The Heil Environmental Truck Equipment Group has installed a new paint system in its Tishomingo, Miss., manufacturing facility. The system uses a durable epoxy primer from BASF to provide a more corrosion-resistant, long-lasting finish.
"Most of our dump bodies ship from the plant just in primer, then are finished at our distributors' locations. The primer protects the body in transit and prepares it for the color coats," said Michael Johnson, Truck Equipment Group general manager. "Our new paint system combines an activator with an epoxy for a high-quality base coat that requires less prep work to finish than other systems and ultimately provides a better paint job for the customer."
The new system involves a plural mixing spray machine that automatically mixes the activator and epoxy primer in perfect proportions every time. This eliminates the potential for human error and guarantees a consistent finish from product to product. The primer system is used for everything produced at the plant, from dump bodies to hoists.
Heil has also installed a BASF acrylic urethane system in the Tishomingo facility for applying the top coat to the bodies that are mounted in-house. This system employs one of the most durable urethane coatings available today, according to BASF. The result is a strong, high-gloss finish.