Another Collision Repair Shop Goes Green!

I flew up to Grand Prairie, Alberta this Monday to assist in converting another collision shop to PPG’s Envirobase HP. Doug, Jason and myself were in GPI Collision today to set up this clean and modern collision shop with the proven water system from the leader in water borne base coat. The installation took us less than a half a day and we were ready to mix and spray Envirobase. Western Paint Supply and PPG work closely together to maximize our time setting up the system and minimizing the down time for the shop and painter. We like to properly install the paint system and watch a short twenty five minute video to inform the painter of the do’s and don’ts when spraying water borne paint. Then we get to the fun part of the switch over, the spraying.

With the painter currently spraying PPG Global Basecoat the switch to water will be a snap. We will train the painter a full day and then leave him be to apply the paint on his own. I feel that a painter that has a good grasp on PPG clears and sealers has an easy time using the new water base paint. He already knows the full line of PPG products and the water is the only process he needs to learn. I look forward to putting a smile on his face tomorrow as we spray the best water borne paint on the market today.

I will follow up on this article and inform you on how the painter liked the transition. I will also get a testimonial from the painter and get his opinion. Stay tuned and I will post his answers and testimonial as soon as we are finished the training.

PPG is ready when you are

The move to waterborne requires careful planning to ensure the quality and productivity of the paint repair operation is maintained with minimal interruption. It all begins with gaining an understanding of waterborne technology and the key steps and considerations that must be taken into account for making a smooth transition from solvent borne.

 
Experience has demonstrated that collision centers achieving the most success in transitioning to a PPG waterborne basecoat are those who have taken advantage of PPG’s “Convert with Confidence” process. This initiative supports and underscores the need for proper planning, technician training and the right equipment required to make a smooth, seamless transition. Taking advantage of this process, you can receive all the support, training, and advice required to make a timely, seamless move to a PPG waterborne
system.

Conversion planning guide

PPG’s step-by-step “Convert with Confidence” Waterborne Conversion Planning Guide is a comprehensive guide to understanding and planning for the move to waterborne basecoat. This helpful guide covers all the tasks involved in the conversion process, and provides detailed timetables and checklists to follow—so there are no surprises on conversion day. To obtain a copy of this guide, contact your local distributor. There are two versions available: one specific for California and Canada (PPG part number CARBPGC), and one for the rest of North America (part number CARBNAT).

Seminars for owners & managers

PPG “Convert with Confidence” seminars are being conducted across North America. Designed for body shop owners and managers, this seminar covers everything a shop needs to know about the planning and implementation of a PPG waterborne system—from understanding the technology and supplemental air movement equipment requirements to workflow planning and waste stream management. Following the
seminar, your PPG distributor or territory manager will work with you to schedule a conversion date and provide the support you need. Your territory manager can assist in determining when a “Convert with Confidence” seminar will be held in a location nearest your facility.

Technician training

While technicians will find PPG waterborne basecoat easy to apply and blend, it’s critical that they receive the proper training prior to conversion, since the technology does require different application techniques.
PPG offers a comprehensive, one-day training course to ensure paint technicians are ready and skilled at refinishing with waterborne basecoat. The course provides both classroom and hands-on instruction which covers everything technicians will need to know about waterborne technology and the proper application of your new system. Topics covered include: Product System Overview, Application Techniques, Spot Repair & Blending, Product Tips (Do’s & Don’ts) Equipment Requirements, Environmental, Health & safety Issues waste Handling, Color Adjustment. The Waterborne Conversion Planning Guide will help you develop a workflow plan to accommodate your technician training schedule.

On-site training

When your conversion day arrives, PPG will provide on-site training to ensure the paint operation gets up and running smoothly without disruption. To supplement the offsite training your technicians have already received, PPG will provide additional support to make sure they are proficient with our waterborne color tools,TouchMix software,and anything else you need.

A team effort

From day one in setting your conversion plan in action, it is important to work in conjunction with your distributor and PPG’s support team to insure a smooth and successful transition to this exciting new technology. By working together, your business will quickly be enjoying the many benefits of water borne.

The publication of draft VOC-emission regulations in April seems to have taken some of the steam out of the conversions to low-VOC products and waterborne basecoat.
It was expected that having draft regulations from Environment Canada would prompt collision repairers to take action and begin planning for the waterborne conversion. However, because the draft regulations extended the implementation deadline to Jan. 1, 2010, it seems the industry’s sense of urgency has diminished. In my opinion this will not be wise to leave your conversion to the last minute. With many shops needing to upgrade or buy new equipment, leaving your conversion to the last year/month could cause major purchasing problems. As demand goes up for the equipment the supply will go down. Good luck getting a compressor in six weeks when a hundred other shops are ordering one at the same time!

Brian Edwards reported at a recent CCIF meeting that the publication of the draft regulations on April 26 has cooled shops’ interest in converting to waterborne paint. “The backlog of shops that must convert is getting pushed further and further toward the deadline,” he cautions.

When the regulations were published in April, experts calculated that conversions would have to proceed at a rate of 400 to 500 per month in order to have all Canadian refinish facilities using new low-VOC products by 2010. In recent months, two more districts in California have adopted similar low-VOC regulations, with implementation dates of January 2009, and there is demand for waterborne basecoat even in non-mandatory areas of the United States. Both of these factors will raise the demand for personnel and equipment to support conversions.

So If I was a body shop owner I would start this conversion process now and not leave it any longer. Purchasing new equipment and any other supplies is quite easy at this time with waiting times being minimal. Your shop will be more environmentally friendly and it will start making more money as a result of converting to PPG Envirobase water borne paint.

PPG water borne conversions are gaining momentum in Canada.

According to PPG, more than 700 collision shops have made the transition to waterborne basecoat in anticipation of new air quality regulations in Canada. Pending and existing regulations intended to reduce VOC atmospheric emissions and improve air quality, has so far resulted in more than 700 facilities switching to PPG’s Envirobase High Performance basecoats.

Canadian shop owners who have made the change have been pleased with the results. Many of my customers we a little nervous about their switch to water, but after converting would not go back to the solvent borne paint again. But why is this I asked a painter at a local body shop. “As we get more familiar with the Envirobase paint we are finding it is faster and it provides a better color match than the Global system we were using previously. Also it lays down better and is a lot easier to blend than solvent based paint, plus gives us a smoother finish than our previous paint”. 

 
 In Canada, the regulations will take effect nationwide on January 1, 2010. To help assure shops make the conversion smoothly, PPG’s “Convert with Confidence” program provides shop owners, managers and technicians with training, advice and support before, during and after the conversion. A shop must attend a meeting on the new water system and watch a seventeen minute video on the do’s and don’ts of spraying water borne paint. One this is finished we then take a look at the shops equipment and make sure they are 100% ready to convert. According to Jim Downey, PPG senior regional manager, “Transitions are going very smooth; the program employs a methodical implementation plan for managers, then painters coming to class at our training centers. While they’re in class, we install the new equipment at the shop. When they return, everything’s ready to go with a PPG training team there to help.”

PPG is encouraging shop owners in  Canada and the U.S to take advantage of the “Convert with Confidence” program as soon as possible to ensure they will be “shop ready” when regulatory deadlines take effect. It is better to do this now rather than leave it to the last minute as equipment and supplies will be in short supply. The time is NOW to convert your shop with confidence and grab a hold of the new way of refinishing technology.

Waterborne Conversions

In the life of a busy sales representative this week, it has been nothing but go-go-go. I have successfully completed another waterborne conversion using PPG’s Envirobase waterborne paint. This paint system is awesome to use in any body shop today. We set up G.S.L Chev City in one day and we were spraying paint the next day first thing in the morning. The feature I like the most about PPG’s water system is the fact that there is no more mixing machine to agitate the paint. Gone are those big bulky mixing machines that are noisy and take fifteen minutes to stir the paint before you are ready to use the product. As they say “out with the old and in with the new”.

PPG’s new waterborne paint system consists of two cabinets stacked side by side and the motor unit is used for primers and sealers; this acts as the base of the new system. Your hand now becomes your paint shaker and no more waiting fifteen minutes for your base to properly stir. You now just shake with your hand and go mix. Remember all those times when you run out of a toner and had to wait fifteen minutes to stir the new one, not any more. I was a flat rate painter when I sprayed and if I counted all the times I waited fifteen minutes for a toner to stir, I would be thousands of dollars richer.

This is only one of the great new features PPG’s Envirobase waterborne system has to offer you. The cabinets are white which seems to brighten up even the darkest mixing rooms. I like to see what I am doing so this is a plus in my books. The paint itself is environmentally friendly, which is the reason we folks in Canada have to switch to this not so new product. The government of Canada has lowered VOC emissions and placed tighter regulations on automotive paint. The majority of solvent was being used in the base coat with most paint systems being a 1:1 reduction, one part base coat and one part solvent. This is why all solvent base coats are being replaced by water basecoats. This is where the most solvent is used in most paint systems, the base coat.

This new water system is very simple to use for any painter. Even the newest painter will pick this simple system up with ease in two days. What you need to dry the base is air movement. This is provided in two different ways. One is the shop will retro fit the paint booth/s with air jets which are mounted to the four corners of the paint booth. The other is with tree stands and hand held air blowers. These blowers are set up near the vehicle and directed to blow at the vehicle being painted. These tree stands and blowers are provided by PPG to assist the drying process of the base coat between the first and second coats of paint. The last coat of base requires no air from the blowers to dry and will sit for fifteen minutes. This severely increases the speed of the over all paint process. What used to take an hour to two hours will now take you only half that time. The shops will double the amount of vehicles being put through their booth daily. If you were spraying five cars a day you will now be able to spray eight to ten cars a day.

This is good news for the body shops and the painter as well. More profitability for everyone involved in the repair process! So what are you waiting for, switch over to PPG’s new Envirobase and convert with confidence today.