Getting Started

What do I need to make waterborne basecoat work in my facility?

This is a very popular question. The answer is dependent on where your facility is located and the number of vehicles you refinish per day. Converting to a waterborne basecoat could possibly be the largest transition our industry has ever faced. With change comes the need for information.  Accurate information is the key to success! 

Collision shop owners have traditionally made the coversion to lower VOC products only as required by local regulation.  Now, shops in unregulated areas are making the change to AWX® waterborne basecoat simply because of the great performance demonstrated by this world-class product.

An innovative waterborne basecoat/clearcoat system, AWX® utilizes a proprietary resin system that behaves like the solvent-borne systems of today. Before we explore what is needed to make the AWX® waterborne basecoat system work in your facility, let's see how the AWX® waterborne basecoat system works in general.

How does waterborne basecoat work?

All waterborne basecoat systems essentially work the same except for one major component within the paint; resin. Resin is the glue or film that attaches the pigment (color) to the vehicle and provides coating stability and durability.

The resin used by SWAF within the AWX® waterborne basecoat system is a urethane based product that is insoluble to solvent and becomes insoluble to water.

Why is this important? Let’s use a simple example. Think of the glue used for a model airplane. If you apply a strip of model glue and wait a couple of days before applying additional glue over the previous glue, the layers of glue will have tremendous adhesion to each other. Why? Like glue, when resins are applied after its minimum recoat time but before its maximum recoat time, they will join together and become one. This process, called intercoat adhesion, is what makes AWX® waterborne basecoat a very robust system.

The one thing that all waterborne basecoats have in common is water. Water does not have the same characteristics of solvents. Different solvents will evaporate at different temperatures: Low, Medium and High temperature solvents. There is no low, medium and high temperature water. Water evaporates fastest when the ambient air temperature is high, with low humidity and the air moving fast. Water evaporates slower when the temperature is low, the humidity is high and there is no or slow air movement. The evaporation of water in a waterborne basecoat is known as dehydration.

What do you need to make waterborne basecoat work in your facility?

Humidity plays a major role in the performance of waterborne. Is your shop located in a high humidity or low humidity area?

High Humidity Areas:

• Heat and air movement will be critical. 
• Increasing the ambient air temperature will lower humidity. 
• When the humidity is high, the air is saturated with water preventing proper dehydration because there is nowhere for the water to go. 
• Increase both ambient air temperature and panel temperature with an infrared heat lamp.

Low Humidity Areas:

• Normal booth air movement will work well in these conditions.
• Normal spray temperatures will be all that is needed for low humidity days. 
• Proper application techniques will help to maximize its appearance.  

Next for consideration is air movement. Increased air movement will accelerate dehydration by changing the balance of water in the air, in relationship to the water in the coating. This allows for faster dehydration. There are many types of equipment that can be used to increase air movement. These units range from a hand held venturi all the way up to ceiling fans or corner venturi units.

Temperature is the final consideration. We know that humidity plays the largest role in the dehydration process, but not allowing the temperature to drop below 65 degrees is critical. Optimal spray temperature should be at least 75 degrees. Another thing to consider would be air line humidity. This should be 10% or less. You also need to take a look at air capacity, especially if the method of dehydration is going to be with a hand held venturi. A hand held venturi could consume as much as 20 cfm. A couple of these units could really tax your air supply. Not sure what type of equipment you need for waterborne conversion? Ask Sherwin-Williams.

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes offers a comprehensive facility analysis to address proper air flow, temperature and air quality in your facility. Our goal is simple - to ensure your successful conversion to AWX® waterborne basecoat from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes.