WS-Primer Development Story

Tony Robson - Technical Insights

Anest Iwata has an illustrious history built upon firm foundations from decades producing the highest standards in spray equipment technology. With roots firmly planted in Japan and an increasingly strong presence in Europe, Anest Iwata is best known for combining technical expertise with forward thinking research and development.

Tony Robson Global Technical Manager for Anest Iwata Corporation was asked to share his thoughts on the new WS Primer gun range and its development. Mr Robson starts by saying Anest Iwata’s business philosophy has been built around striving to deliver the very best products which enhance forward thinking solutions for all application requirements. As a company Anest Iwata continues to look for ways to push the boundaries in spray gun development by focusing on new and exciting innovations with a lead from the front not follow mentality.

Mr Robson continues by saying Technology moves markets forward, expertise improves performance and research takes application to the next level. This means Anest Iwata continues to combine all of its knowledge to deliver a spray gun range tailor made for one specific area, which in this case is primer application.

People generally believe that Primer and primer application is not that important compared to basecoat and clearcoat, but this is not the case. Primers need precise micron film builds for the correct adhesion which requires precise control to achieve the correct thickness and consistency. Because the primary role of primer application is to protect against corrosion and to give good adhesion to the basecoat it is important that you apply the correct amount of product but also that you reduce the amount of overspray and waste, this in turn will help with the performance and give the end user the right balance between best in class results, profitability and sustainability.

So if we look at this from a different angle by saying over 80% of all repairs will need some form of primer applied which means a third of the time is spent on the primer process, people focus on the speed of basecoat application with faster one visit systems and clearcoats that are two coat applications to speed things up but what about primer? Primers are generally over looked as an important part of the process but if this first layer is not right everything that lays on top will also be wrong. Your first layer is just as important as the last layer so if you get the primer application right then everything else will follow in the right direction also.

Whether it is a large or small repair every single primer requirement is an integral part of the repair process so why cut corners? What is seen as a relatively simple step when repeated through the course of a working week small inconsistencies add up and is a cost to the body shop in time and money. Over time, every minor improvement in speed, material usage, or application consistency can lead to significant gains in both quality and efficiency.

Reduce your labour costs, by spending less time sanding due to structure or inconsistencies in the Primer surface.
Reduced abrasives use, less abrasive waste due to less structure needing to be flatted out of the primer surface before basecoat application. This will also reduce the amount of scratch marks in the surface and in turn defects.

Using the correct WS Primer gun for the right primers will deliver considerable savings due the flatter application.

Examples of different Primer requirements:

WET ON WET SURFACES

Wet on wet surfacers are designed for protection and adhesion, this is the first coat of the system and one of the most important ones. Wet on wet is the flat bed that the basecoat and clear lay onto. This coat must be the most consistent in application and the flattest. If there is peel or structure the basecoat will lay in the structure giving the wrong appearance and potential mottle issues as the metallic flake sits in the Structure. Using a WS primer Wet on wet gun prevents this.

HIGH BUILD PRIMERS

High build primers are designed to fill, they are used when body filler is used and this is where a high micron film is required. Normally end users will use a cheap filler gun to apply the high build primer but then because of the poor quality of the gun this causes a lot of structure and peel that needs sanding. This is labour intensive and costs money in time and abrasive waste. The WS Primer gun applies the high build primer like a wet on wet with no structure, so using the WS Primer gun saves time and money.

So why choose WS Primer.

While primer spray guns are often overlooked as a major investment, this can actually have a significant impact on productivity

The WS Primer gun is part of the WS family (Wider Superior) which means it is equipped with unique Anest Iwata patented split nozzle technology. The split nozzle technology works differently to standard flat nozzles by stabilising the droplets before the air cap by introducing air into the paint stream though the serrations of the nozzle this balances the size and shape of the droplet meaning that once they land on the surface they are already evenly distributed in size and shape, this reduces peel and structure but more importantly lays the primer down flatter than anything else on the market.

To summarise Mr Robson says, the WS Primer gun range enables body shops the ability to increase they’re through put, quality, profitability and it’s sustainability meaning WS Primer quite simply raises the bar for all Primer applications.