Some helpful info on current paint technolgy

Innovative Detailing · 01-28-2009, 02:32 AM

Here is some current info that I picked up in one of my trade journals.....

thought I would share this great knowledge if you havent seen it yet.....

The return of harder clears!

So now, many manufacturers have gone back to a harder version of clear coat to gain more scratch resistance. The term of these new generation of clears is simply called "scratch resistant clears" One common name for them is a brand called Cerami-Clear which simply uses nanno, or very tiny particles of ceramic that migrate to the very top portion of the clear coat and give it more scratch resistance against car washing and normal everyday abrasions. It's a better version of the old Melamine clear coats which are also very hard. But...some of these hard clear coats are very hard and very difficult to remove imperfections. You will need to be fairly aggressive to get anywhere with some of these newer, harder clears. I have also seen scratch resistant clears that once you buff through the very thin nanno section of ceramic particles that are at the very top of the clear, it turns into a softer clear underneath and can still swirl and mar very badly, even though technically it's a scratch resistant clear. So this can be very confusing and demoralizing for a the detailer as well.

In addition, not all vehicles are using these newer, harder clears. Some car manufacturers are using the scratch resistant clears on ALL their vehicles such as Mercedes. Some manufacturers are using these clears on some of their cars but not all of them. For example, BMW uses scratch resistant clear coat on all vehicles made in Germany. However, on their vehicles made in the US such as the Z4, X3 and X5, they are still using the softer powder clear coats at the plant in South Carolina. And a couple of years ago, before all the German made BMW's made the change to scratch resistant clear, some plants would still use a soft clear while some plants had already switched to a harder version. So it was not inconceivable to see the same year and same model vehicle, in the same color with one having a soft clear and one having a hard clear. That will make buffing rather interesting, wont it?

Some other car lines are still exclusively using soft clears. So, it's not so easy being a detailer these days as you can see. There are many different types of clear coats still in use with almost all of them having their own buffing characteristics

So you can understand how even for the professonals out there, paint technology is always changing.

Dave @ Innovative Detailing

picus · 01-28-2009, 12:09 PM

Good info. Which mag is it from? Just curious, I'd like to pick it up. MB has been using ceramic paint for awhile, I know they started using it on all cars in 2008 (C paint code), of course it's easy to tell when working on them too! Hah.

I still haven't run into a 3 or 5 series with ceramic paint. I've worked on over a hundred and so far the toughest one (in terms of paint) has been mine (yay!), but it isn't ceramic. Most of them are pretty weak. It'll be nice to start seeing ceramic BMWs, it'll definitely be an improvement!

If there are some out there it would definitely explain why detailers have such a tough time pinning down BMW paint. Just look at this thread:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-det...black-bmw.html

JohnL135I · 01-28-2009, 12:13 PM

Very good info, thanks Dave......

purplewidow · 02-07-2009, 11:12 AM

that is why i LOVE mercs paint.. the s63 in the family has no scratches..not one swirl and my mom takes it to a hand car wash that i know swirls regular clears but hers not an imperfection to be found.

people refer to them as nano tech clear coats..or ceramic clear coats..they really work.i bet in ten years no more swirls for half the cars on the road..at least new ones. merc has been on this since mid 03'..bmw spent millions on their paint technology and coating in 01' i believe so i bet in 3-4 years time they will change..if not a lil sooner.

drvai · 02-07-2009, 04:37 PM

I really can't understand how they haven't been able to come up with a better paint for cars. They are just so sensitive to everything. Even bird shit can ruin the pain in minutes.....

Don't really know this ceramic paint with details, but at least the 3 series doesn't come with it.

01-28-2009, 02:32 AM	#1
Innovative Detailing Second Lieutenant 18 Rep 236 Posts Drives: 08 M3, 06 Denali, 53Ford F100 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orange County iTrader: (0)	Some helpful info on current paint technolgy Here is some current info that I picked up in one of my trade journals..... thought I would share this great knowledge if you havent seen it yet..... The return of harder clears! So now, many manufacturers have gone back to a harder version of clear coat to gain more scratch resistance. The term of these new generation of clears is simply called "scratch resistant clears" One common name for them is a brand called Cerami-Clear which simply uses nanno, or very tiny particles of ceramic that migrate to the very top portion of the clear coat and give it more scratch resistance against car washing and normal everyday abrasions. It's a better version of the old Melamine clear coats which are also very hard. But...some of these hard clear coats are very hard and very difficult to remove imperfections. You will need to be fairly aggressive to get anywhere with some of these newer, harder clears. I have also seen scratch resistant clears that once you buff through the very thin nanno section of ceramic particles that are at the very top of the clear, it turns into a softer clear underneath and can still swirl and mar very badly, even though technically it's a scratch resistant clear. So this can be very confusing and demoralizing for a the detailer as well. In addition, not all vehicles are using these newer, harder clears. Some car manufacturers are using the scratch resistant clears on ALL their vehicles such as Mercedes. Some manufacturers are using these clears on some of their cars but not all of them. For example, BMW uses scratch resistant clear coat on all vehicles made in Germany. However, on their vehicles made in the US such as the Z4, X3 and X5, they are still using the softer powder clear coats at the plant in South Carolina. And a couple of years ago, before all the German made BMW's made the change to scratch resistant clear, some plants would still use a soft clear while some plants had already switched to a harder version. So it was not inconceivable to see the same year and same model vehicle, in the same color with one having a soft clear and one having a hard clear. That will make buffing rather interesting, wont it? Some other car lines are still exclusively using soft clears. So, it's not so easy being a detailer these days as you can see. There are many different types of clear coats still in use with almost all of them having their own buffing characteristics So you can understand how even for the professonals out there, paint technology is always changing. Dave @ Innovative Detailing
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01-28-2009, 12:09 PM	#2
picus Brigadier General 127 Rep 4,172 Posts Drives: e92 SG 335i Coupe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	Good info. Which mag is it from? Just curious, I'd like to pick it up. MB has been using ceramic paint for awhile, I know they started using it on all cars in 2008 (C paint code), of course it's easy to tell when working on them too! Hah. I still haven't run into a 3 or 5 series with ceramic paint. I've worked on over a hundred and so far the toughest one (in terms of paint) has been mine (yay!), but it isn't ceramic. Most of them are pretty weak. It'll be nice to start seeing ceramic BMWs, it'll definitely be an improvement! If there are some out there it would definitely explain why detailers have such a tough time pinning down BMW paint. Just look at this thread: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-det...black-bmw.html
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01-28-2009, 12:13 PM	#3
JohnL135I Donkey Kong King 95 Rep 1,129 Posts Drives: 2012 Boss 302 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sahuarita, AZ iTrader: (3)	Very good info, thanks Dave......
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02-07-2009, 11:12 AM	#4
purplewidow Lieutenant Colonel 54 Rep 1,928 Posts Drives: e92 335 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chicago iTrader: (2)	that is why i LOVE mercs paint.. the s63 in the family has no scratches..not one swirl and my mom takes it to a hand car wash that i know swirls regular clears but hers not an imperfection to be found. people refer to them as nano tech clear coats..or ceramic clear coats..they really work.i bet in ten years no more swirls for half the cars on the road..at least new ones. merc has been on this since mid 03'..bmw spent millions on their paint technology and coating in 01' i believe so i bet in 3-4 years time they will change..if not a lil sooner.
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02-07-2009, 04:37 PM	#5
drvai Major 151 Rep 1,274 Posts Drives: E92 M3 AW Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	I really can't understand how they haven't been able to come up with a better paint for cars. They are just so sensitive to everything. Even bird shit can ruin the pain in minutes..... Don't really know this ceramic paint with details, but at least the 3 series doesn't come with it.
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