Tikkurila Temadur SC-F family: You asked, we delivered.
Third time’s the charm for Senior Researcher Petri Ronkainen, who started at Tikkurila in 2010 during his MSc studies, worked as a researcher in Tikkurila’s wood industry team, then finally took a position in the metal industry research team, where he’s worked till this day. He’s the product responsible chemist for direct-to-metal, two-component polyurethane coatings, both solvent and water-borne, and all polysiloxane coatings. In this blog post he shares the story of Tikkurila Temadur SC-F products.
When it comes to knowing what our customers really want, our sales teams at Tikkurila are the ones to ask. They’re always the first to hear of wish lists, requests and what customers want to see from our paints. As researchers it’s then our job to work out how to turn those wishes into real-life products. In 2009 we saw that there was market demand for a new direct-to-metal coating for agricultural and earth-moving machinery, with better application and surface properties than those currently available on the market. We got to work.
The customer is always right
Customers were demanding a product that would allow single-coat painting of steel agricultural and earth-moving machinery, with a 65% solids content and a high sagging value to make it easy to apply. They also wanted it to be sprayable without thinning and to meet certain corrosion requirements – and all at a competitive price point. We began development and the first batches of Temadur SC-F 80 were ready for testing in 2010.
Our testing process is very thorough, comprising tests in both the lab and our outdoor test field. We tested for durability against neutral salt spray and condensation, as well as cyclic corrosion testing to ensure superior corrosion resistance even in the harshest climatic conditions. We also tested for durability against UV, with gloss and colour tests proving that Temadur SC-F 80 will stay looking good long term. Testing proved that equipment coated in Temadur SC-F 80 can be used anywhere in the world, from the North Pole to the Equator.
We also tested Temadur SC-F 80’s mechanical properties to ensure the ideal hardness and flexibility, as well as its chemical resistance to liquids often found on machines like diesel, hydraulic fluid or detergent.
From wish list to dream coating
Thanks to this rigorous testing process we were able to show we’d created a product with an impressive list of benefits: a paint with active anti-corrosion pigments for superior corrosion protection that can be painted directly onto metal, with fast curing and high film-building properties that speed up the production line and make it easy to apply with no sagging or drips. Temadur SC-F 80’s corrosion protection meets the requirements of the ISO 12944-6 standard, for corrosion class C4-M. And because it only needs a single layer it saves time and energy in the painting process – a particularly important consideration with current rising energy prices.
In addition, Temadur SC-F 80 is a polyurethane coating meaning it has good durability, maintaining its colour and gloss for longer. The high solids content means it has lower levels of volatile organic compounds than many alternatives, making it safer to work with and better for the environment.
Watch the video to see Temadur SC-F products in action and to learn more about their benefits!
Adding an extra level of shine for our customers
Following the success of Temadur SC-F 80, we added two new products to the family: Temadur SC-F 50 and Temadur SC-F 20, bringing two new gloss levels with the same great benefits. We’ve also helped when customers have come to us with specific requests for the product. For example, we were already supplying a direct-to-metal paint for an agricultural harvester manufacturer in their brand colours. Temadur SC-F 80 replaced the previous product, improving the application process and enhancing efficiency.
Another of our large customers, a well-known earth-moving equipment manufacturer, wanted the Temadur SC-F formulation in three of their brand colours and with a longer usage time because of the size of their equipment. We made them their own custom formulation with an extended pot life as well as slightly better levelling, but still with a fast curing time. Examples of other requests we’ve received have been new colours, altered curing times or a specific gloss level – we encourage anyone who has a specific request to get in touch and we’ll always do our very best to fulfil it. Every custom request is fully tested where required to ensure it meets the high standards we demand of our products, and at the end of our testing process we also help support customer trials on painting lines or in customer spray booths to ensure it works perfectly for their needs.
What comes next for Temadur SC-F family?
Temadur SC-F paints are popular products, so we’ve secured raw material supply to ensure the formulation will be available for our customers long into the future. When legislation changes, we make sure we’re always ahead of the game – for example, we’ve ensured that the levels of di-isocyanates in Temadur SC-F with our standard hardener are below 0.1% as stated in Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1149. This means users will not be liable to attend the EU-mandated training which will be required from 2023 for products with higher di-isocyanate levels.
As always, we’re here to help. Are you in need of something special? Get in touch and we’ll get to work!
