Originally Posted by Gambit

I used to be a robot paint process engineer and later on as a paint manager. I even painted parts for the Corvette. I'd like to share some of my experiences.

First I'd like to say not all fenders are equal, each part has it's own unique characteristics that have to be figured out.

It's been my experience that most paint issues aren't usually caused by robotics. I'm not saying there can't be poor programming or an issue can't be mitigated by superior programming just that the robot is generally not the root cause.

The reason is launching new parts and paints (color and/or new vendor) must go through an intensive validation process. In other words it doesn't go live unless it meets all the specs. The GM spec book on paint quality is literally a 3 inch binder and yes we go through the whole thing.

The most likely root cause really depends on the nature of the defect. For example let's go with paint runs. This is a common issue. Unfortunately even this example isn't simple. Since there are several types. Runs, sags, cascade sags, base drag, hanging drip, fat edge, etc. Each type has their own potential list of root causes.

I could easily list 20 things that can cause a run and some are definitely programming but the top causes are:

Paint viscosity
Solvent blend
Humidity
Temperature (ambient, part, paint, oven, flash off zones, the list goes on)
Racking (position, grounding, part density etc)

You'll notice the top 4 are a usually responses to changes in weather. The original processes are generally created, validated and optimized in the spring/summer. Then winter hits. Now the problem isn't the season, that can be compensated for, as much as the transition. Hot afternoon, freezing night, wet morning... Radical shifts require changes and that doesn't happen automatically; it takes a human to figure it out, sometimes by trial and error. Painting is as much of an art as a science.

With that said, there is no excuse for poor paint quality to escape the plant. All these issues should be internal and the customer should not have to experience them. This too is also something the plant will get better at. The car is new, they don't know where to focus their energy so they spend it initially on looking everywhere. Once they get familiar with common issues, QC will be more successful at finding them.

I know it sucks to get a poor paint job and I feel your pain, not only as customer but also as someone who poured his blood, sweat and tear into giving the customer the best paint job possible.

Originally Posted by KenHorse

Well.....you do have to admit that it isn't unreasonable to think a $60K+ vehicle's paint would at least not be orange peeled.

And every single C7 I've seen is

Originally Posted by RC000E

That's a real interesting line of thought, considering the only way to not have orange peel is to wetsand the car by hand, then buff it. Unless you had an instant drying clear, orange peel is going to happen. The good thing is it gives you good clear coat thickness for longevity. A panel with less orange peel = less clear mil thickness, in some cases...

If you want no orange peel, you need to pay a lot more than 60 grand on a car that outperforms cars that cost 90 grand.

Originally Posted by Nitrous Oxide

It's courageous of you to stick your neck out like that for something that's obviously not your responsibility. Methinks there's some dork on that team that doesn't apply the instructions, if he's ever read them. Sure, he's a riot at the employee parties. So he's not even suspected. But anyway, if the culprit is really the weather, I guess we should expect the same frequency of defects from cars built in Germany or Sweden. Because it's not exactly tropical out there. How do their cars compare?

Originally Posted by ck9887

I would advise everyone to do a very detailed inspection before taking delivery... If we, as customers, didn't accept this poor workmanship, GM would be forced to step up their QC.

Originally Posted by RC000E

That's a real interesting line of thought, considering the only way to not have orange peel is to wetsand the car by hand, then buff it. Unless you had an instant drying clear, orange peel is going to happen. The good thing is it gives you good clear coat thickness for longevity. A panel with less orange peel = less clear mil thickness, in some cases...

If you want no orange peel, you need to pay a lot more than 60 grand on a car that outperforms cars that cost 90 grand.

Originally Posted by KenHorse

Detroit?

Originally Posted by texvette2

What is so bad, all the people on here that see this as
perfectly acceptable. You pay a premium price and they
do not care if get cut rate work. This is what the liberal
mind has created. All these Liberal supporters fall right
in and bash all the ones that expect better.

Originally Posted by Bandit's Vette

The C7 I have on order, is a little under $80k after taxes. I will not accept orange peel at all. That will be the very first area of my inspection, the paint. My salesman/dealership claims the complaints about the paint is way over rated. Supposedly, out of the 6 they sold, only one had a paint issue on the rear driver side quarter panel by the wheel. About 7" x 13" area had orange peel, but the rest of the car and the other 5 was perfect. I will be my own judge/inspector

Originally Posted by VNAMVET

Not mine.

Originally Posted by luvlake

To the smart a.. who thought I never been to a 3rd world country, I spent 18 months in Southeast Asia, Philippines and Vietnam, 66 & 67' probably before you were born. As result of that paid vacation and agent orange exposure I now have Parkinson's , Prostate cancer and skin cancer. Freedom is precious, I grew up in a time that America was a Creditor nation and the envy of the world. When I said we have lot we didn't have to worry about being shot in school and a mans word was his bond. Yes I have seen how people live in a 3rd world country, have you?