Underbody protection

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The underbody protection serves to preserve the underbody of a motor vehicle against rust attacks and stone chips (property damage) . Underbody protection is sprayed on, less often painted. Today it mostly consists of a mixture of polymeric powder based on PVC, a plasticizer, additives and fillers. Underbody protection applied at the factory is hardened again by heating. Wax-based underbody protection is also available for the do-it-yourself market . Certain types of underbody protection can be painted over with conventional lacquers, but most modern wax or oil-based paints cannot. Bitumen is no longer used in new cars. Over time, it becomes brittle and therefore ineffective; in addition, application is unsafe in terms of occupational hygiene due to the solvent content . Do-it-yourselfers still use bitumen because it is cheaper than the better quality waxes and fats.

The underbody protection is applied using the so-called airless method, which allows a relatively high application speed and a large spray width. The aim is to minimize the resulting overspray (spray mist), for example by adjusting the distance between the sub-floor and the application system. The thickness of the application depends on the application speed and the choice of nozzle.

Underbody protection is often combined with seam sealing. With application heads with several nozzles, which are attached at different angles, geometrically complex application patterns can also be realized.

literature

  • Peter Gerigk, Detlev Bruhn, Dietmar Danner: Automotive engineering. 3rd edition, Westermann Schulbuchverlag GmbH, Braunschweig 2000, ISBN 3-14-221500-X
  • Detlef Symietz; Andreas Lutz: Structural bonding in vehicle construction. Properties, applications and performance of a new joining process. In: Die Bibliothek der Technik , Verlag Moderne Industrie, 2006, ISBN 978-3-937889-43-6