Case Study F

E-coat Paint Process Simulation using Finite element analysis

Case Studies
The following case studies are meant to be representative of the many different types of investigative work that can be accomplished by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with the Parametric Module. These include examples from rocker panel design optimization to visualization of the E-coat paint process in operation.

Several PC work stations were used to create and run simulations for the case studies, including a Dual Intel Xeon 3.06 GHz PC with 4.5 GB RAM and an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz with 1.5 GB RAM.

The typical elapsed time per iteration was related as a function of the total number of elements and the number of Boundary Conditions. The range of time required for one iteration varies from < 20 seconds for the simpler models to as much as ~25 minutes for the larger ones.

Case Study F: Lab Verification of E-Coat Simulation
A paint company performed a bench top lab experiment. The results from the test are then used as inputs for a simulation meant to duplicate the physical test. The E-coat paint company wanted to verify that the simulation tool will provide accurate results in real life situations.

FEA model of beaker E-coat paint test

Situation
Test panel was coated on one side only.
Cathode to anode ratio of 1:1 was used.
150 volts @ 120 seconds 30 ° C

Model
A 3D solid model of the test beaker apparatus was created in AutoDesk Inventor and transferred over to FEMPRO (the FEA analysis program) and the solid mesh was created. The anode and cathode are separated by 5 cm with the cathode in the lower right-hand corner and the anode in the opposite position.

Results
The average for the simulation was 11.8 µ, or 0.1 µ greater (+ 0.85%) than the test. The dark edge around the panel is due to the specifics of the model creation, and it was necessary to cover the exposed edges of the physical test panel. The simulated film thickness behaves as expected: there is more thickness on the edges and less in the center top of a flat panel.

Conclusions
An E-coat paint test was conducted in a bench top apparatus and then a simulation was performed using the measured data. The simulation results were within 1% using the measured properties of the E-coat paint. The paint company was satisfied with the results and made plans to use it.

Case Study A    |    Case Study B    |    Case Study C    |    Case Study D    |    Case Study E    |   Case Study F