The waterborne basecoat systems available today can vary greatly from one another.

But no matter the technology, there’s no doubt that colour-matching accuracy, ease of use and cycle time performance are the key considerations for choosing one waterborne system over another.

The following explores key measures of performance for the ENVIROBASE® High Performance system—factors that have made it the top choice of high production collision centres across North America.

Colour matching

The Envirobase High Performance (EHPTM) system is comprised of more than 90 toners, including the latest translucent pigments for matching today’s highly chromatic factory colours.

To ensure colour consistency from repair to repair, the toners incorporate anti-settle technology, requiring only a gentle “shake ‘n pour”. No mechanical mixing machine is required.

“Colour matching is exceptional,” says Kelvin Campbell, owner of CSN Chapman, Bedford, Nova Scotia.

“We simply do not have colour match issues. The RAPIDMATCH® XI spectrophotometer colour scanning tool is so easy to use and accurate that our prep guys can handle colour matches, providing the painter with more time to focus on painting the car.”

Another labour-saving, the colour tool is the Chromatic Variant Deck, which reduces the need for spray-outs. Comprised of some 6,000 OEM prime and variant colour chips—each is painted with Envirobase paint for “what you see is what you get” accuracy.

Ease of use

Some waterborne systems require a fairly complicated, “reverse blending” procedure.

In comparison, Envirobase High-Performance basecoat employs traditional blending application techniques, so experienced and novice painters alike find the procedure easy to master.

Repairability of the EHP system is easy as well since the painter can de-nib the basecoat by sanding off imperfections “on the fly,” without having to start over.

“It’s very forgiving,” Campbell agrees.

“My guys can push their painting skills to another level knowing that they’re working with a paint system that makes it easy to fix mistakes.”

Throughput performance

Some waterborne suppliers point to the 1.5-coat coverage of their basecoat as a true measure of throughput.

However, to get a true picture of throughput you must evaluate the entire refinishing process—and here the Envirobase High Performance system excels.

Campbell explains that “EHP has helped increase our throughput by delivering exceptional ease of use, quicker drying times, and faster, more accurate colour matches.”

As a result, cycle time and touch times have improved dramatically at CSN Chapman. “We went from a 14-day cycle time to a 9-day cycle time. All of this is the reason our profitability has increased by 8%.”

With numbers like these achieved at CSN Chapman, it is understandable why the Envirobase High Performance system has become the leading waterborne refinish system in North America