6    USCAR LOW EMISSION PAINT CONSORTIUM:
A UNIQUE APPROACH TO POWDER PAINTING
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Richard F. Pearson, Manager
Manufacturing Technology Planning
Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Process Leadership
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan 48121-1587
INTRODUCTION
The American automotive industry faces a formidable technical challenge in meeting stricter
requirements regarding hydrocarbon emissions from automotive painting systems. The challenge
demands a unique approach that combines the resources, experience, and expertise of automakers and their suppliers. The unprecedented approach of the Low Emission Paint Consortium will
culminate in the joint operation of a facility to prove out powder paint technologies that will
benefit American automobile manufacturers, their suppliers, and ultimately, all U.S. residents.
BACKGROUND
With the implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the American automobile
industry is required to meet stricter hydrocarbon emissions from automotive painting systems.
Rather than reducing emissions through nonvalue-added, "end-of-pipe" or abatement controls.
the better means to reduce emissions is through material changes and/or higher efficiency application equipment. The lowest emitting paint system of the future currently envisioned is: (1) ca-
thodic electrodeposition primer, (2) powder primer surfacer. (3) waterborne colorcoat, and (4)
powder clearcoat.
Electodeposition primer and waterborne colorcoat are standards in today's automotive industry. Although powder primer surfacer has been implemented in some automotive painting facilities, improvements in process efficiency and smoothness of the powder surface is required. In
fact, considerable effort is being made to improve both.
Powder clearcoat offers a more difficult challenge. The appearance of the final paint layer is
critical, because short of repainting the vehicle, no opportunity to repair imperfections in the
paint film exists, as it does in powder primer surfacer. The risk of installing a powder clearcoat
facility into a production painting system is too great without first optimizing the powder
clearcoat process and surface appearance, and validating durability.
Because of these formidable technical challenges, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler formed
the Low Emission Paint Consortium (LEPC) in February 1993 to conduct joint research and development technologies related to low emission paint.
The Low Emission Paint Consortium is one of 12 active partnerships under the United States
Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). Formed by the three automakers, USCAR's mission is "to create, support and direct U.S. cooperative research and development in the automotive field in a way that is responsive to the needs of our environment and society in general."
LEPC ORGANIZATION
The LEPC organization consists of three officers and their alternates who make up the Management Committee. The positions of chairman, treasurer and external affairs officer are rotated
among General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler every two years.
5lst Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings, 1996. Ann Arbor Press, Inc.. Chelsea. Michigan 481 18.
Printed in U.S.A.
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