PPG Industries recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its electrocoat systems at its China headquarters in Shanghai.
PPG was the first company to introduce electrocoating technology commercially in an automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) assembly plant. Since it filled the world’s first automotive body electrocoat tank at a Ford plant in Wixom, Mich., in 1963, PPG has been dedicated to constantly improving electrocoat performance by developing and introducing innovations such as cationic electrocoat technology, cathodic epoxy electrocoat and lead-free, low-VOC (volatile organic compound), high-throw electrocoat.
Today, electrocoat technology has become the industry standard for corrosion protection. It has boosted the automotive industry because of its "green" credentials, high efficiency, uniform thickness and strong protection against corrosion.
“Innovation is one key to PPG’s leading position in the coatings industry, and electrocoat is a great example of our robust innovative strength,” said Vincent Robin, PPG vice president, automotive coatings, Asia Pacific. “In addition to continuing to improve electrocoating systems, PPG is committed to developing more state-of-the-art coatings products and techniques to help our auto industry customers – and their customers – save energy and reduce emissions.”
Over the past five decades, PPG electrocoat products and technologies have earned many accolades, including being named among FORTUNE Magazine’s 100 products “America Makes Best,” receiving the Presidential Green Chemistry Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and winning the Automotive News PACE Award for groundbreaking innovation. As of June 2013, more than 700 million vehicle bodies worldwide had been coated with PPG electrocoat products, and the total increases by about 90,000 per day.
Because of the improvement in electrocoating technology, electrocoat products now protect automotive bodies as well as automotive parts, household appliances, computers, other electronics and mechanical parts.
