US-based automobile manufacturer Ford Motor will expand its 3-Wet paint process in four more plants across three continents in 2013 and expand globally in next four years.
In 2013, the company will deploy the paint process in Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan, Kansas City assembly plant in Missouri, Jiangling Motors in China and Valencia assembly plant in Spain.
The 3-Wet high-solids solvent-borne technology was first used by the company in 2007 at Ohio Assembly Plant and is currently used in its eight plants in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.
Ford Motor manufacturing engineering director Bruce Hettle said, "The 3-Wet paint process is significantly more advanced than conventional technologies in applying durable paints in a high-quality, environmentally sound and cost-efficient manner."
According to the company, 3-Wet paint is used to apply three layers of paint, including primer, base coat and clear coat, while each layer is still wet.
The paint process system is claimed to decrease 20% to 25% of the time taken to paint, reduce CO2 emissions by 15% to 25% and VOC emissions by 10% compared to either conventional high-solids solvent-borne or waterborne systems.
