Electrocoating, or e-coating, has emerged as an integral part of industrial finishing processes.
E-coat is one of the preferred methods of product finishing in a bevy of industries.
It has shaped and developed into the efficient and cost-effective process that it is today through various innovations.
The origins of e-coat stem from the birth of electrophoretic deposition which occurred just over a century ago.
Wheeler P. Davey, Physicist
The man behind the catalyst for modern e-coat processes is Wheeler P. Davey.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 19, 1886 and spent his childhood and his young adult life there.
Davey graduated from Case Western Reserve University, completed graduate work at the University of Chicago, and taught physics and chemistry in high schools around Ohio.
He eventually landed a job on faculty at Penn State and earned his master of sciences before moving on to Cornell to conduct research until 1914.
The real beginning of his legacy began here as he joined the workforce of General Electric.
GE, Original Patents, and Progress
Davey joined GE at their Research Labratory in Schenectady, New York. This was where he penned 2 patents that became the beginnings of electrophoretic deposition in 1917. The first was for the process and the second was for the coating, referred to as “japan“. The patents describe the voltages and temperatures required to achieve the a similar coating to modern-day e-coating.
The next major stride was from Dr. George E. F. Brewer while working for Ford.
Development of the first commercial anodic automotive system began in the late 1950’s, eventually reaching production in 1963.
The patent for cathodic application was granted in 1965 to BASF AG and began commercial use in the automotive industry starting in 1975.
The State of Modern E-coat
Today, electrocoating (e-coating) is used across multiple industries worldwide. It is widely used to apply coatings in industries such as automotive, heavy duty equipment, metallic furniture, military, sports equipment, agricultural, household appliances, electronic components, and electronics.
It provides an efficient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly finishing solution that helps keep consumer costs down.
We at Durusa specialize in designing and implementing e-coat lines for many of these industries.
Please contact us if you are looking to add an e-coat line to your business.
