Kaleidoscope, Summer 2014 John van Gastel “Controlling the thickness of the application layer is vital whether you are dealing with waterborne or solventborne products. The painter needs to consider a number of parameters to achieve good layer management in different environmental conditions. These include the product mix, the spraying distance from the vehicle, the nozzle size and the pressure in the spray gun.” Adapt your application to deliver results “As the temperature and humidity changes the painter simply adds the right amount of hardener or reducer to bring the product back to its ideal state. But as you know this is much easier for solvent-based products in which you can control the speed of evaporation with a chemical,” he says. “This is a little more challenging with waterborne solutions as the reducer can only ever be water, meaning we all need to be smarter about how to approach changes in the environment.” John changes climate zones as often as many of us change our shirts. His job requires traveling around Europe, the Middle East and Africa giving expert advice on paint application to make sure you get Sikkens universal products. the very best from “All painters know,” John commences, “You have to adapt the product and the application to your environmental conditions to continue to get great results. As the seasons change so does the environment you are working in, so bodyshops need to adjust a series of variables to cope with these changes.” Ideal whatever the environment “Sikkens products are specially formulated to perform wherever you are in the world, providing maximum flexibility whether you are using a primer, filler, basecoat and/or clearcoat. The product, straight from the can, has been designed to perform at a theoretical ideal temperature of 22°C and ideal humidity of 50%. From Portugal to Puerto Rico or Austria to Australia, you need to be confident that the product behaves to reflect these ideal conditions and consistently produces the same high quality vehicle finishes, avoiding costly reworks and keeping customers happy,” he continues. Continuing John stresses, “Humidity is also more relevant with waterborne products as evaporation will slow down considerably if the air is already saturated with water. Conversely, if the air is very hot and dry you could be at risk of overspray, with the paint drying too quickly and the paint particles standing up from the vehicle. This affects the overall appearance – the color, the metallic orientation and the gloss level. It is reassuring to know that we can help with all the application methods needed to avoid these issues. For example you can apply thinner layers in hot summer months to overcome fast evaporation. The layers can be adapted via the settings on the spray gun and the nozzle size and spraying distance.” Knowledge at your fingertips John concludes, “This is where training really makes a difference and why we have specialist training centers across EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). In addition, we offer both onsite job training and e-learning and, if you have an immediate problem to solve, we have refinishing experts on hand.” Thermo-hygrometer Sikkens - Color and Technology 31 Pagina 30
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