Audi develops a process for screen-printing vehicle bodywork

Audi has developed a technique that allows bodywork on some of its models to be screen-printed with a matte finish. This is made possible by applying a special powder that affects the paint lacquer with incisions measured in thousandths of a millimetre, creating the matte effect.

The Audi exclusive programme, which is in charge of customising the brand’s models to suit individual tastes, offers for example a design on the side air intakes of the R8. As this process is carried out after the car has been painted, it can easily be integrated into the vehicle’s production process.

Audi can apply almost any pattern a customer may wish for, provided it does not infringe third-party rights. Currently, elements up to one metre high by one metre long can be applied using this method. The Audi R8 is the first model for which the Audi exclusive customisation programme is offered. However, the German brand plans to extend the offer to other models in the future.

To paint a car correctly, several steps must be followed: the bodywork must be coated through a dip process with a product that prevents corrosion. Then, a layer of primer, a base coat of paint and a protective lacquer that acts as a varnish are applied, thereby protecting the paint. In the process patented by Audi exclusive, a template with the desired design is first placed over the component to be modified, after which the special powder is applied. This powder gives the varnish surface a roughness of only a few thousandths of a millimetre in depth (one tenth the thickness of a human hair), thus achieving the matte effect.

“With this process, we modify the gloss of the paint and its intensity. The light that falls on the surface is then diffusely reflected by the treated areas. This is what makes it look matte,” explains the project manager, Erhard Brandl. For his part, the head of the production section, Mirko Endres, adds: “This form of customisation is weather-resistant, unlike conventional lettering and vinyl or adhesive decals, and has a much higher-quality appearance.”