After a successful trial of its Bonderite® conversion coating process, Henkel is participating in expanded testing of the new pretreatment in the Ford Motor Co. Twin Cities manufacturing facility in St. Paul, MN. The new conversion coating process reportedly is the automotive industry’s first non-phosphate conversion coating for multi-metal bodies. The technology significantly reduces costs, improves the efficiency of vehicle assembly pretreatment operations while reducing the environmental impact.

After a successful trial of its Bonderite® conversion coating process, Henkel is participating in expanded testing of the new pretreatment in the Ford Motor Co. Twin Cities manufacturing facility in St. Paul, MN. The new conversion coating process reportedly is the automotive industry’s first non-phosphate conversion coating for multi-metal bodies. The technology significantly reduces costs, improves the efficiency of vehicle assembly pretreatment operations while reducing the environmental impact.

This new coating eliminates the problems associated with the conventional zinc-phosphate pretreatments. It eliminates pretreatment sludge, reduces landfill requirements and simplifies wastewater treatment. Additionally, it is does not emit volatile organic compound (VOC) or CO2 equivalents, resulting in minimal environmental impact. It is applied at room temperature, thereby reducing utilities and natural resource requirements. With this coating, the pretreatment footprint can be reduced 20 to 40% in a brownfield site, as well as in a greenfield operation.

“We are excited to provide the automotive industry a new option for paint pretreatment that not only uses less energy, making it better for the environment, but lowers manufacturing costs and improves productivity by shortening the process,” said Dan Wohletz, vice president, automotive North America, Henkel. “We’re confident that this new Bonderite coating can streamline the paint pretreatment process to create the fastest, most efficient automotive body pretreatment application in the world.”

For more information, visitwww.henkel.com.