3M is presenting its 3M Surface Protect 1000 protective coating at Stand 7-647. After premiering on wastebaskets for train stations and parks, it is now also being used on the aluminum wheel rims of the fleet cars of BBS International GmbH. During manufacturing, right after the last clearcoat has been applied, the protective surface coating, developed jointly by 3M and technology partner BBS, is sprayed to the wheel rims and then heat-dried. Not just the dust produced by brake wear, but also other aggressive particles have no chance of even sticking to, much less permanently marring, the wheel rim surfaces.

The coating prevents dust and even paint from sticking to or penetrating. The protective coating also makes the surfaces resistant to common cleaning agents, solvents and other aggressive chemicals. This is made possible by special functional components of the coating material that greatly reduce its surface energy.

Another highlight of 3M’s presentation is its range of fluorosurfactants. Only small amounts of 3M Novec Fluorosurfactants are needed to dramatically lower the surface energy of paint systems, which makes it easy to control the quality of the coating during the painting process.