Vehicle Underbody Coating by Varun S Rajan

Vehicle underbody coating is the process of applying a rubberised paint or Teflon (clear coat paint sealant) to the exposed parts under the vehicle body such as door skins, wheel wells, trunks and floor pans. Although these days the entire BIW is met with a five-stage coating process for protection namely Pre-treatment, Electro deposition, Sealant coating, Primer coating, and lastly top coating, its not guaranteed that the vehicle underbody which is exposed to harsher environments can sustain against corrosion as the rest of the car body does. This is the main reason why a vehicle underbody coating is done, flying gravels could easily chip off this normal 5 stage protection in the absence of an underbody coating. This is crucial especially in coastal regions where the threats of corrosion are seemingly larger compared to in land areas. Also, the thick coating reduces the tyre and road noises to an extend which would be heard in the cabin. Another advantage is that these coatings unlike regular coatings are chip resistant meaning they would not come of as easily as regular coatings when pebbles bump against them. Finally, with such a coating process the whole underbody of the car would get a cleaner look hence its easy for maintenance. In our country manufacturers strive to reduce the cost of the vehicle without making it look apparent. Lack of proper underbody coating is one of the activities done by the OEMs to achieve this cost cut. Hence its crucial to know about the process and its importance. In the long run lack of underbody protection might lead to heavy toll in terms of maintenance.