Overview
EN ISO 22553-14:2021 - Paints and varnishes: Electro-deposition coatings - Part 14: Deposition behaviour specifies a laboratory test method for determining the deposition behaviour of electro-deposition coatings (e-coat) on various substrates and pre‑treatments. The standard applies to automotive and general industrial electrocoating applications (e.g., chiller units, radiators, consumer products, aerospace, agriculture) and defines the apparatus, procedure and reporting required to measure how bath voltage and temperature affect deposited dry film thickness.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and principle: Measures deposited dry film thickness as a function of deposition voltage and bath temperature using two panels (test panel + counter electrode) in a laboratory deposition system.
- Apparatus: Laboratory deposition tank with circulation (stirrer or pump) and DC power supply; film thickness gauge (max permissible error 0.3 µm); thermometer (0.1 °C); timer; oven (temperature control ±2 °C up to 150 °C, ±3.5 °C up to 200 °C).
- Test panels: Electrically conductive panels with pre-treatment per ISO 1514; typical size ~190 × 105 × 0.75 mm.
- Procedure highlights:
- Homogenize bath and maintain visible circulation.
- Set bath temperature to product-specified value (±0.5 °C), commonly 25–35 °C.
- Select deposition voltage/time to achieve nominal dry film thickness; run voltage series (e.g., U−20 V, U, U+20 V, U+40 V) and temperature series (t−2 K, t, t+2 K) while holding deposition time constant.
- Rinse with demineralized water per ISO 23321, stove according to product specs, and measure dry film thickness at five specified points (mean value).
- Evaluation and reporting:
- Record mean film thickness for each voltage/temperature combination.
- Visually inspect for defects (pinholes).
- Report must include identification of coating, reference to EN ISO 22553-14:2021, bath voltage/temperature, deposition time, stoving conditions, measured results, deviations, anomalies and test date.
- Precision: No precision data currently available in the document.
Applications and who uses it
- Quality control and laboratory teams in automotive and industrial coating suppliers to verify e‑coat deposition behaviour.
- R&D and process engineers optimizing bath voltage, temperature and cycle time for consistent film build.
- OEMs and component manufacturers evaluating supplier coatings and substrate pretreatments.
- Independent test laboratories performing standardized electrocoating characterization for spec compliance and troubleshooting.
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 22553-14:2021, electro-deposition coatings, e-coat, deposition behaviour, electrocoating, film thickness, electrocoating test method, automotive coatings.
