St. Peters, Mo.—While business owners are faced with tough decisions every day, Brad and Linda Ward, co-owners of Auto Collision Center, said deciding to switch from a solvent-based paint system to waterborne paint was an easy choice.
Even though Brad Ward said his painters have had good results spraying solvent-based paint since their 7,000-square-foot facility opened in 1996, he said he heard that waterborne basecoats were easy to work with, prompting him to look into it.
In the research phase, Ward said he talked with local paint reps to get information about different waterborne paint systems, attended training courses, and visited several shops already using waterborne paint with his painter, Nathan Simmons.
By the end of 2008, Ward said he had chosen the PPG Envirobase system because it was “better and easier to use” than some of the other systems that were in the market, making it an easy conversion.
Integrating the new waterborne system into the shop was something that Linda Ward said she fundamentally believed in.
“I’m big on the environment,” she said, always taking extra steps to help, such as recycling cardboard boxes.
Bill Hiles, account representative for Mid-Nite Auto Supply in St. Peters, the shop’s paint supplier, said that when a shop that mixes only one gallon of solvent material a week switches to PPG Envirobase, it prevents more than 300 pounds of volatile organic compounds from being emitted into the air. That change is equivalent to taking more than 1,000 vehicles off the road annually, he added.
“Even if it’s more it’s worth it,” Hiles said. “A typical waterborne basecoat has a 10 percent solvent content, versus a conventional basecoat that has an 84 percent solvent content.”
Changing paint systems meant there would have to be some procedural changes in the shop, Linda Ward said.
“It’s always hard for any painter to change paint systems,” Brad Ward said, adding that his employees were skeptical but willing to give the new system a chance.
A two-day training course was provided by PPG outlining prep techniques, color match, application, and dry times, Ward said. After using the system, he added that his employees feel good about the change.
Changes started in the shop at the prep level, Ward said, pointing out that his bodymen had to start using different sanding techniques for the waterborne solvent, such as using finer sandpaper once the car is primed before painting.
Once the car was ready for paint, the next concern was color match, he said. The color match was good and easier to achieve than with solvent-based paint, he said, adding that waterborne is able to produce a closer match to the waterborne factory finish.
Once cars are loaded in the Eagle downdraft heated booth, Ward said he soon realized that faster drying times were another great advantage to the waterborne system. Water-based paint allows his painters to “force-dry” a car using driers that are either handheld or placed on racks in the booth instead of waiting for the product to flash before proceeding, he added.
“The time we’re saving is in the forced drying,” he said. Faster drying means faster turn-around time on vehicles needing paint repairs, he said, adding that on average, the shop can produce one more paint job a day with the faster dry times.
Since the waterborne paint is not considered hazardous material, the DeBilvis paint guns the shop uses can be cleaned with water, Ward pointed out.
Ward said he purchased a Drester paint gun cleaner, which is specifically designed for cleaning waterborne systems. It sits next to his Herkules paint gun washer and recycler, which is still used for the solvent-based primer and clear, he said.
Since switching to waterborne, Ward said there has been a decrease in cost for the amount of hazardous waste he is paying to have removed from the shop.
Linda Ward said they haven’t started advertising that they are using a waterborne paint system at the shop; however, each customer is given a brochure explaining the new environmentally friendly paint system from PPG with their completed vehicle.
Most of the shop’s customer base comes from word-of-mouth referrals and the Wards’ involvement in the community, Ward said. Each year, the shop sponsors local baseball and softball teams to give back to the community, she said.
When looking at industry as a whole, Brad Ward said he has noticed a slow decline.
Motorists who need repairs tend to let their vehicle go unless it’s absolutely necessary, Ward said, adding that he has also noticed that customers will take care of needed mechanical repairs before they will take care of cosmetic repairs.
Once the economy bounces back, Ward said they plan to expand by opening a two-bay automotive repair shop. He said he plans to improve service to his customers by offering mechanical repairs of damage caused by collisions, which will cut down on sublet work while reducing cycle times.
