applied and the amount of primer needed is deposited
onto it. Once coated, the part is rinsed to remove any residual
primer, and then it is baked at a temperature that accommodates
the aviation industry’s needs. Aerocron primer is fully cured in
about 30 minutes PPG said.
Advantages for the aerospace industry
Aerocron electrocoat primer is water-based for low solvent emissions. Compared with typical conventional spray priming, electrocoating provides increased productivity and efficiency,
affording nearly 100 percent material utilization and no overspray. Also, the electrocoating process produces minimal waste
because it returns rinses to the electrocoat bath.
Additionally, electrocoating provides uniform primer application, even in recessed areas, which results in excellent corrosion protection and durability. Only the amount of primer
needed is deposited onto the metal surface, which results in
the thinnest coating required and minimizes the weight of the
finished part.
Airbus A319 aircraft receives custom colors
In recent news, PPG Aerospace created custom paint colors for British
Airways’ dove livery, which is being used on nine Airbus A319 aircraft to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
PPG Aerospace coatings specialists worked with livery artist
Pascal Anson to supply Desothane HS/CA 8000 series topcoats
in gold, light grey and white. A two-step gold mica created outlines of feathers, which were accented in white and painted over
a light grey fuselage to represent the body and wings of the dove.
Gold on the cockpit created the dove’s beak, and gold on the tail
created the British Airways Chatham Dockyard Union flag design. Desothane HS/CA 8000/B900A clear topcoat provided a
final protective coating.
“All the colors used for the aircraft were bespoke,” said Alex
Reid, PPG Aerospace account manager at the North Europe application support center based at the PPG Shildon plant in
Northern England.
Anson visited the PPG Shildon coatings manufacturing plant
to select colors. “He wanted to design his own gold,” Reid said.
“The plane had to be light grey to make it look like a dove, so
together we designed a grey and a special gold mica with a
unique base color to achieve the desired effect.”
British Airways made the paint masks. “They have their own
graphics shop, so everything was produced in-house,” Reid said.
“There was only one drawing of how to paint the plane.”
As British Airways uses PPG’s selectively strippable coatings
system on its Airbus fleet, Reid added, the repainting process was
simplified. With this system, the topcoat and intermediate coat
are designed to be easily removed, and the primer is left intact.
The aircraft is washed, and the intermediate coat and topcoat
are reapplied. The system typically saves about a day repainting
this type of aircraft.
32 | Coatings World
www.coatingsworld.com
August 2012
