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BigE

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This video may be helpful to those that have not seen an in-depth modern automotive paint shop. The Acura NSX has one of the best paint jobs available in today's modern cars, especially the Andaro paint which is exceptional. This is a nice video that takes you through the NSX paint process and explains the details behind the different layers & steps involved. Rivian's is most likely similar in the basic steps, but I would not think as involved with all the hand polishing, etc as there is no way you can do the NSX process with a mass volume vehicle.

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Bumble1978

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Dip tanks are only used to clean and e-coat the body of the truck/car. Each coat after that is sprayed.
Well now I need to know why. If using a giant dip tanks make the process more efficient in cost/time/material savings guessing there is a Sciency-logic based explanation... like the finishing color paint chemistry doesn't last well when in a giant tank so you actually waste less by using a chamber full of laser guided robo-sprayers?!? ???

Asking because I honestly don't know and want to learn. ✌⚡??
 

Bumble1978

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This video may be helpful to those that have not seen an in-depth modern automotive paint shop. The Acura NSX has one of the best paint jobs available in today's modern cars, especially the Andaro paint which is exceptional. This is a nice video that takes you through the NSX paint process and explains the details behind the different layers & steps involved. Rivian's is most likely similar in the basic steps, but I would not think as involved with all the hand polishing, etc as there is no way you can do the NSX process with a mass volume vehicle.

Yeah but it's a Honda. ??

All kidding aside, thanks. ✌?

*disclaimer after learning about how Honda does super fancy paint jobs... totally explains the HOW, but not the WHY?!? That Andaro Red is gorgeous. 17mil vs 7-8mil makes total sense.
 
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SANZC02

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Well now I need to know why. If using a giant dip tanks make the process more efficient in cost/time/material savings guessing there is a Sciency-logic based explanation... like the finishing color paint chemistry doesn't last well when in a giant tank so you actually waste less by using a chamber full of laser guided robo-sprayers?!? ???

Asking because I honestly don't know and want to learn. ✌⚡??
Without talking about quality one of the big things I can see using the robots to do the final color is much easier and less wasteful to purge the lines when changing colors. Using dip tanks for cleaning and priming all of the vehicles would go through the same process. Doing color changes in those tanks would be time consuming and wasteful.
 
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BigE

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I did notice the floor grating looked new at the start of the video. Maybe it’s serial #00001?
 

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EVnewb

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I did notice the floor grating looked new at the start of the video. Maybe it’s serial #00001?
I’m not sure that is the first run through. If you look at the first frame of the video, there is yellow paint on the grate ahead of the truck. Plus the thin tracks that the truck is mounted to (moving along the floor between the grates) look like they are already yellow as well. I could be wrong though since I’m slightly colorblind haha.

Also, what are the chances they have multiple paint booths set up? The equipment is probably very expensive, but they should have multiple set up for higher production volume and less cleaning/swapping paint. Not to mention if one had a failure, it would halt production. Again, I could be wrong though!
 

Mjhirsch78

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That might be a good sign for the 3 Compass Yellow pre-orders! They'll get those run through all at once to expedite production.;)
Team Yellow’s secret plan all along!

That's me!

I have two theories as to how yellow may actually get me an early delivery (as non-LE):
  1. The scarcity of yellow orders may mean that Rivian might do yellow early-ish just to bang them out rather than get stuck on a common color for months of production.
  2. The LE preorders of yellow may be so small that when Rivian retools for yellow, it may be worthwhile to do some/all of the non-LE yellow preorders at the same time.
C'mon RJ, while you're doing those 3 yellow LEs, what's one extra yellow non-LE :please:
Looks like the three of us our getting our vehicles early. Or at least that is what the eternal optimists on Team Yellow convince ourselves!
 

kanundrum

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Could be the Test Fleet for the Mobile Events they will have setup, they paint 1 of every color so people can see in person.
 

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There was definitely paint on the floor already. You can see yellow on the floor in front of the sled.

Rivian R1T R1S Video: Rivian in paint shop - posted by RJ Scaringe ? Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 11.35.51 AM
 
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BigE

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There was definitely paint on the floor already. You can see yellow on the floor in front of the sled.

Screen Shot 2021-07-14 at 11.35.51 AM.png
I don’t know the in-depth process, but most of these new paints, especially in the US are now water based. If this paint booth, paints say 1,000 vehicles a day, you would eventually have large build up on this floor grading. I would imagine, if it’s water based, they can wash it off at certain time intervals and capture/re-process. All the environmental steps RJ has discussed, down to small parts shipping bins using ocean plastics, there’s probably not a lot of waste products from the painting process.
 

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I don’t know the in-depth process, but most of these new paints, especially in the US are now water based. If this paint booth, paints say 1,000 vehicles a day, you would eventually have large build up on this floor grading. I would imagine, if it’s water based, they can wash it off at certain time intervals and capture/re-process. All the environmental steps RJ has discussed, down to small parts shipping bins using ocean plastics, there’s probably not a lot of waste products from the painting process.
I used to work in Fanuc's paint system department. This looks like a bog standard paint booth to me. The grates are usually replaced once buildup is significant, cleaning them off is a waste of resources.
 

paariv

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If this paint booth, paints say 1,000 vehicles a day, you would eventually have large build up on this floor grading.
Somehow, I don't think we're anywhere near needing to worry about buildup at current rates...
 

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Who gets to open and close the doors?
 

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Well now I need to know why. If using a giant dip tanks make the process more efficient in cost/time/material savings guessing there is a Sciency-logic based explanation... like the finishing color paint chemistry doesn't last well when in a giant tank so you actually waste less by using a chamber full of laser guided robo-sprayers?!? ???

Asking because I honestly don't know and want to learn. ✌⚡??
In one word - viscosity. Dip tanks can be used for low viscosity "liquids" such as corrosion coating. These coatings electrochemically bind to the metal ensuring 100% coverage even with a thin, runny liquid. Since it is thin viscosity, excess liquid easily runs off, no runs or drop blobs, it does not clog small holes, etc. The metal car frame and the liquid have electrical charges applied to them causing the coating to bond to the metal. This BMW video shows the process, commonly called ECoat.

Paint has a thicker viscosity due to the large amount color pigments in the paint. If you tried to dip color finish paints, you would have runs, drips, blobs because the paint is thicker viscosity. Also, the previous corrosion prevention ECoat layer acts as an insulator, so the color and clear coats can't effectively be applied as a thin viscosity dipped ECoat.
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