Standox Blog
2012 DPC Study Tour Expressions of Interest
9 May, 2012
2012 DPC Study Tour
We're currently taking expressions of interest to attend our 2012 DPC Study tour to Europe in September.
If you are interested in joining us download the brochure and contact dpc.information@aus.dupont.com or 02 9627 4422
Standox Pack Size Changes VOC Platinum Clear
16 April, 2012
Pack Size Change - Standocryl VOC Platinum Clear
Please be advised that the 5L pack size of Standocryl VOC Platinum Clear has been deleted and the new 1L pack size will be available from the 1st of April.
Standox: Warm up for Clearcoats
27 March, 2012
Athletes warm up before a competition and motorists know engine oil is thicker in the cold. It’s not too different with clearcoats and hardeners. These tend to become more viscous during the cold season if not stored properly. It is virtually impossible, however, to achieve perfect surface results with cold paint materials, which will inevitably produce flaws.
Stephen Naylor, Standox Training Leader International suggests “Paint material should have a temperature of 20 to 25°C, as this ensures the best reaction between the clearcoat and the hardener.” For chemical reactions to run smoothly, warm conditions are much better than cold. The same applies to the substrates. If the substrate is too cold, this will have an adverse impact on the flow and the surface finish. To ensure consistent quality, our labs test everything under standardised conditions.While our products are relatively adaptable, certain minimum conditions must be ensured to avoid complaints. A processing and storage temperature of 20°C is ideal. Does the product appear to be too viscous, although you have mixed it correctly? In many cases, it is too cold. Adding thinner to reduce the viscosity is not the right solution. It’s not only bad for the environment and your wallet, but will cause flaws. Adding more coats to achieve a smooth flow will do even more harm, as excessive coats may lead to blisters and sagging.
Every bodyshop can ensure the right temperature and improve quality. Place your daily clearcoat and hardener in the still warm spray booth the night before, and avoid storing products directly on cold concrete floors. This will allow your staff to start the next day with the perfect materials.
DuPont Performance Services: Upcoming DPS Education Courses
5 March, 2012
Upcoming DPS Education Courses
Please find below a list of upcoming DuPont Performance Services Education courses.
Change Management with Lean Six SigmaTue 20/03/12 - Melbourne
Thu 3/05/12 - Brisbane
Lean Foundations
Thu 1/03/12 - Christchurch
Tue 6/03/12 - Wellington
Thu 8/03/12 - Auckland
Wed 28/3/12- Adelaide
Wed 18/04/12 - Sydney
Thu 17/05/12 - PerthFurther enquiries should be directed to your local DPS Consultant.
Standox Solvent Variant Fandecks
3 February, 2012
We would like to advise of a change to our range of colour tools.
For many years, the main tool used by bodyshops to determine the correct colour formula variant to mix has been a set of colour chips provided by their paint supplier. However, a number of factors are making it increasingly difficult for automotive paint suppliers, including Standox, to continue to supply their current range of colour fandecks.
One factor is the growing complexity of global vehicle manufacturing. Until recent years, vehicles were manufactured primarily in the USA, a few countries in Western Europe, and Japan and Korea. It was quite practical for a paint supplier to supply customers a fandeck containing colour chips for all the major OEMs in the whole world. This is no longer the case. Vehicle manufacturing has moved to lower cost countries, China is now the biggest vehicle manufacturer, and countries such as India, Thailand, Mexico, and many other Eastern European, Asian and South American countries are now important vehicle manufacturers. Vehicles sold in Australia under badges such as Toyota, Holden and Ford come from many different countries. A fandeck containing all the world’s OEM colours is no longer practical to manufacture and maintain.
Another factor is that a more modern and effective tool to identify colour variants is now available-the Acquire spectrophotometer. Fandecks require a lengthy and tedious manual updating process every few months, and many customers choose not to do this updating process, which degrades the effectiveness of the fandeck. On the other hand, the Acquire spectrophotometer has its database updated automatically with all the world’s latest colours, every time the customer receives a new colour formula CD.
A further factor is the move from solvent-based paints to water-based paints in the automotive industry. With use of water-based automotive paints being now being mandatory in many countries, including Western Europe, Canada and many parts of the USA, the demand for colour variant fandecks has sharply declined over the last few years. This means the production runs for solvent variant fandeck mothersets and updates are getting smaller and smaller-as the unit cost of printed items like fandecks depends very heavily on the size of the print run, this means the cost of solvent variant fandecks has risen sharply.
In view of all these factors, Standox has now discontinued supply of solvent variant fandecks. Please note that variant fandecks for Standohyd waterborne basecoat continue to be available.
Many Standox customers have already switched to use of the Acquire spectrophotomer for colour variant identification, and we recommend this as the most productive and effective colour tool available today. Customers can also display the digitally-rendered colour of Standox colour formulas on the monitor of their computer.
If you have any questions regarding Standox colour tools, please don’t hesitate to contact Laura, Mel or Sandra in the Standox Colour Service department for advice.
