Sustainable paint film system

AERO Sustainable Material Technology is a proven environmentally friendly paint film system that can replace spray applied paint lines in new electric vehicle automotive plants, thereby saving OEMs millions in capital and operating expenditures. The revolutionary paint system provides superior durability and equal or greater aesthetic value, while saving the planet with zero carbon emissions, zero VOC emissions, and zero PVC compounds.

Automotive paint lines are one of the most expensive systems in a manufacturing facility, costing tens of millions of dollars to install and maintain as they consume the most energy in the plant and are most hazardous to the planet. The benefits of replacing paint lines with paint film systems have been recognized earlier, but difficult to implement due to the infrastructure for traditional paint already in place.  Now, with new plants being built to manufacture electric vehicles and greater emphasis on sustainability, AERO is aimed to revolutionize the industry and on target with proven applications.

“Environmental sustainability is paramount in all industries, making traditional paint obsolete, ”said James E. McGuire, Jr., CEO of AERO Sustainable Material Technology.  “In addition to being environmentally sustainable and significantly less expensive than paint, AERO Sustainable Material Technology is more durable, customisable, lightweight, aerodynamic, and weatherable than paint,” added McGuire. 

AERO’s unique sustainability and performance capabilities are adding value to the Land Rover Defender with their satin finishes, and several other OEMs are now recognising that competitive advantage. “AERO is now engaged with both incumbent and emergent OEMs in Asia, North America, and Europe, all of whom first picked up on AERO through its sustainability offerings, and then became sold on the aesthetic value, durability, and total lifecycle cost reduction,” McGuire stressed.

AERO environmental benefits

AERO produces zero CO2 and VOC emissions, requires zero water, and requires very little energy to apply.  Further, the streamlined, low temperature manufacturing process associated with its proprietary patented and patent pending chemistries help keep the environmental impact to a minimum. And at the end of life, AERO can be recycled or upcycled, helping achieve a circular economy beneficial to customers, OEMs, and the entire planet. Due to the sustainability attributes, no government compliance is required, thereby eliminating abatement and reporting costs.

AERO is up to 17,000 percent more durable than traditional spray in longevity, environmental resistance, scratch and chip protection, and its self-healing clear coat eliminates micro abrasions such as “swirl marks.”  It also helps resist environmental effects that lead to fading, discolouring, hazing, and changes in gloss. The result is a lasting factory finish, in either gloss or satin, that will not degrade over the life of the vehicle.

AERO is customisable with the ability to match any colour, incorporating pearls, metallics, and multi-step colours, producing a distinctiveness of image equal to, or often greater than traditional paint, without the significant cost of adding additional colour offerings.  It can be applied to a variety of substrates including composites and metal surfaces.  And since AERO was designed to be both permanent and strippable, end customers have increased customizability over substitutes.  It also has the capability to embed electronics for advanced, low profile communications suites, enabling designers to eliminate “shark fins,” and subsequently enhance the user experience.

Versatile application processes

AERO can be applied to nearly all exterior parts with the award winning FUSE Automotive Coloring System, known as the “Ultra-Wide” TOM Machine, which won a grand prize at the 2021 Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards from leading Asian newsmagazine Nikkei Asia on February 2, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.  An environmentally sound alternative to the assembly-line process of traditional paint, the “Ultra-Wide TOM Machine” is a highly innovative and efficient system for coating automotive body panels and other exterior components by applying AERO’s environmentally sustainable film-based coatings. 

AERO can also be installed via pressure sensitive adhesion (PSA) using a dry or wet application method at room temperature. A wide array of adhesives options are available including pressure activated low initial tack in order to help float the film over the substrate; a patent pending AERO epoxy adhesive for use with carbon fibre and a variety of thermal adhesives for ABS, PC TPO, stainless and aluminium.