Coatings Cafe
Dirt
Defect Description
A very general term for contaminants that are foreign to the paint finish. The defects are solids and the size is typically in the mm scale and can be often seen without high magnification. The dirt defects can be items from the paint process line like body sealers, metal flakes, weld balls, dried paint particles, sanding dust or filter bag fibers. The defects can also be dirt from airborne sources-lint and dust or fibers from clothing.
Possible Causes of Defect
The most common cause is dirt entering a process step from an external event. Dirt can also be present in the paint if not properly filtered.
Tips to Avoid Defect
1. Practice good housekeeping in all steps of the vehicle painting process
2. All associates recommended to wear lint free coveralls and head covering when in the paint shop
3. Check filter bag size and change cycle for the paint product
4. Follow air filter and robot cover change out guidelines
5. Check to ensure sanding dust and dirt is removed from recessed auto body cavities before entering the next step of the paint process
How to Repair the Defect?
Consult your specific paint shop procedures.
- Finesse Deck: Sand plus 2-step Polish
- Spot Repair: Sand plus Repaint