Preventive action methods.

Troubleshooting should be more than a reaction to

problems. Preventive maintenance is often overlooked as a tool to guard against
problems and defects. It is not possible to list every housekeeping item or maintenance
program associated with an electrocoat system, but there are essential mechanical,
chemical and substrate considerations.

Tank agitation. Agitation of a paint tank is necessary for paint suspension, filtration
and removing excess heat generated from pumping and coating. Proper agitation is
dependent on the header/eductor system and the circulation pump. Broken or
misaligned eductors can cause appearance defects in production and dead zones in the
paint tank. A malfunctioning pump can cause poor bath circulation, foam and
appearance defects. Excessive tank agitation can cause parts to fall. The velocity of the
paint in recirculation lines should normally fall between seven and ten fps. Semi-
annual tank cleanings should be performed to check agitation, and weekly cleaning of
the pump screens will prevent blockage.

Oven. The oven is critical to the final coating appearance and the desired performance
properties. It is recommended that the oven buildup be monitored and cleaned out
when necessary. Oven temperature recorders should be run semi-annually to ensure
correct oven balance and dehydration zone temperatures.

Rectifier. The rectifier should be checked yearly for ripple. It should not exceed five
pct under anticipated load conditions. The amperage and voltage displays should also
be checked to ensure calibration accuracy. There should be no stray voltage to the
paint tank during non-production hours.

Electrodes. The electrodes should be checked weekly for degradation, proper

operation of supply and return flows and to ensure electric leads are connected.
Periodic checks of each electrode's amperage draw can be used to monitor anode
performance. It is important to maintain a 4:1 or lower ratio of coating surface to
electrode (based on a two-minute immersion time).

Anolyte/catholyte. The anolyte/catholyte is needed to remove excess acid/base from

the paint bath and should be checked for proper liquid level, proper functioning of the
conductivity set-point indicator and probe, water supply availability and that the
supply and return flows are operational.

Racking. Racking includes design, part loading and cleaning. There should be
specially designed racks available for odd-shaped parts and spring-loaded hooks for
small parts. It is recommended to have one contact point for part grounding and to
handle them in a way as to eliminate liquid pooling, air pockets, falling off and contact
with other parts. Maintaining clean racks and contact points will help prevent rack
buildup and coating failures. The grounding system should be checked yearly for wear
and good contact.

Rinsing. Ensure the rinse system is operating monthly without any plugged or
misdirected nozzles. Make sure spraying is contained within the tank, and the
recirculated rinse flow is balanced from stage to stage. Check for a buildup of paint
solids and parts that have fallen in the tank. The headers should be cleaned
periodically to remove any settled material from the piping and pressure maintained
between five and ten psi.

Filtration. Filtration of the electrocoat tank includes both bag filters and ultrafilters.
Bag filters should be changed when the pressure differential inlet to outlet is five psi. If
oil absorbent media is being used, it should be changed frequently. The ultrafilter flux
rate should be checked daily using the site gauges and cleaner per the manufacturer's
recommendations. Most manufacturers recommend a cleaning at 70 pct of the
stabilized flux rate, or membranes can be irreversibly fouled, shortening life span and
making them more difficult to clean. The ultrafilter pump should be monitored by
pressure gauges.

Cleaning process. Proper cleaning parameters will allow for removal of substrate
contaminants such as stamping oils, surface dirt, fibers and weld smut. Whether an
acid or alkaline cleaner is used, the concentration and the process time must be
maintained and monitored daily. This includes any auxiliary cleaning steps such as
shot blasting and pickling. A clean substrate is necessary for proper pretreating and
coating. Dirty or contaminated substrate surfaces will cause final appearance and/or
performance problems leading to rejected parts and rework.

Pretreatment process. Pretreatment functions as a conversion coating for improved

paint adhesion and performance. It is crucial that this process be closely monitored
and followed per the supplier's recommendations. The four basics to optimum
pretreatment chemistry require monitoring of time, temperature, pressure and
concentration. Routine testing for proper coating weights and crystal morphology
should also be performed because the final appearance and performance of the
electrocoated part is only as good as its preparation.

Water. High-quality water is essential for operation of an electrocoat system. Quality

water is characterized by low conductivity, less than 10 micro mhos/cm for deionized
or 20 micro mhos/cm for reverse osmosis, low silica levels and microbe free. It is
recommended to have a minimum of two water sources, either two alternately
functioning units or one unit plus water storage capability. Resin bed cleanings and
regeneration procedures should be followed.

Substrate. Substrate quality is the first consideration in achieving a quality finish.

There are many types of metals used in electrocoating ranging from aluminum to cold-
rolled steel and from galvanized to heat treated metals. Using the first in, first out rule
will keep substrates clean. Protective storage conditions will aid in the prevention of
flash rusting and other surface defects.

Operating parameter effects. All systems, from cleaner and pretreatment through
electrocoat, have specifications that recommend optimal ranges of operation.
Understanding how each specification affects the appearance and performance of the
coating will allow for corrective adjustments. Also, through accurate testing and
charting, a historical picture of the system can be built and the occurrence of defects
minimized.

Bath solids. This includes the pigments and non-volatile components of paint. Low
bath solids cause lower film thickness, decreased throwing power, higher rupture
voltage and higher ultrafilter flux rate. Low bath solids occur from normal excessive
replenishment additions of paste.

Pigment to binder ratio. Low pigment to binder ratios cause higher gloss, decreased
throwing power, less hiding and more cratering. Low pigment levels occur from
excessive replenishment additions of resin and settling in the tank. High pigment to
binder ratios cause lower gloss, increased throwing power, settling in the bath and
rinses, and it makes the film more sensitive to water spotting. High pigment levels
occur from excessive additions of paste.

Bath pH. High bath pH for cationic systems can cause tank settling, dirt, a decrease in
ultrafilter permeate rates and sensitivity to streaking. High pH can occur from
excessive anolyte purges, excessive replenishment and caustic contamination from
carryover or deionized water. Low pH occurs from excessive acid levels and can cause
redissolution. Potential causes of low pH are deficient anolyte purges, anolyte leakage
in the paint tank, insufficient membrane surface, membranes surface plugging,
excessive acid additions and acid contamination from carryover or poor quality
deionized water.

Low bath pH for anionic systems also can cause tank settling, dirt, a decrease in
ultrafilter permeate rates and sensitivity to streaking. Low bath pH occurs from
excessive ultrafilter purge, excessive replenishment, and acid contamination from
carryover or deionized water. High pH occurs from insufficient ultrafilter purges,
excessive amine additions and caustic contamination from carryover or poor quality
deionized water.

Bath conductivity. Low bath conductivity can cause poor throwing power, low film
build and roughness. Low conductivity is caused by excessive ultrafilter purges and
low bath solids. High bath conductivity can cause rupturing, high film build and
roughness. High conductivity is caused by high bath solids and ionic contamination
from carryover or poor quality deionized water.

Solvent. Low solvent levels can cause low film builds, higher rupture voltages,
sensitivity to streaking (phosphate mapping), lower gloss and poor flow or orange peel.
Low solvent levels are a result of inadequate solvent additions and excessive ultrafilter
purges.

High solvent levels can cause high film builds, lower rupture voltages, higher gloss and
poor throwing power. High solvent levels are a result of excessive solvent additions.
Common Electrocoat Defects. Coating defects are numerous and this section will
not address every one, but it will provide some common defects related to the
electrocoat tank, potential causes and their solutions.

Cratering. Craters are bowl-shaped depressions with material in the center and raised
circular edges. They are usually caused by contamination of the bath, rinses or
substrates with particulates or incompatible oils. These contaminants can be from the
substrate forming process, greases or lubricants and other processes that allow
airborne contaminants to enter the system. Craters may also be caused by post tank
contamination of parts. This can come from chain oils, conveyor drips and blow out of
contamination in the oven. Often it is difficult to identify the cause of cratering
without close investigation of the line. A permanent solution to cratering must be to
identify and eliminate the source. Short-term solutions are using oil absorbent media
inside of bag filters, increasing the pigment to binder ratio and in some severe cases
diluting the contaminant with fresh feed.

Rupturing is the bursting of the deposited film by an excessive generation of heat

(anodic) and electrical sparking/gassing at the film/substrate interface (cathodic).
Rupture defects are caused by excessive voltage, excessive ripple, high film build,
electrode/counter electrode in close proximity and bath contamination. By racking the
parts according to substrate type, size and weight, the voltage can be adjusted as
necessary. Rupture can also be due to high bath temperature, solvent levels and bath
solids. The cathode or anode should be a safe distance away from its counter electrode.
Bath contamination by ionic species can be removed by ultrafiltering to drain and
replacing with deionized water.

Roughness is indicated by patches on a cured film that exhibits an alternately non-

uniform and smooth appearance. Patchy roughness can be due to ionic contamination,
low solvent levels and substrate irregularities. Ionic contamination is typically brought
into the bath through part carryover, poor water quality and anolyte/catholyte
malfunctions. Adding solvents can also help smooth the overall coating appearance.
Using clean, high-quality substrates and controlling pretreatment will minimize the
non-uniformity of the cured electrocoat film.

Redissolution is where all or part of the electrocoat film washes off or dissolves.
Redissolution can seriously limit the high transfer efficiency of an electrocoat system.
It occurs in the paint bath or post rinses and can be caused by excess solubilizer, high
solvent levels and line stoppages. Excess solubilizer and high solvent levels in the bath
lead to aggressive permeate post rinses that dissolve the deposited coating during
rinsing. This can be eliminated by maintaining proper bath pH and solvent levels. The
amount of time the ware is in the bath and rinse stages during the line stoppages
should be minimized.

Dirt. Dirt has three sources, process, environmental and oven. Process dirt develops
within the bath or rinses from inadequate solubilizer levels, pump shear, altered
circulation and improper filtration. In the early stages, dirt appears on a horizontal
surface, but in severe cases it can affect all surfaces. Environmental dirt is caused by
airborne particles that fall into the bath or settle on the ware. Electrocoat areas
exposed to vehicular traffic, ventilation fans, and grinding/sanding operations are
susceptible. Oven dirt is caused by condensation of electrocoat by-products that flake
off when drying. On a cured part, oven dirt is more surface oriented, while process and
environmental dirt is somewhat imbedded in the paint film.

Streaking. Streaking in an electrocoat film can be due to pretreatment, rinsing and

racking. Pretreatment variations can cause differences in ware surface conductivity.
This defect is usually a telegraphing or mapping of the pretreatment through the
electrocoat film or an electrocoat film phenomenon. Rinsing issues include low solvent
or solubilizer levels in the rinse stages and clogged or misaligned rinse nozzles. The
greater the length of time from paint bath to post rinse can increase drying of the
dragout, making it difficult to rinse. Dirty racks and improper racking also can be
sources of drips or spots.

Pinholing/outgassing is a pattern of relatively small, random volcano-like holes in the

electrocoat film that penetrates to the substrate. Pinholing is primarily seen on
galvanized/zinc-coated substrates, but can be caused by poor metal quality and
rectifier problems. Galvanized and other zinc-coated substrates may inherently have
surface microvoids. These microvoids may allow for the gasses normally generated in
the electrocoat process to be trapped under the electro-coating. During curing, the
gasses blow out through the electrocoating, leaving a volcano-like hole. Poor metal
quality, metal that cannot be pretreated evenly and voltage spikes from an unfiltered
rectifier can cause rapid electrodeposition. This does not allow the normal gasses
generated in the process to escape, therefore holes result.

Foaming/air entrapment. Foaming is typically caused by pump problems, poor tank

circulation and improper part loading. Cavitating pumps allow for aeration of the
electrocoat bath and poor tank circulation does not allow gas to dissipate. Odd-shaped
ware entering the electrocoat bath at an angle or through surface foam can also be a
reason for air entrapment.

Gloss variations can be caused by several factors, including pigment to binder ratios,
solvent levels and solubilizer levels. Pretreatment variations cause gloss differences
not only part to part, but also on one part. Cure time and temperature also affect the
final gloss.

Color variations can be caused by iron contamination, improper cure and poor tank
agitation. Iron contamination can cause a yellowing or browning of the coated film.
Oven problems can discolor cured films. Poor tank agitation can cause pigment
pooling that can cause a streaked or blotched discoloration on products.

Throwing power. Poor throwing power is usually related to low voltage, low bath
solids, low conductivity, high solvent levels and insufficient deposition time. By
increasing some or all of these variables and decreasing solvent and bath temperature,
throwing power will increase. Throwing power also can be impacted by the addition of
auxiliary electrodes close to areas where more film build is needed.
Thin coating. These coats may be caused by poor contact, a faulty rectifier, inadequate
electrode surface, high part loading, low voltage and low bath temperature and
inadequate deposition time. Clean hooks, proper electrical supply and maintaining the
proper coating surface to electrode ratio is essential to proper film build. High part
loading can cause an overall film-build decrease. Film build can be increased by
increasing voltage, bath temperature and deposition time.

Orange peel is related to iron contamination and low solvent levels. Iron
contamination can be caused by fallen parts, exposed mild steel and leaking anolytes.
This type of contamination, although ionic, cannot be ultrafiltered from the bath.
Coating out, adding fresh feed to dilute the contamination and eliminating the source
are the recommended solutions. Increased solvent levels can improve the flow
characteristics of the electrocoating, eliminating the orange peel.

The "Big Four" electrocoating troubleshooting areas include the troubleshooting

process, establishing preventive maintenance schedules, controlling operating
parameters and classifying common electrocoat defects. Troubleshooting
electrocoating will help users develop effective skills needed to promote optimum
electrocoating.