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A resin fuel lid capable of being electrostatically painted on-line with the vehicle body-in-white was developed to achieve a light weight fuel adapter assembly with improved color match to surrounding body panels when compared with outsourced painting. The fuel lid was molded out of a conductive, high heat capable PA/PPO resin, and painted with automotive body paint systems. Key development items for this part included validation of part conductivity, on-line capability of the resin material, development of an attachment scheme to achieve proper grounding of the part, determination of paint jig location for proper paint coverage and color match to the body, and evaluation of the final fit & finish. These studies were conducted in combination of both lab and on-line trials. Additionally, the final painted part assembly was extensively tested to achieve the appropriate quality of the surface treatment and strength and durability of the design construction.

The 7003-T4 alloy has been developed for production of motorcycle frame bodies. The developed material has been applied to the 2001 Goldwing motorcycle recently introduced to the world market. During the material development, a designed experiment was planned by which nine 7003 alloy variants were cast and homogenized. The cast billets were extruded into hollow frame tubes on a production extrusion line and the natural aging response of the material was evaluated. The tendency for recrystallized grains at the surface of the extruded tubes was measured and confirmed to be at an acceptable level for painting. The reversion and recovery of mechanical properties during paint curing was evaluated and curing limits were established for mass production. From the results, parametric equations were derived to describe the relationships between mechanical properties, composition and natural aging time to insure design compliance.

The desire to increase production and reduce cost while increasing environmental consciousness, is a constant challenge in the thermoplastic olefin (TPO) paint industry. Typically, TPO substrates are painted with an adhesion promoter for durability, and top coats for appearance. Although the adhesion promoter has an important function, the intrinsic value is not significant compared to top coats. A process and material was developed to eliminate conventional adhesion promoter spray application. By incorporating a novel adhesion promoter into the aqueous pretreatment system, many of the stresses of high production volumes, and operating costs were addressed while improving environmental awareness.