Computerized Color-Matching
There are many reasons why color-matching is such a critical element in the repair process. Auto manufacturers apply paint to the bare shell of the vehicle in ovens with temperatures that exceed 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This high temperature can be used because the vehicle is painted before the installation of wiring, electronics, hardware and interiors.
In the collision repair business, paint can only be dried at temperatures up to 180 degrees – any hotter will cause damage to the car's mechanical, electrical and interior systems. In addition to very high heat, all auto manufacturers use an electronically applied E-coat primer that is applied to the bare vehicle unibody or sheet metal. This is an immersion process in a liquid, electrically charged solution that is impossible to duplicate in the repair industry.
Finally, the colors used by auto manufacturers may vary widely on the same models painted with the same color. Variations in shading and coloring depend on if a car was painted at the front end or tail end of an assembly line run of paint. Most new cars today are also painted with "two stage" or "three stage" paint processes where mica, pearl and metallic materials are applied sequentially in the factory finish. These finishes often vary in appearance based on the angle from which they are viewed. For example, a green metallic paint can appear "teal-colored" when looking at a straight or flat surface such as a hood, but seem nearly "black" when looking at a rounded surface such as a fender.
These and other factors make the mixing, tinting and blending of paint for collision repair an exacting process. To properly repair a minor dent of several square inches, an entire panel may have to be painted and the adjacent panels may need to be blended in order to achieve a precise color match. At Triangle Collision, we use computer sensing devices as well hand-sprayed color tools to provide the refinish technician with a precise formula with which to match the paint color on a vehicle. Bottom line: your vehicle looks showroom-new, every time.
