Nick McKees37
McKee's 37 Product Support
- Jan 6, 2011
- 7,265
- 0
Developing The Perfect Compound
A lot of exciting things are constantly taking place at Autogeek, one of them being new product research and development. A major part of my day is testing new products that we (PBMG) manufacture and for other manufacturers that are looking for real world feedback on an up-and-coming compound, polish, wax, etc. Various tests are performed, notes are taken and sent to the lab (or manufacturer), and depending on my report, I receive a voucher for a free stack of pancakes at Dennys. Okay, the last part isn't entirely true. Some products make the cut while others don't - plain and simple.
It's not uncommon for me go weeks without seeing my desk because the latest and greatest products are getting thrown (literally) my way; sometimes I even forget what the underlying finish looks like. I'm always hoping that my desk is made of mahogany, but I usually find myself disappointed when I finally clear and spot and realize that it's.......not mahogany (hopefully Max reads this and takes note).
Anyway, we're hard at work developing a new compound for one of our lines and I figured I'd give you guys an inside look. The formulation of the compound is almost finalized and I was excited to find a bottle labeled "Lab Sample C" on my desk when I came into work last Friday.
The Goal is Set
The initial goal was to develop a new compound that could remove heavy swirls, water spots, and oxidation while finishing like a polish - on all paint systems. It must also be versatile in its application, meaning it can be used with wool, microfiber and foam pads on both DA and rotary style polishers. It goes without saying that any true compound used by professionals needs to be body shop safe, so that was a given as well. Ease of use also rates high on the priority list with any product manufactured by PBMG.
Paint hardness and softness varies greatly so it's imperative that this new compound perform flawlessly on all paint systems. "Lab Sample C" is the most recent formulation provided based on our feedback to the lab, and I was anxious to put it through its paces. While a host of different tests were performed with Lab Sample C, including different tool and pad combinations, I'm going to mainly focus on the FLEX XC3401 and provide an inside look at how well it performed on BLACK BMW paint.
These are the results I achieved with a FLEX XC3401 equipped with a Lake Country WHITE Hybrid Power Finish Polishing Pad.
Before:
During:
After:
"Lab Sample C" performed exceptionally well on the BMW's soft black paint. We all agreed that its formulation is about 95% of what it should be - it could be slightly easier to remove, but other than that it's perfect. That's a minor adjustment that will be made for the production-spec formula.
Stay tuned for more.
