Air Tractor Successfully Uses PPG E-Coat System

Air Tractor hosted aerospace industry representatives, select senior officials, Air Tractor dealers, and media at its manufacturing facility in Olney, Texas to demonstrate the operation of the first full-scale original equipment aircraft electrocoat primer system for component manufacturing. To celebrate this groundbreaking event with Air Tractor officials, executives from PPG, which developed this pioneering e-coat aerospace system, were also present at the organization. Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch said "This is an important day for Air Tractor and PPG and a milestone for the aerospace industry" and added "E-coat is certainly not a new metal primer application technology for corrosion resistance and paint adhesion, but it is a new development for aerospace. E-coat has been used in the automotive industry for 50 years. However, this technology was not adopted by aerospace OEMs until PPG AEROCRON ™ e-coat primer was developed. The relatively high cure temperatures used in the automotive world could damage the structural and metallurgical properties of aluminum used in the aerospace industry. With PPG Aerocron e-coat primer, the curing temperature can be reduced to 200 ° F (93.33 ° C), making e-coat a suitable option for us." PPG President and CEO Michael McGarry said "PPG is proud to partner with Air Tractor on this important achievement that will help bring this innovative paints and coatings technology to use in the aerospace industry. We have opened a new chapter in aerospace manufacturing and eagerly anticipate the aerospace industry benefiting from the protection that e-coat technologies have provided to other industries for more than 50 years" he continued. PPG Vice President of Aerospace Products Barry Gillespie said, "We sincerely appreciate Air Tractor's confidence in PPG and this revolutionary technology for the aerospace industry. We began walking this uncharted path together and opened a new chapter in aerospace manufacturing history. It is a proud accomplishment to partner with Air Tractor to adapt PPG e-coat technology that transformed automotive production and is making changes in aircraft manufacturing" he said.

Gillespie recalled Air Tractor's introduction to PPG Aerocron e-coat primer. "When PPG held its first aerospace e-coat primer symposium in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in June 2011, this technology caught the attention of Rick Turner, vice president of operations at Air Tractor, but he was skeptical.

He could not envision it being applied with an automated dipping and oven system for large aircraft components. However, the PPG Aerocron primer team found the answer. Team members worked diligently with Rick and the Air Tractor team to turn this vision into reality over the next six years." Turner from Air Tractor oversaw the design, planning and construction of the new electrocoat facility. The three-story 613.16 square meter building houses the electrocoat system and includes automated racks, ten 5,000 gallon (18,927 liter) dipping tanks, a cure oven and a reverse osmosis water purification system. "The e-coat system is currently operating at 50 percent of full production capacity. There is ample capacity to increase output as needed" said Turner and continued "We are preparing various components including aircraft wings, control surfaces and skins as well as subassemblies for e-coating. It is a fully automated process. The power supply and filtration of the entire electrocoat line are managed at a single control station. The automated rack system moves components through the electrocoat bath process. When the 12-stage process is completed, the rack system loads the racked components into ovens where the e-coat is cured. When components exit the oven, they are ready for aircraft production or to be moved to inventory. Turner noted that the coating quality and coverage of electrocoated components is clearly superior to chromated preprocessing and spray primer processes.

"E-coat provides uniform coating throughout the component, including holes, cracks and interior tubes. Rather than spray primer applied to the component, which is the conventional method, it is immersed in an electrically charged primer tank.

Based on the principle of attraction of opposites, electrocoating maximizes paint adhesion, provides superior edge and surface coverage with precise and consistent film thickness. Very efficient, no overspray, meaning 90 to 95 percent of the coating adheres directly to the component. The e-coat process provides Air Tractor owners with a better, longer-lasting product. We believe that owners of agricultural aircraft manufactured by Air Tractor, given the chemicals they use, will have fewer components that need replacement, repainting or refinishing over the life of the aircraft, which means lower maintenance costs over the long term. Moreover, electrocoated components can be easily repainted with commonly used aircraft paints and spray systems in this field" he concluded. Air Tractor President Hirsch said "Air Tractor is the first original equipment aircraft manufacturer in the United States to transition to this system. This is another example of how we work to continuously improve Air Tractor aircraft to provide better value and performance for our customers around the world" he concluded.