Automotive Solutions

Anti-friction Coatings are paint-like products. They contain, instead of a coloring pigment, submicron-sized particles of solid lubricants dispersed through carefully selected resin blends and solvents. Anti-friction coatings form a slippery film, which covers all surface roughness and thus optimizes metal-to-metal, metal-to-plastic and plastic-to-plastic friction even under extreme loads and working conditions.

Anti-friction coatings usually provide the following advantages compared to greases and pastes:

• Dry and clean lubrication, not affected by dust, dirt and humidity
• Lifetime lubrication
• Localized lubrication
• No aging, evaporation, oxidation
• Good corrosion protection
• Non-flammable, dry film
• Controlled film thickness
• Can often replace burnishing, hard chrome, lead plating, cadmium and galvanizing
• Fully effective after prolonged shut down
   

As paint like lubricants, anti-friction coatings follow a similar application process as paints.

The effectiveness and service life of anti-friction coatings are greatly affected by the surface pretreatment of components which are degreasing, phosphating, sandblasting, anodizing, etc. Application methods vary from spraying to brushing and dipping, etc., depending on the formulated anti-friction coating product. Suitability for different coating methods can be seen in the following table:

Drying and curing depends on the coating used and can vary from 3 minutes air drying to 60 minutes oven curing and can be obtained from the respective data sheets. Trial coating and testing for stress crack formation are required.