Moonwalk technology for a perfect colour fit

Francois Lottering

THE biggest nightmare for any car owner is getting involved in an accident and having to send the car to a panel beater for repairs, just to get it back with colour variables that don’t match the original colour of the car.

As technology has evolved, spray painters no longer have to rely on their eyes and skills to mix and match the paint for a perfect colour fit.

This is why Opperman-Thiels Auto Body Repairs invested in a state-of-the-art computerised spray paint mixing room.

The Moonwalk paint mixing room doesn’t only match colours to perfection, it also stores all relevant information about the car, colour and jobs done.

Top Revs spoke to workshop manager Lee Davids about this revolution in the industry.

He says besides the elimination of waste and mess, the Moonwalk maximises the accuracy of matching colours and decreases time lost in the paint mixing booths, while also increasing profits.

The level of technology employed in this mixing system is beyond comprehension, as everything is automated. Once the car comes in, Davids says they use a scanning device called a spectrophotometer to read the colour electronically, by means of scanning the colour five times.

Data captured by the scanning device is entered into the computer, which analyses the colour and calculates the exact formula needed to match the original paint on the vehicle. This process is carried out with precision to avoid any mismatches with the colour, and quantity of the mixture.

Davids says the paint bottles, similar to a conventional printer, are installed upside down to avoid any wastage, keeping in mind that paint is an expensive commodity.

Some mixtures take up to 10 different toners (colours) all depending on the original colour of the car. The toners don’t have to be in a certain sequence, as the barcode reader finds the chosen colour and dispenses the exact amount needed to complete the project.

However, there can be variables, Davids says, which depend on the age of the car and if it is often parked outside in direct sunlight, which can cause the paint to fade or colour to change.

Should you need a respray in future, the formula or data is stored in the system for future reference. This is one of the many benefits of making use of the Moonwalk technology at Opperman-Thiels, says Davids.

Since Opperman-Thiels is insurance approved and works on almost any brand and model, it is backed by Cymot, which supplies and stocks a variety of toners to avoid running out of stock and delaying jobs.

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