The ultra-limited Aston Martin Valkyrie is a special car, and it’s no surprise that it gets most, if not all, the headlines when it comes to the British brand’s cars.
Take the DBX for example. Many people are quick to brush off the merits of the six-figure, performance-oriented, ultra-luxury vehicle simply because its an SUV, and that shouldn’t be the case, because it’s actually pretty good.
However, Mr. JWW is giving his DBX the attention it deserves by opting for a bespoke paint treatment using the same technology as the Valkyrie‘s, and his latest video gives us an detailed look at how Aston Martin accomplishes that.
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First, the cars go through the cleaning line, which cleans both bodies-in-white and previously primed cars for painting. The way Aston Martin implements this process is different from a lot of other automakers because they choose to keep parts like bumpers on the car during painting to achieve better continuity and “harmony” of color. Additionally, this method saves them some time later on, as the parts don’t need to be reintroduced to the car. They also organize the cars in batches by color to minimize paint waste and maximize efficiency.
Next comes the paint’s formulation, where the two men responsible for it explain all the little-known intricacies of paint-making. They begin by describing the technology behind that aforementioned Valkyrie paint, which uses a combination of solids, Xirallic, pearl and metallic pigments to achieve its special color target. They continue to explain that not everything that goes into the paint is purely for color. Things like texture, adhesion, and flow all need to be taken into account as well, and finding the right balance is as much of a sort of alchemy as it is a precise science with incredibly tight tolerances.
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Taking a few steps forward, they move on to the inspection area. Each area is able to alter its lighting to allow the inspectors to simulate different real-world conditions, and therefore view the different qualities of the paints. The different lighting also allows for better detection of imperfections that might not be able to be picked out in certain conditions.
They then explain all the various cleanliness measures in the facility that ensure there is no contamination of the work environment. Before anything else, all the employees working on the cars have to wear gloves to avoid leaving any fingerprints that might get trapped under the paint. Beyond that precautionary measure, each paint booth has its own filtered air supply, and the flow is controlled to make sure the air is always moving away from the car.
Additionally, each work station has a sticky pad on the floor to remove dust and dirt from the workers’ shoes. Last but not least, they also have two cleaning robots that brush down each car prior to painting, as well as machines that measure the dust in the air down to a size of 10 microns to ensure optimal air quality throughout the facility.
Watch: The Only Aston Martin DBS Superleggera In India Looks Rather Spectacular
After that, we get to check out the painting area, but not without a quick stop in a decontamination chamber first. Certain cars are selected to be painted by hand over a machine, and that decision usually comes down to exclusivity and/or complexity of the job. Everything from the temperature, to the humidity, to the the rate of downdraft is measured and controlled to ensure the most ideal painting conditions possible. The paint is also subjected to a battery of tests to make sure it’s stable before its exact weight is calculated for maximum precision in its mixing.
Finally, we get to see the color applied to the car. The primed car comes into the booth quite glossy, so before any painting is done, the surface is sanded for better adhesion. The paint is then transferred from its large container to smaller canisters for the paint gun, and they begin applying it to the DBX. The deep green color is really something to behold, and is a true testament to all the meticulous work that goes on in this facility. We think this is quite possibly the only scenario in which we’d actually enjoy watching paint dry, and you can experience the incredibly detailed process for yourself in the video below.
