If we compare statistics various kinds technical inspection, then examination car paintwork far from being in demand. However, there are some situations where it is almost impossible to do without it.

Only thanks qualitative analysis it is possible to assess the degree of damage caused, to determine the existing shortcomings, along with the reasons for their occurrence. Thanks to the use of special equipment, it becomes possible to reliably detect even the smallest errors. And this is true, since it is possible to carry out a hardness analysis, check the degree of adhesion, the thickness of the coating.

Test procedure

There are certain rules according to which the examination of the car paintwork is carried out. First of all, the thickness is checked, which allows to establish with maximum accuracy the uniformity of distribution over the entire surface of the paint film. In this case, a device called a thickness gauge is used.

Full compliance and compliance with the current regulations of the technical regulations becomes mandatory. It should be noted that experienced experts are able already at the stage of preliminary inspection to identify places that do not comply with the staining standards established by the regulations.

Reasons for the appointment of tests

As a rule, this kind of research is assigned when buying a vehicle:

• new from the showroom;
• used on the market.

Also, if there are suspicions about the quality of car painting. Regardless of the reason according to which the examination of the paintwork of the car was appointed, it should be carried out by specialists.

Increasingly, citizens are choosing ANO "Center for Chemical Expertise", whose employees are ready to provide full complex expert services, on time, at the highest quality level.

Expertise paintwork is an automotive technical diagnostic method that allows not only to assess the damage from a collision after an accident, but also to determine the general condition of the paintwork, as well as the causes of its shortcomings.

Examination of the paintwork is a study based on an assessment of the condition of the paintwork. Examination of paintwork, may include an examination of the quality of painting parts. In this case, the objects of research are not only the vehicle, but also the documents for car repair (certificates of work performed, work orders). The car is examined using special equipment. Upon completion of the examination, you will receive official expert opinion. An expert opinion is an official document that gives you the right to demand the elimination of identified deficiencies, reimbursement of the cost of eliminating defects or the return of the purchased car. In case of refusal, the expert opinion is the basis for filing a lawsuit. Lawyers of the company "Your Autoexpert" will help you to draw up statement of claim and represent your interests in all court hearings.

Examples of questions for an expert opinion on the condition of the paintwork:

1. Does the object of study have defects in the paintwork on the front left door?
2. If there are defects in the paintwork on the front left door, what is the reason for their appearance (operational, production or other)?
3. Could defects have been formed as a result of poor-quality work performed according to work order No. ***********?
4. What are the ways to eliminate the identified defects?
5. What is the cost of fixing the detected defects?

In what cases may an examination of the quality of painting be required (examination of paintwork)

Buying a used car:

Often, when purchasing a car, a detailed study of its condition is required. For example, there is a great risk of becoming the owner of a "putty, repainted shifter, with a broken body geometry." The former owner or reseller saved money and made repairs in garage conditions, using cheap materials, spare parts, it’s not worth talking about compliance with technology. The main disadvantage of such a purchase is that over time, the consequences of such a repair may come out in the form of peeling or swelling of paint, cracked putty, and many more “surprises”. Even if the repair was made at a dealership, agree to buy a car after an accident, while paying the full market price for it. The condition of the body and paint is the main indicator of all incidents that have occurred with the car. Even in the conditions of a dealership, it is impossible to disguise everything without a trace.

In case of poor-quality repairs carried out by a car service center or in the direction of an insurance company (OSAGO / CASCO)

One of the most common causes applications for the examination of the paintwork, this is a manifestation of defects after repair. For example, swelling of the paintwork, peeling, corrosion, cracks, or the so-called defect “did not hit the color” among the people , when without special equipment a difference in shades of paint is noticeable. It all has to do with technology. As for repairs in the direction of insurance companies, everything is clear here, this is another attempt to reduce their costs for paying for service stations, which inevitably leads to a drop in the quality of painting and repairs, since the latter are also trying to save money and use cheap materials. If we take into account the upcoming changes in the OSAGO system (the victims will no longer receive money, but will be sent for repairs to car services - partners of insurance companies), the situation on the market, in our opinion, will worsen even more. And the need for this kind of independent expertise is growing every day. As practice shows, arguing and proving something to the management of a car service or an insurance company without official conclusions is practically useless. Unfortunately, this is how it is in our country “without a piece of paper you are ... (no one), but with a piece of paper a person”

Returning the car to the dealership

You have become the proud owner of a new car, but after a while you discover that your car has traces of paint or, worse, poor paint defects have begun to emerge. These defects may be manufacturing defects (manufacturing defects) or the result of unsuccessful transportation. During transportation, the vehicle received a chip, dent, scratch, etc. It is much more difficult to sell such a car, or the dealer will receive a decent loss in profit. Therefore, such cars are painted and sold on a par with the rest. Not only is it not pleasant to buy a new car and find that it has been refurbished. So there will also be problems with the sale if a potential buyer finds out, as a result of which you will have to make a discount and you will lose money without any fault.

How is the examination of LCP

LKP EXPERTISE includes:

analysis of the surface of the paintwork;

hardness analysis;
thickness check;

color analysis
determination of the degree of adhesion of the body coating.

All collected data and identified defects are recorded in the inspection report. The presence of defects is photographed using digital cameras and an electron microscope. If necessary, video recording is carried out.

Surface analysis is carried out by visual inspection, using an electron microscope if necessary. Measurement of the thickness of the paintwork is carried out using special equipment "thickness gauge". Factory coverage is typically between 120 and 160 microns. The hardness of the coating determines its resistance to deformation and local force. Here the pendulum device and the scratch method are used. Adhesion parameters indicate the strength and smoothness of the future paintwork. The strength, durability and anti-corrosion properties of the body depend on these characteristics. The unit of measurement of adhesion is the peel force of the coating per unit area. This parameter can be qualitatively checked strictly in laboratory conditions using high-precision instruments. Or by cutting the paintwork and testing with adhesive tape. This method is often not carried out as it leads to further damage to the coating. As a rule, a hardness test, a thickness test and an inspection of the paintwork are sufficient.

A large number of motorists are faced with accidents on the roads. After completing all required documents at the scene of an accident, the problems usually do not end there. Having lost a lot of time, the motorist is forced to resolve issues with insurance and passing an auto examination. Particularly difficult at first glance, the examination of the car paintwork may seem. But to establish the degree of damage to the paintwork, it does not cause any difficulties. Most experienced car owners know that the most expensive part in a car is its body. The cost of the body is more than 50% of the total cost of the car. Without a good body or with a body that has a weak paintwork, a car is a common set of spare parts. It is believed that the "tin" is the most expensive type of car repair. It is enough to look at the price list of any service to be convinced of this.
For an expert, even the most insignificant, for example, such as a characteristic "spider line" or paintwork shagreen, is akin to a fingerprint. As a rule, it is the body that takes upon itself the first damage to the car - it crumples in an accident, burns out in the sun, suffers from road abrasive particles, rubs off during washing, etc. Therefore, it is not at all accidental that the inspection and initial determination of the condition of the car always begins with a thorough, detailed inspection of the body and its paintwork.

Why do you need a vehicle paintwork inspection?

The following situation can serve as a typical example of the need for an examination of the LCP. The client purchased a completely new car in the showroom, but after a while he suddenly discovered corrosion or suspicious spots on the paintwork, or differences in the shades of body parts or elements that are not factory painted. The fact is that the car can be damaged during transportation or when manipulating it in the cabin. In this case, dealers carry out the repair of such a part in the body shop. Our experts will easily detect such an element and point to it. In this case, you can easily demand a discount when buying a car or demand a similar car that does not have a non-factory paint job. Remember expert must be invited to the salon before signing of the act of acceptance of the transfer of the car, then we will be able to get you a discount, in case of a defect, demand a replacement of the car. Unfortunately, after signing the acceptance certificate and after you leave the salon, nothing will be possible to do. In addition, you may need help in receiving a car not only to control the paintwork, but also to control it.

Where else can an examination of a car's paintwork be required, and how will it be useful if the car is no longer new?

When giving the car for painting, especially when it comes to painting individual body elements, the finished parts can be subtle, but still differ from each other. An auto expert will help to prove to the master that the existing problems with the paintwork are not a figment of the owner’s imagination, but the actual state of affairs. With the help of instruments, he will easily establish all the shortcomings in the paintwork and force the representatives of the paint and varnish workshop to re-repair the paintwork of the car, from beginning to end.

Methods for conducting an examination of a car paintwork

The seller can disguise problems with the engine or suspension or slightly freshen up the interior, but the general condition of the body, including paint damage (distinct dents, scratches and chipped paintwork), will not be easy to hide from the buyer. And even more so - from the expert "Arnica Expert". A competent specialist, having a paintwork device on hand, from the first minute will be able to determine not only the hardness of the paintwork, but also find out:

• whether the elimination of defects in the paintwork was carried out before
• Has the bodywork been corrected?
• whether it was repainted individual elements

In addition to a visual inspection, the examination of the car paintwork includes checking the thickness of the body paint. With the help of modern equipment, it is possible to identify places with traces of body repair and signs indicating a hasty paintwork restoration in the recent past. After checking the quality of the paintwork and systematizing the data obtained during the inspection, the expert will be able to draw up a general picture of the damage received by the car before the repair. As a rule, the different thickness of the coating in certain areas of the body elements indicates that the wear of the coating has already been polished or, even worse, the cracks in the paintwork of the car have been puttied. Having selected a sample of paintwork, the expert will be able to accurately determine not only the brand, color and chemical composition paint, but also the method of its application (factory or handicraft), as well as the correspondence of the color to the reference shade. In addition, paintwork tests will help to identify the cause of the defect - missing paintwork protection after repair, low adhesion of paintwork in production or improper operation of the facility.
Regardless of who and why needed an examination of the paintwork, you should know that there is a special decree of the Russian Federation that gives the car owner the right to carry out any expert work without the permission of the insurance company.

"Soyuz-Expert", among other legal services provided, specializes in the examination of the paintwork (LKP) of vehicles. Independent experts of our company, using the most modern tools, will qualitatively and on time carry out the necessary studies of the paintwork of your car or other transport. The expert opinions of Soyuz-Expert specialists are extremely accurate and are a legal document that will be valid in court.

The objectives of the examination of the vehicle paintwork

The purpose of the examination is determined in the terms of reference. As a rule, this is the detection of defects made by the manufacturer or the repair shop. Such an examination can also help in determining the guilty party in the investigation of an accident and establish the fact that the car has been in the water for a long time.

Objects of study of the LCP expertise

In the process of expert work, the following are investigated:

• vehicle completely;
• individual components of the vehicle or body parts;
• objects found at the scene of the accident, on which fragments of the paintwork could presumably remain

The results of the assessment of the condition of the car's paintwork

Independent expertise LKP is a procedure for comprehensively checking the condition of the paint layer, detecting faults and determining the causes of their occurrence. Experts, having carried out a complete diagnosis of the coating, will find out what defects and damage it has.

Damage to the paintwork is a violation of its integrity resulting from the operation of the vehicle, and defects (or shortcomings) are flaws in the paintwork that appeared during its application or as a result of poor-quality work, as well as the use of materials that do not meet established standards.

After all the necessary measurements and analyzes, experts will determine whether technological errors were made in the process of painting the vehicle by the manufacturer, whether the body was completely or partially repaired (and how well it was done), whether the body or its individual elements were repainted. Naturally, such an examination will help to identify the culprit of the accident, if it is carried out by a court decision.

Disadvantages that are identified with the help of LCP:

• Heterogeneity of the final layer of paint. The bodywork has different shades.
• Drips, mechanical inclusions (weediness).
• Corrosion.
• Non-painting. Separate areas of the coating are not completely painted over.
• "Spider web". A network of microcracks in the paint layer.
• Strokes, micro-scratches

Possible damage to the paintwork:

• Scratches and dents. Traces of mechanical impact.
• Chips. Fragmentary absence of one or more layers of paintwork due to overheating or hypothermia, poor-quality painting, the action of aggressive chemicals or after being hit. Moisture easily gets into the places of chips and corrosive areas form on the surface of the body.
• Bloating LCP. Local deformation of the paintwork, which occurs as a reaction to reagents, as a result of mechanical stress, UV radiation or internal corrosion.

How is the examination of the state of the LCP carried out?

In the course of expert work, measurements of the thickness, hardness and adhesion of the paintwork are carried out using special equipment and instruments.

Hardness is a physical and mechanical indicator that determines the amount of resistance of a layer to deformation or local mechanical stress.

Hardness is determined using a special pendulum and measurements of damage left after mechanical impacts on the paintwork.

Adhesion is the degree of adhesion of the surface directly to the paintwork. It is measured by specially designed instruments in the laboratory using two main methods: the peeling method and the lattice cut method. The adhesion index is the most important factor protecting the car from corrosion.

The thickness of the paintwork is measured with a thickness gauge. The optimum value for most vehicles is 160 microns.

During the examination of the paintwork after an accident, a comprehensive study of the damage received is carried out, their dimensions, the presence of foreign particles are determined. As a result of the examination, with a high degree of probability, the culprit of the accident can be determined.

The procedure for the examination of paintwork in Moscow

To determine the main characteristics and brand of paintwork, the conditions and time of its application, you can contact our company. If you notice defects or damage, then you need to do it as soon as possible - the sooner the experts start working, the more accurately they will be able to determine their causes. After drawing up the contract and determining the expert task, you must provide Soyuz-Expert specialists with access to vehicle and provide all available documents.

In the case of an examination after an accident, the conclusions of a representative of the insurance company, a traffic police inspector and a plan-scheme of the incident are needed. If we are talking about making claims to the seller or repair shop, we need documents on the repair and purchase and sale.

After carrying out all expert work, you will receive an expert opinion with detailed answers to all questions of the task and the conclusions of a specialist. This document can be used as evidence in any legal proceedings.