AkzoNobel Aerospace Coating Reduces Film Build in Airline Trial

Need to Know

TAP Air Portugal trials of AkzoNobel’s Aerobase UPD system reduced total basecoat film thickness by 36% compared with the airline’s previous two-coat formulation.
AkzoNobel said the lower film build could reduce coating weight by up to 26 kg per aircraft.
The system applies the required basecoat in one cycle, eliminating a second basecoat layer and associated flash-off stages.

AkzoNobel and TAP Air Portugal have completed operational trials of an aerospace basecoat system that the coatings company said reduced film build, application stages and aircraft coating weight.

The trials evaluated AkzoNobel’s Aerobase UPD system against the two-coat basecoat formulation previously used by the airline. According to AkzoNobel, total basecoat film thickness was reduced by 36% while meeting TAP’s appearance, durability and finish-quality requirements.

Aerobase UPD is designed to provide the required hiding and finish in one basecoat application cycle. Eliminating the second full basecoat layer also removes the associated flash-off stages, potentially shortening aircraft painting cycles and reducing paint-shop labor and energy requirements.

AkzoNobel said the lower film build could reduce coating weight by as much as 26 kg per aircraft. Weight applied through exterior coating systems remains on the aircraft during operation, making film-build reduction a potential contributor to lower fuel consumption over the service life of the finish.

Based on fleetwide use, AkzoNobel projected annual savings of approximately 428.5 metric tons of fuel and more than €500,000 in fuel costs. The company also estimated a reduction of approximately 1,353 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually.

Those calculations are company projections based on potential fleetwide implementation. AkzoNobel’s announcement did not state that TAP Air Portugal had completed a fleetwide conversion to the system.

The operational trial provides a real-world example of how coating formulation and application design can affect both paint-shop productivity and the in-service weight of an aircraft.

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