Cataphoresis

Cathode Metal Coating Bath or KTL e-coating has been the essential painting process of OEM in automotive industry. SPE is the first aftermarket manufacturer in Turkey to apply this process in house.  This experience and our chemical know-how leads to meeting and even exceeding OEM (minimum 720 hours) test results according to EN 50021 salt spray test. KTL e-coating technology  provides the following benefts compared to electrostatic spray paint.

• A closed chemical process to provide enviromentally friendly solution to cating.
• Ability to paint even the most complex geomtry thanks to utilizing coating bath.
• Better surface adhision properties to have a superior cross cut and impact test result.

Our products are described as safety parts and they are located underneath the vehicles, which causes no daily visual contact with users. This matter plays a key role in SPE’s responsibility to their customers about the security and quality of the parts. As known, suspension parts are exposed to many different forces and adverse road conditions (road salting, rain, rock hits, traction, etc.). As a result of this, SPE does not only aim to produce with standardized materials and dimensions but also aim to improve the product’s life cycle and guarantee higher quality by the cataphoresis applications.

CATAPHORESIS PAINT COATING

Cataphoresis line process consist of four main phases:

• Surface cleaning phase
• Surface preparation phase
• Coating phase
• Flash-off and oven phase

Surface Cleaning Phase

In order to link the painting with iron, surface cleaning must be done in top calibre. This phase, which consists of oil-removal and rinse tanks, removes the negative structures such as oil film, welding powders, dust, etc. from the piece.

Surface Preparation Phase

This phase exists in order to lodge the ZnPO4 crystals to surface and to provide linkage between painting and iron. Activaition tanks consist of ZNPO4 tanks and DI water-swill tanks.

Coating Phase

When the necessary preparation is completed on the metal surface, the water based painting is applied. This phase consists of painting and UF tanks.

Flash-Off and Oven Phase

This is the phase where the liquid build-up in the paint is seperated from it in the form of gas and paint is solidified after after curing.

SPE Cataphoresis Center

Chemical steams go through the SCRUBBER application. Chemical material is captured in that steam and disposed by recycling it back to the treatment plant. The waste gas, which is cleaned in order to meet environmental standards, is released to the atmosphere. The heat recycling is performed by the oven exhaust hood. This prevents the potential negative environmental effects.SPE cataphoresis line is unique in the fact that it’s the only system among the others that has no paint sludge waste and has the self-cleaning feature.

Heat recycling is performed from the oven exhaust hood. By doing that, negative affect to the environmental factors is prevented in SPE A.Ş cataphoresis line.

Hangers used in cataphoresis line have no additional cleaning waste since they are developed in a way that the painting applied won’t stick on them. This feature makes the system different compared to the other coating systems.As all the paramterical values of the bath are recorded and tracked continuouly, SPE cataphoresis line has no customer claims up until today. Cross cut and impact tests are performed on the products in order to check the quality. 18µ – 20µ painting thickness values and 720-1000 hours salt test values for corrosion are provided during this application.These test results meet the OEM values with the superior qualification.

Cataphoresis is a Water-Based Paint

This is a kind of electro-chemical coating, which is applied in liquid form. This application deliveres higher performance on corrosion and impacts when compared to electro-static dust and electro-static wet paint coatings.

Cataphoresis lines consist of mostly closed circuit tanks. It’s integrated and works with auxiliary plant that can feed itself and keep chemical waste material under continuous control. That’s why chemical waste ratio is lower than any other application. The low amount of chemical waste and low operational cost of the system makes it much more convenient to work with and friendly to environment.

With this process, there won’t by any flying paint particles which would create loss of paint and inconvenience at work station.

SPE, Suspension Parts Experts