From one product to a broader chemical approach
The positive experience with MM31® encouraged BMS Coating to look further at chemical optimisation within the company. Together with AD Chemicals, BMS Coating examined where additional improvements could be made in cleaning, pretreatment and paint stripping. This resulted in the use of Cleaner OV, Cleaner Neutral AL and Strip MCV.
Cleaner OV and Cleaner Neutral AL: visible cleaning results
With traditional solvent based cleaning, oil and grease are not always fully removed from the surface. In some cases, contamination can be diluted or smeared across the product, leaving local residues behind. Another challenge is that the result of this type of cleaning is difficult to assess objectively.
With AD Chemicals’ water-based cleaners, such as Cleaner OV and Cleaner Neutral AL, the process becomes more controllable. These products loosen oil and grease from the surface, after which a water break test can be used to check whether the surface is sufficiently clean and degreased for the next process step.
Barry explains the difference clearly:
“You can see the oil and grease dripping off during cleaning. You can’t achieve that with a cloth.”
Strip MCV speeds up the paint stripping process
BMS Coating has also recently started using Strip MCV from AD Chemicals for paint stripping applications. The first practical experiences have been positive. With previously tested paint strippers, it sometimes took two to three days to fully remove paint layers. With Strip MCV, visible results can already be seen after one hour, with the paint layer largely broken down. Moreover, Strip MCV retains its effectiveness even without booster or activator and carries a less severe hazard classification than the product they used before, which contributes to a safer, more user-friendly and more sustainable work process.
This is particularly valuable when stripping older wheel rims, where paint removal is often time consuming. By shortening the paint stripping step, BMS Coating can plan production more efficiently and reduce waiting times in the process.
As Barry puts it:
“With our previous paint stripper, you sometimes had to wait two to three days. With Strip MCV, you can see after an hour that the paint is almost gone.”
Paint stripping effect of Strip MCV on a wheel rim
Customers and paint suppliers recognise the difference
The results of the new method have not gone unnoticed. According to BMS Coating, customers are now actively asking whether their parts can be pretreated with MM31®. In addition, BMS Coating’s paint supplier has also recommended AD Chemicals as a chemical supplier.
This confirms the value of the chosen approach, not only within BMS Coating’s own production process, but also among customers and partners. For BMS Coating, chemical pretreatment is no longer simply an alternative to blasting. In many applications, it has become a step forward in terms of quality, speed and process control.
Chemical pretreatment as a strategic process step
The BMS Coating case demonstrates that the move from mechanical to chemical pretreatment is much more than a product change. By using AD Chemicals’ products and technical support, BMS Coating has gained greater control over paint adhesion, process reliability, turnaround time and operational efficiency.
The result is a pretreatment process that is better suited to sensitive substrates such as aluminium, while also creating new opportunities for further optimisation of the overall coating process. For BMS Coating, chemical pretreatment has become a practical and strategic choice: one that supports quality, efficiency and confidence in the final result.
