Ford Expands 3-Wet Paint Capacity by 50pc in 2013

Ford Motor Company is expanding its industry leading 3-Wet paint capacity by 50 percent this year, adding the environmentally friendly paint process to four more plants on three continents. The actions will reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 30 percent at those facilities. Ford India’s Chennai plant is first Ford car plant in the world – and Ford is the only manufacturer in India – to use new 3-Wet High-Solids paint technology. Automated robots apply all three coats – primer, base coat and clear coat – one on top of another before oven curing. The 3-Wet process derives its name because three layers of paint are applied one after the other before the prior coats have been cured. The process eliminates stand-alone primer application and a dedicated oven required in the conventional process that was used before. Advanced chemical composition of 3-Wet paint materials allows for the three layers of paint -- primer, base coat, and clear coat – to be applied while each layer is still wet without baking in between. Picture: For representation purpose only