The next time you see a Ford E-Series truck painted with Ford’s environmentally responsible new technology, remember it is one of the 200 vehicles produced by the joint effort of Ford Motor Company and U-Haul to reduce greenhouse gases by 15 percent.
Let me tell you what this signifies. The technology combines an advanced chemical formulation of high-solids, solvent-borne paint with an innovative three-wet application process that requires a smaller, less expensive and cleaner paint shop than traditional automotive water-borne and current solvent-borne paints facilities. It also rduces VOC emissions (volatile organic compounds) by about 10 percent. The new polymers and other additives present in it prevent sagging and running during the three-wet application process.
Apart from going easy on Mother Nature, the new technology also cuts down on the production costs of Ford. Because the new formulation contains more color pigment, it requires less paint to cover a vehicle than water-based paint. It also eliminats the need for air-conditioning. The company estimates it can save approximately $7 per vehicle by cutting down the time it takes to paint a vehicle by almost 20 percent as well as reducing the size of the traditional paint shop by nearly 15 percent.
The effort has been appreciated. What better proof of the fact than this… In June, Ford won the ‘Best Technical Prize’ for its new paint technology at SURCAR: The International Conference on Automobile Body Finishing in Cannes, France.
Via: Pure Green Cars
