Glendale Nissan Official Blog
Manufacturing insight: How Nissan tests paint quality
By Product Expert | Posted in FAQs on Wednesday, December 13th, 2017 at 8:47 pm
Nissan mini car wash paint test and quality control
Most modern manufacturers offer some sort of perforation and corrosion coverage. Basically, a warranty against rust-through. For those in the Midwest, this is an important consideration. Road salt can quickly change a fresh finish into a “rust bucket.” How can automakers be confident in the coverage offered? Nissan offers 60 months with unlimited mileage for its corrosion coverage. You’ll notice, however, that car wash damage is listed as something under the “What’s not covered” section of your owner’s manual. This doesn’t mean Nissan doesn’t recognize that this is still the most common way to wash your car. For this reason, Nissan has built a mini car was to test its quality control and the durability of the brand’s paint. So how does it work?
How Nissan tests its paint
At the Nissan Technical Center of North America, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, paint is tested on rectangular plates covered in the same paint and clearcoat you would find on any full-size Nissan model. To mimic real-life dirt and grime, “Arizona test dirt” is poured onto the plate. Clearly, testers use much more than you’d likely get on your vehicle. Part of the quality control process is creating tests that are more extreme than any average driver can replicate, to ensure maximum quality and durability.
More Manufacturing Insight: How Nissan Tests Door Quality
Following this, water is sprayed onto the plate, while a spin brush washes the grime off at a speed of 180 rpm. Nissan displays the functionality of this miniature carwash in the video below, although it is not actually tested on miniature models. Rather, the plate tested would be much more like the yellow plate seen below the miniature.
Interested in any other part of the manufacturing process? Check back here at the Glendale Nissan Blog for more.
