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CAREER DEVELOPMENT Virtual Paint Training New technology provides educational, environmental, and fi nancial benefi ts O By Lea Schellhorn Technicians are able to spray vir- tual coatings as a way to learn spray technique. ne of the pivotal factors in aerospace maintenance is maintaining an efficient coating process. Coatings serve a variety of aesthetic, functional, and protective purposes. Incorrect application of these coatings most often degrades the protective quality of the coating resulting in failures such as corrosion, rust, and adhesion problems that are damaging, expensive to repair, and potentially dangerous. Spray technicians have the greatest impact on ensuring correct application to avoid these consequences. However, in most facilities, little if any formal training is provided to technicians. Typically, these technicians learn through trial and error or by watching their peers. This lack of standardized training has led to a significant gap in the knowledge and skills of technicians today. The variation in color on the accu- mulation mode of VirtualPaint shows the thickness of paint sprayed by the technician. Photos courtesy of IWRC. Technicians not only need to have a fundamental knowledge of coatings, but they must also be able to effectively spray coatings in a manner that achieves quality, lowers cost, and reduces the environmental impact. Training meets these needs by helping technicians understand the painting process, hone their painting skills, and essentially result in a better end product. The STAR4D program Training and research in the paint and coatings industry has long been a focus at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) at the University of Northern Iowa located in Cedar Falls, IA. Over the last 17 years, the IWRC has made great efforts to work with many industries including auto body, manufacturing, aerospace, and military to show that despite the wasteful nature of spray painting, improving the knowledge, technique, and technology provided to spray technicians can greatly enhance the efficiency of the operation. In 1994, STAR (Spray Technique Analysis and Research) was developed. While aimed at the automotive refinishing industry, the program was developed as a result of the realization that a large amount of hazardous waste is generated through the painting process and studies done by the IWRC found that training on proper spray gun setup and spray technique could 20 August 2011 Aircraft Maintenance Technology • www.AMTonline.com • www.AMTSociety.org