How Do Non-Stick Coatings Benefit the Automotive Industry?

Did you know that more than 35 million cars run on the roads of the United Kingdom?

Surely, you’re thinking, with such volumes, automobile manufacturers are the richest companies in the world!

Well, up until 2019, that statement wasn’t far off. In that year, the UK automotive industry had a revenue of £78.9 billion. The numbers, unfortunately, fell in 2020 but started growing back again in 2021.

Regardless of the huge amount of profit that the Audis and the Volkswagens have consistently made, at the core of their manufacturing processes always lay a few challenges.

Such challenges caused the firms to incur huge expenditures quarter after quarter.

Over the years, these large costs have been significantly reduced by the introduction of non-stick coatings during the manufacturing process.

Read on to know more about which aspects of car manufacturing benefited from the use of non-stick coatings.

Case 1: Paint Spray Booths

A paint spray booth is where your car gets that showroom look that makes a passer-by’s head turn when you take it out for a drive.

Now, imagine the condition of a paint spray booth in an automotive manufacturing setting. Hundreds of cars get painted in these booths, leaving behind paint residue and other airborne materials that could have a negative effect on the following cars that are coming through the production line.

The portions of the paint spray booth that suffers the most are the extraction systems.

These systems consist of fans that help keep the already mentioned airborne particles out of the booths. As a result, they are left with tons of deposits that often cause them to stop working.

Typically, automotive companies spend a good amount of money in repairing, cleaning, and/or replacing these extraction fans. This loss is in addition to the downtime when repair or replacement occurs.

But now, thanks to a non-stick coating on the fans, they can be easily wiped down after a day’s use. No need to halt production or spend a fortune in replacing them.

Case 2: Metal Moulds

Many of your car’s important parts are made of polyurethane, a compound that provides durability, scratch resistance, and other properties. You’ll find polyurethane in your car’s headlights, tail lights, signal lights, and more.

Even though it’s widely used in the automotive industry, the compound poses significant challenges during the manufacturing process.

Polyurethane requires metal moulds. And they stick obstinately to these moulds, making them difficult, costly, and time-consuming to clean. And over time, these moulds have to be replaced, costing the company more money.

A simple non-stick coating on the metal moulds can reduce the cleaning time and also increase the lifespan of the moulds. And this means huge savings for the car manufacturer.

Case 3: Wheel Parts Coatings

Ever wondered how much stress your car wheels go through while on the road? No, not just the tires, but the rims and the brake calipers, too.

Rough roads and muddy tracks, all contribute toward a lower-than-expected lifespan of the wheels. And if you’ve ever changed your rims and brake calipers, you’d know how much you’ve got to shell out.

Fortunately, non-stick coatings can save you some time and money. When rims and brake calipers are coated with non-stick, they do an excellent job of keeping your car wheels safe from dust and mud sticking to them.

With non-stick coatings guarding the wheels, you can smoothly drive through wet roads, muddy trails, and dirt, without having to worry about frequently visiting your local car wash or mechanic for costly cleaning or replacements.

In Conclusion…

Non-stick coatings have proven to be quite the revolution in the automotive industry. Whether it’s safeguarding the spray paint booths or the most used parts of the cars, non-stick coatings ensure that there’s money to be saved everywhere.

Automobile companies save a good amount of money during the manufacturing process, and customers get their share of benefits, too.

In the end, non-stick coatings help this billion-pound industry grow efficiently and ensure peace of mind for consumers with greater longevity of automotive parts. It’s a total win-win for everyone.

If you would like to know more about how Product Release could help you with your automotive needs, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our experts, who can discuss your problem and recommend an innovative solution that will not only help you now but will minimise future damage or repairs, giving you peace of mind.