First Vehicles Painted with Ford’s New Three-Wet Process on the Road

26 December 2007

Ford Motor Company and U-Haul launched more than 200 Ford E-Series trucks painted with Ford’s new three-wet process (earlier post) which results in a 15% reduction in greenhouse gases, about a 10% cut in VOC emissions, and a cut in Ford’s production costs. U-Haul began renting the units to customers this week.

The technology combines an advanced chemical formulation of high-solids, solvent-borne paint with an innovative three-wet application process that requires a smaller, less expensive and cleaner paint shop than traditional automotive paint facilities.

The company estimates it can save approximately $7 per vehicle by cutting the time it takes to paint a vehicle by almost 20% as well as reducing the size of the traditional paint shop by nearly 15%.

Ford’s new high-solids, solvent-borne paint formulation produces fewer VOC and CO₂ emissions than do water-borne and current solvent-borne paints. Because the new formulation contains more color pigment, it requires less paint to cover a vehicle than water-based paint.

The paint formulation contains new polymers and other additives that prevent running and sagging during the three-wet application process. And Ford’s laboratory tests show the high-solids, solvent-borne paint provides better long-term resistance to chips and scratches than does water-borne paint.