ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany, has developed EcoProtect and ZM PrimeProtect, zinc-magnesium coatings that are said to meet the high surface requirements for exposed automotive body panels. As zinc-magnesium coatings offer significantly higher corrosion protection, coating thickness can be reduced by roughly a third compared with conventional solutions. The thinner coating also makes body parts easier to weld. The improved corrosion protection applies not only to flat surfaces, but above all to cut edges and creep around scratches, both of which are high-risk areas.
Thanks to the hard surface, there is less abrasion in the die, which means more parts can be produced on the press between cleaning intervals. As a result, OEMs benefit from optimized production processes. Moreover, the auto industry can switch to these new corrosion protection solutions without difficulty. ZM EcoProtect coatings offer the same surface finish as high-quality hot-dip galvanized parts. Therefore, it is no problem to start by just producing a few parts with the new coating and fitting them in the body. Car buyers will see no difference in the paintwork.
ZM PrimeProtect goes a step further, offering all the advantages of ZM EcoProtect with an even better finish. Press plants and paint shops benefit from improved long waviness and a higher peak count. Combined with good forming behavior in the press plant this results in a premium paint finish – if necessary even without filler; the paint is applied directly to the primer. That saves time and money and benefits the environment.
With the development of ZM EcoProtect and ZM PrimeProtect, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is the first steel producer worldwide capable of offering all common automotive coatings also in outer skin quality. These world-first zinc-magnesium solutions were developed by the company’s Technology & Innovation unit.
