INTERNATIONAL MARKETING, INC.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN

SUBJECT:  IMI 2020 Vision of Best Practices

           Why do coatings fail on refinished wheels and rims?

DATE: January 1, 2003



The first consideration should always be the customer’s expectations on how long a wheel

should last. Ideally we try to get a wheel from change of rubber to change of rubber BUT the elements

that the wheel is exposed to could severely impinge on this basic ideal situation.



“Harsh environments will shorten the life span of a coating regardless of whether it is a

new wheel or a reconditioned wheel�. The environment has to be taken into consideration by

both the Dealer and the end user or disappointment is inevitable. Reconditioning should protect the

wheel from rust and corrosion, thus extending the life of the wheel but the frequency of the

reconditioning of a wheel should be established with each account to minimize the expectation

problems � reality must be considered. Wheels that travel on wet, salty, dusty, gravel covered roads

will probably need reconditioned more often than those traveling the interstates in the southern plains.

The Fleet expectations must be controlled by a reality of the above conditions and not a

hyped-up, unrealistic sales pitch.



The second consideration is the limitations of the product provided. Every paint system has its peak

performance level if certain quality parameters (procedures) are established and maintained. These

standards must be maintained in order to have a consistent end product. The coating will fail whether it

is a liquid or a powder because of the failure to correctly perform three crucial steps that directly affect

the peak performance of a coating.



STEP ONE: Proper Surface Preparation � Provide a clean, contaminant free, rust free surface with a

proper etch for the application of a compliant thickness of the chosen coating. The cleaner and

smoother the profile, the lower the necessary mil thickness and the better the adhesion. A roughly

etched surface will not produce peak performance from a coating. [VERIFY A CLEAN, SMOOTH

SURFACE PROFILE]



STEP TWO: Proper Coverage of the Coating � A thin coating (as well as too thick of a coating) will

fail prematurely. Most coatings applied to a properly prepared surface perform best between 2-4 mils.

NOTE: Maximum coating allowable on the wheel mounting surfaces is .003� or 3 mils. [VERIFY MIL

THICKNESS]



STEP THREE: Proper Cure � All cure processes are relative to time and temperature. Short circuit

either of these and the coating will fail. Air dry water base liquid paints will vary in how they dry to

touch but “full cure� will be anywhere from 7 � 10 days. Putting this coating into service too soon will

cause it to wash off.



All powders will require a specific cure curve that will be specified by the manufacturer and must be

quality controlled by the powder coater (example: 10 minutes @ 400 degrees). Improperly cured

powder will chip easily and prematurely fail.

Verification of a full cure can be done by a simple MEK rub test after a wheel has been cured through

the oven process allow the coating to cool and “relax� for 24 hours before exposing it to the elements.

[VERIFY THE CURE]

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The third consideration is the proper maintenance of the wheels and rims to protect the coatings.

When mounting tires to the wheels, protect the surface of the wheel that will touch the ground so the

surface is not prematurely marred. When transporting wheels or tire/wheel assemblies, protect the

coated wheel surfaces also.



Once the Wheels are in the hands of the end-user, make sure they do not wash the coated wheels with

full strength alkaline cleaners. A full strength alkaline cleaner will strip liquid coatings as well as powder

coatings. [VERIFY PROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE WHEEL]



QUICK RESPONSE OUTLINE � What to do if there is a complaint of wheels rusting.



Personal Inspection is very important.



1. Are you responsible for coating the wheels/rims in question (should have your identification on the

   units � How long have they been in service?)?

2. Is there enough paint on the wheels (check with a coating thickness gauge)?

3. Is the paint under-cured (liquid � how long since painted, were they put into service too soon.

   Powder � check with the MEK rub test)?

4. Have the wheels been mishandled (check for marring or abuse)?

5. How are the wheels being cleaned by the end-user (check the MSDS of the type of cleaner used and

   the mix percentage)?

6. Make sure someone hasn’t oversold the service by raising the customer’s expectations beyond the

   performance level of the coating provided.





Things to remember:



        A reconditioned wheel is not a “like new� wheel.

        Salt spray test results are a baseline analysis of a particular product, not a warranty guideline.



Do the right things to create a happy customer, but lack of education is not one of those things and

hype is not the other.









              Questions regarding the above technical bulletin may be directed to:



                                INTERNATIONAL MARKETING, INC.

                                    25 Penncraft Avenue, Suite C

                                  Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201

                                       Toll Free: 800-233-7086

                                    E-mail: imi@imiproducts.net

                                   Web Site: www.imiproducts.com







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