Development of innovative systems for waterborne coated plastic surfaces to minimise the environmental impact and to increase product quality

Objectives and content: The production of plastic components û at sight û, such as a car panel, can be divided into two main steps: - A first step of moulding which allows to achieve the required shape and mechanical characteristics for the component; - A second step of surface coating which has to provide protecting and/or decorating coats. Currently the plastic part manufacturers will use mainly two different types of plastic -raw materials to mould indoor and outdoor parts: - ABS / PC and; - PP (Polypropylene). The decorative and/or protective coating will be done using solvent borne paints. Among the surface finishing process presently used to apply protective and/or decorative coatings, a world wide increasing importance is assuming the plastic-parts painting process for interior and exterior parts, which is used in many industrialised countries. In fact, the painting process provides coatings with practically numberless patterns of surfaces, having also complex shapes a high curving, so giving the possibility of developing many solutions otherwise are unthinkable with current technologies. In the present situation of high competivity in many industrial sectors, in particular in the automotive industry, this process could give the companies a significant point of differentiation. Presently the main factors which are limiting plastic paint application are the high level of coating costs because of need pre-treatment for PP-materials to get a good adherence and also a high level of environmental impact by organic solvents included in the currently used paint materials. A further point of view is the high level of waste of painted and unpainted parts using process, which is state of the art today. The constitution of the consortium will be, to increase the production of any partner in the automotive and other markets by using new process of moulding and painting Polypropylene with waterborne paints. This new process should decrease the costs production and also the environmental impact. Although there will be included market known materials, it is very important to know, that no of these products (waterborne paints) and / or processes will be used up to now in the industrial market. %In this framework the main objectives of the proposal are: - To optimise the whole coating cycle from moulding phase to quality control support, based on ABS/PC and PP ABS/ required by high class automotive factories like BMW; PP required by medium and low class cars like Opel Astra; - To reach the target of innovative waterborne clear coats (now developed only for 75%); - To develop a waterborne ûNo-flame- Primerú; - To develop a new PP (which enables a coating without special treatment and aless amount of Talkum ); - To reach Qualifications in ISO 9001 and ISO 14000Targets; - Increased ability in production of plastic components with very highesthetical needs in automotive fields; - Saving product costs - 20%; - Saving scraps and reworking - 40%; - Quality improvement +40%; - Saving time to market - 25%; - Increasing in Recycling + 50%; - Annulling Environmental Problems in agreement to ISO 14000; - Increasing market opportunities. BE97-4696