Underbody Coating

UNDERBODY COATING

What is Underbody coating?

Underbody coating is usually a dense cladding applied uniformly to the undercarriage of the automobile. This is done in order to protect the base/underneath chassis from the damage caused to the road conditions and also it aids in the prevention of rust (As most of the parts will be exposed to air and underneath part can also come in contact with water during rainy seasons). Let us see some of the advantages of using ‘Underbody Coating’.

• Fights rust: Underbody coating can be a lot useful for the customers who reside near the sea, where there is too much humidity and rusting of the metals are a common phenomenon. And it is seriously recommended that undercoating is necessary if you are residing in a place where it snows. [Hence, we could see in the 2^nd lecture why the European standard has a thicker underbody coating than the Indian standard].
• Absorbs Noise: Since most of the undercoating are made of rubber it can act as a noise reducing substance, but this is only up to certain extent.
• Reinforcement: With the underbody coating we can get an additional reinforcement which helps in protecting the underbody from water, road debris, gravel and small pebbles.
• Prolong Car’s life: Good undercoating only defends the underbody from corrosion but also protects the engine and the transmission as well. Less rusting and slower wear and tear due to the underbody coating will surely add years to the lifespan of the vehicle.
• Prevents dents, dings and scratches on the undercarriage.

Types of Underbody coating?

1. Rubberized Underbody coating: The most common type of coating. It is easier and protects from scratches.
2. Wax based underbody coating: This will wear away along time, much earlier than the rubberized. And since it puts up a best fight against moisture, is the best undercoating that can be suggested for vehicles that face a lot of water/moisture.
3. Asphalt based automotive undercoating: Best suited for larger vehicles. This process of applying the coating is time consuming.
4. Polyurethane underbody coating: this coating closes up splits and fractures on the underbody of the vehicle. It also bonds good with metal and protects against corrosion.