Underbody Coating

A cars underbody is most prone corrosion.

Underbody coating provides long term protection from corrosion to car's underbody.it also protects parts like internal body panels, frame rails and other inner cavites that are not physically accessible but are prone to corrosion.

Modern automotive coating process:

The modern automotive coating consists of five steps.

1. Pre-treatment remove and clean excess metal and forms an appropriate surface structure enabling bonding of a corrosion protection layer.

2. The next step is electrodeposition of the anti-corrosion or rust prevention layer.

3. A sealer like poly vinyl chloride(PVC) is applied for anti-corrosion, elimination of water leakes, and minimization of chipping and vibrational noise.

4.A primer is then applied to promote adhesion between the surface and the basecoat , it also imparts a smoother surface for subsequent layers and has anti-chipping properties.

5. Finally, the topcoats that include a basecoat and clear coat are applied they provide surface properties that are sought after, including colours, appearance , glass, smothness, and weather resistance.

Pre-treatment:

The first step in preparing BIW for subsequent coating is the pretreatment process. pre-treatment consists of cleaning the body surface to remove remaining oils from the stamping process and welding residuces through three primary liquid dip processes of desgreasing, conditioning and phosphating.

Type of undercoating:

1.Rubberized underbody coating;

This is generally thought of as the best underbody coating for your car. it preserves the underbody well,protecting it from scraches.Applying this to the undercarriage is not much of a hassle either.

2.Wax based underbody coating;

This more or less ephemeral undercoating will wear away in a few months time. on the upside wax-based undercoating puts up a big fight against moisture.it is also the most affordable option out there.

3.Asphalt based automotive undercoating;

Best suited for lorries,trucks and large vehicles this provides a greater degree of protection compared to rubber-based coatings. However, asphalt based coating contain little amounts of rubber for sound insulation purposes. the process of appling this coating is a bit time consuming though.

4.Polyrethane underbody coating;

This coating closes up splits and fractures on the underbody of the vehicle. it offers up good protection against corrosion and also bonds with the metal. unlike in the case of asphalt-based coating. you can paint over the polyurethane coating.

Advantage of undercoating:

1.Fights Rust

2. Absorbs Noise

3.Reinforcement

4.Prolong Car's Life

5.Warranty and other perks

Overall benefits of underbody coating:

Minimizes sound: It minimizes the sound from underneath the car.

Heat insulation: it insulates the interior of the car from the extreme temperature from beneath the vehicle.

Anti-chipping property: The coating does not chip away when hit by stones.

Con's of underbody coating;

1. It's less helpful if corrosion is already present.

2. It works best on new cars.

3. A third-party vehicle underbody coating may void warranty.

4. It adds weight to vehicle.

5. It's not impervious to damage.