The M-Class is produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa.
The illustration below shows the production sequence for corrosion protection on the unfinished bodies at the Tuscaloosa plant.
The process starts with preliminary treatment and ends with assembly of the protected bodies.
The following chapters describe how reliable corrosive protection is achieved for the M-class produced inTuscaloosa through design measures, production processes, painting procedures and use of special materials.
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A transport foil is available as special equipment for protection of the painted surface against damage:
Material: PEPP
Application procedure: Manually glued on before assembly
Foil thickness: approx. 50 - 70 μm
Function: Protection during assembly and transport
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P98.00-2063-79
A Manual
1 Preliminary treatment
2 Cataphoretic immersion priming (KTL)
3 KTL drier, 175 °C, 15 min.
4 Sanding KTL (flaws only)
5 Seam sealing
12 Application of base paint (pneumatic)
13 Evaporation zone , 60 °C, 6 min
14 Application of clear paint (ESTA)
15 Top coat drier, 120 °C, 40 min.
16 Quality control/polishing
17 Hollow cavity preservation
6 Underbody protection
7 Drier for seam sealing/underbody protection agent
8 Filler application
9 Filler drier, 150 °C, 30 min.
10 Sanding filler (flaws only)
11 Application of base paint (ESTA)
P98.00-2064-76
Paint structure, coating thicknesses
Non-metallic water base paint
1 Sheet metal
2 Zinc phosphatizing, approx. 2.5 g/m2
3 Cataphoretic immersion priming
Inner area and hollow
cavities 17 5 μm
Outer surface 20 4 μm
4 Filler 30 5 μm
5 Base paint 15 5 μm
Polar white 25 5 μm
Metallic base coat
5 Water-based base coat 13 2 μm
Clear coat
6 2K clear coat
on upright surfacces 43 3 μm
on horizontal surfaces 48 3 μm