Exceptional Appearance
FROM TOPCOAT... TO BOTTOM LINE™
Sherwin-Williams Aerospace proudly introduces the SKYscapes®
basecoat-clearcoat
paint system that saves time and money — imagine being able to cut as much as 30% from your painting process time — and eliminating most bake cycles. Plus, it still provides the superior appearance and durability that the aviation industry expects from Sherwin-Williams.
The time to fully paint an aircraft can be cut by up to 30 percent, or as much as two days, with the new base coat/ clear coat process.
www.swaerospace.com
qualities the OEMs seek from BC/CC is reduction in the time it takes to apply an aircraft’s complete livery. And the more new-aircraft production accelerates, the more beneficial this capability becomes. Several coating manufacturers report that the time to fully paint an aircraft can be cut by up to 30 percent, or as much as two days, with the new BC/CC as opposed to traditional paint processes.
ASK
From Cars to Planes Fully adapting BC/CC for use in aerospace has been no small undertaking, however. Painting airplanes is quite different from painting cars, from which the BC/CC technology evolved. “When you spray larger areas such as on an airliner, you have to slow the process down and increase the coating’s durability and performance,” says Voisin. “The relatively short time it takes to dry base coat/clear coat on a car would not look good when you paint an aircraft.” Proper application time is critical to assure the paint “flows flat” and doesn’t present an “orange peel” finish. Also, the performance needed for automotive coatings does not meet the requirements needed for aircraft. BC/CC for aircraft has to endure much greater temperature extremes which, in turn, cause aircraft to expand and contract. Paint, therefore, must be made flexible. Aviation coatings must also incorporate
30 Aviation Maintenance |
avm-mag.com | April / May 2012
extra ultraviolet protection, meaning more gloss and color retention. And they require a greater resistance to harsh chemicals, especially Skydrol hydraulic fluid. The major coating manufacturers have been developing their formulas—incorporating additives and proprietary resins to polyurethane enamel— to meet these requirements.
Meanwhile, the OEMs have established qualifications for BC/CC’s application on aircraft coming off their assembly lines. These qualifications vary among manufacturers and can take up to “a couple of years” to satisfy,” according to Mark Cancilla, global director-coatings, with PPG Aerospace. His company offers its Desothane brand of base coats and clear coats. The qualifications vary, in part, because European and North American OEMs face different governmental regulations. Also, each OEM utilizes its own distinct pretreatment and primer process, and this can impact paint performance. Currently, the major paint manufacturers
are working with the OEMs, seeking the qualifications needed to gain their business. “We expect Boeing’s full approval for our
Aerodur 3001 [base coat] and 3002 [clear coat] paint for aircraft coming off the production line by some time in the second quarter 2012,” says Andrew Richardson, AkzoNobel’s global marketing director. “This follows extensive testing at Boeing on a number of aircraft.”
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