Traditional 1K seam sealers are certainly capable of doing an acceptable job but they also come with a downside that puts a serious dent in repair cycle-time. Depending on the ambient temperature, 1K seam sealers can take as long as 24 hours to fully cure and moving the job beforehand can negatively affect that seal. However, what if you could use a seam sealer which cures in only a matter of minutes and, therefore, allows you to get on with the repair job without holdups? Welcome to SEM Products innovative, Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers!
A new headspace
Launching SEM Products’ high-tech selection of Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers on the local market gives repairers unprecedented opportunities. However, taking advantage will take a shift in thinking, says Kurt Way, PPG Category Manager, Associated Products.
“Over time, repairers have been forced to make allowances in the repair process for the time it takes for conventional seam sealers to dry. Often, this means that the job has to sit around, taking up workshop space and putting repair cycle-time on hold. It’s also about touch-time. It has been proven that the most efficient way to do the job is for the technician to continue working on it until it’s finished – not having to switch to another job while the seam sealer dries. Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers are about breaking out of the ‘this-is-the-way-we-have-always-done-it’ mould through their super quick drying, two pack technology.”
“The beauty is that you can use SEM Products’ 2K technology in the same place and in the same way as you would with the company’s 1K seam sealers – so there is no mind-shift required there. However, the technician can then continue on with the job, to complete it more quickly and get it out the door and back to the customer. That is going to make customers and work providers very happy! We have done extensive local testing and found that after just 10 minutes, the Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers are fully cured to the point where, if you wanted to remove it from the panel, you have to cut it off!”
Flexibility as well as speed
Traditionally, seam sealing has been done by the panel beater but Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers now give more options for when and who does the seam sealing during the repair process.
“We are seeing a shift where painters are taking control of the seam sealing as part of the overall job of mimicking the OEM finish. It can be done in the paint shop or panel shop. For example, once the panel beater has finished welding in a new part, the painter could potentially go in, clean up the welds, feather-edge, seam seal it (because it can go onto bare metal), apply the aerosol etch primer and maybe dust it lightly with topcoat colour and it’s done. The point is, you are now free to choose the method that works best for your business.”
Colours, finishes and applicators to mimic factory appearance
The seam sealing process is a crucial repair step. It’s not just about restoring a quality, functional seal wherever it’s needed. It’s also about reproducing the original OEM factory appearance because, if evidence of the repair is detectable, it has the potential to devalue the customer’s vehicle. As a result, SEM Products has put a lot time and research into creating a variety of different applicators, nozzles and accessories to make it easy for technicians to get the look just right so that the repair is, essentially, invisible.
Because OEM sealer finishes can be varied, so is the range of Dual-Mix
™ 2K Seam Sealers. This includes a number of sealer colours designed to match OEM colours, as well as options including a heavy bodied version, a self-levelling type and a high-build self-levelling variety. No matter which one you choose, you get the same user-friendly characteristics, speed and OEM mimicking performance!
Dual-Mix™ Seam Sealer (grey or beige)
- Fast cure reduces process time
- Direct to metal
- Sprayable for added versatility
- Non sag formulation duplicates OEM sealers
- Paintable immediately
- Will not shrink, harden or crack
Dual-Mix™ Heavy Bodied Seam Sealer (black, white, grey or beige)
- Excellent adhesion direct to metal and multiple surfaces
- Holds tooling marks throughout the working time
- Non sag
- Paintable immediately
- Remains flexible without shrinking or cracking
Dual-Mix™ Self Levelling Seam Sealer
- Ideal for use on drip rails, roof and boot seams
- Direct to metal on non-flexing roof skins
- Excellent self-levelling properties
- Flows nicely into crevices
- Paintable in just 15 minutes
- Remains permanently flexible and will not shrink, harden or crack
Dual-Mix™ High-Build Self Levelling Seam Sealer
- A controlled flow epoxy which is perfect for roof seams, drip rails and boot seams
- Direct to metal on non-flexing roof skins
- Paintable in just 15 minutes
Remains permanently flexible and will not shrink, harden or crack