FORD WSS-M2P177 Paint Performance - Metal Substrates

The “FORD WSS-M2P177 Paint performance - Metal substrates” standard developed by Ford Motor Company (FORD) consists of the following subsections:

• WSS-M2P177-C1 Paint performance - Metal substrates - Low visibility, 4 week resistance
• WSS-M2P177-C2 Paint performance - Metal substrates - Medium visibility, 6 week resistance
• WSS-M2P177-C3 Paint performance - Metal substrates - High visibility, 9 week resistance

These standards describe the minimum performance requirements for a protective coating for chassis and engine components. These parts are generally not overcoated at the assembly plant.

These specifications were originally published for chassis and engine components that do not experience continuous operating temperatures above 121 degrees and receive minimal direct ultraviolet exposure. When temperatures exceed 121 degrees, a high temperature paint system should be considered. Epoxy resins should not be used in applications where prolonged exposure to UV light is expected.

These specifications are typically used for epoxy-based e-coat or powder coatings. These specifications are not designed to limit the coating to a specific material type or process, but rather to describe the performance of the system. The following components must use these performance levels:

• WSS-M2P177-C1 Joints, invisible castings, engine block
• WSS-M2P177-C2 Stabilizer bars, control arms, brackets, shock absorbers, subframes, frames, bumper beams
• WSS-M2P177-C3 Tow hooks, trailer hitches, fuel system components

In this standard, the requirements are defined as follows:

• Material suppliers and parts manufacturers must comply with the company's standard requirements for production materials (WSS-M99P1111-A standard).
• Substrate properties shall be as specified in the engineering drawing. Except for chip resistance, all requirements for these properties shall be verified with actual production-purpose components.
• The surface to be coated must be free from oil, alkaline residues, rust, dirt, moisture and other foreign matter. A preliminary sandblasting or pickling treatment is required on castings, forgings and stamped steel. For electroplated or powder-coated components, a zinc phosphate pretreatment according to the WSS-M3P36-A1 standard is recommended.

• Film properties (colour, initial hardness, adhesion and film thickness) must meet the requirements specified in the standard.
• The chip resistance test shall be conducted on components or panels intended for production. The test panel shall have the same substrate, i.e. cold rolled/hot rolled steel, cast iron, forged/cast aluminium and painted in the same system as the component intended for production.
• In a laboratory accelerated cyclic corrosion test, the part shall not be rated worse than Class 6. Parts with sharp edges, recessed areas, rough surfaces or welds may reduce corrosion resistance in these locations. The final judgment of corrosion performance shall be based on the visibility of the parts as observed from the rear, engine compartment or wheel wells of the vehicle as described in the total vehicle corrosion resistance requirement.
• When performing the water resistance test, samples are immersed for 240 hours. Before evaluation, the paint film is allowed to recover for 1 hour at room temperature after immersion. There should be no softening, rusting, dulling, discoloration or loss of adhesion. Swelling should not exceed dimension 714 according to ASTM D8 standard, there should be a few. Adhesion should meet the requirements described in this standard.
• In the liquid resistance test the finish shall not bubble or show more than slight softening or dulling. Adhesion shall meet the requirements described in this standard.
• For initial design verification or production verification evaluations, descaled parts may be graded in accordance with ASTM D 2200 Standard Method B. The SSPC BSP (SSPC's Protective Coating Specialist) grade achieved on design parts should appear on the control plan to indicate the level of cleanliness. For example, the descaling cleaning level should be SSPC BSP 10 or better.
• According to the FLTM BI 110-01 standard, the recommended brightness level for chassis components that are visible “with the wheels on the ground” is 60 to 30 at a 80 degree angle.
• Recommended test requirements for design verification, production verification and SREA (supplier engineer request for approval): Paint performance is a function of material selection, surface preparation and paint application. For established coatings and coating lines this may allow a reduced test program to verify compliance with this specification. The table provided in the standard should be used to determine the recommended test plan depending on the situation.

Our organization, which has been trying to support businesses from every sector with its testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies carried out in a wide range for years, has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. In this context, testing services in accordance with the "FORD WSS-M2P177 Paint performance - Metal substrates" standard are also provided to businesses.