USA PPG Industries developed a new aerospace coating system called basecoat/clearcoat, which can save millions of dollars annually due to its weight reduction, adding durability and a short time in the process, compared to traditional coatings.Airplanes are traditionally painted with two layers of the same monolayer pigment. With PPG's basecoat/clearcoat system, the first layer applied has a significantly higher amount of pigments than in a monolayer of a conventional bi-layer system. The second system is clean, provides shine, softness and better durability.
According to THE DIRECTOR OF PPG's Global Commercial Aerospace Coatings segment, Alan Schoeder, the weight savings with this new system can be around 100 pounds for a small commercial aircraft, and close to 600 pounds for a large aircraft.
"With the ppG basecoat/clearcoat system, we expect a weight reduction percentage of 15 to 35% compared to the traditional bi-layer system in the same curing paint thickness."
