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The Magni Group's Fastener Coatings Make Aluminum Viable

9 April 1999

The Magni Group's Fastener Coatings Make Aluminum Viable in Vehicle Design And Reduces Usage of Hazardous Materials

    BIRMINGHAM, Mich., April 8 -- As the automotive industry
moves toward increasing aluminum content for weight reduction in vehicles,
design engineers are continually faced with the problem of bi-metallic
corrosion.  Of particular concern is corrosion of fasteners made from
different metal than the aluminum.  The Magni Group, Inc. of Birmingham,
Michigan, with its long and successful history of developing protective
coatings, is poised to play a significant role in this direction of the
automotive industry.  The Magni Group's coatings make the use of aluminum
viable with the added benefit of reducing hazardous material use.
    Last year General Motors announced a ten-year pact with Alcan Aluminium
Ltd.  The objective of the pact is to set predictable pricing for GM's
purchase of aluminum but it also signaled the trend toward adding lighter
weight materials to vehicles.  Lighter vehicles reduce fuel requirements which
in turn lowers carbon dioxide emissions.
    Magni 555 (formerly known as Dorrltech or Magnigard Silver 17) is a duplex
fastener coating system that combines an inorganic zinc-rich basecoat with an
aluminum-pigmented organic topcoat.  The basecoat provides protection of the
steel fastener while the topcoat creates a durable barrier.  It is a cost
effective alternative to the widely used cadmium (considered a hazardous
material), zinc alloys and stainless steel.  It has been proven to
substantially reduce or eliminate fastener corrosion when the fasteners are
used with aluminum.
    Magni fastener coatings have undergone rigorous industry testing, meeting
W.C.R (Worldwide Customer Requirements) set by Ford Motor Company to assist
engineers in designing products to meet or exceed customer expectations.
These tests were performed at the Ford Motor Company Arizona Proving Grounds
in an accelerated vehicle corrosion test facility designed to represent real
world conditions.
    Magni 555 (Dorrltech) was also tested and subsequently the subject of an
article in the February 1999 issue of Products Finishing by George Shaw.  Shaw
is head of the U.S. Army-Tank Automotive and Armaments Command Materials
Engineering Team (AMSTA-TR-E/MEPS) in Warren, Michigan.  The article "Long-
Term Performance of Cadmium Alternatives" ranked The Magni Group's coatings
first among the seven tested commercially available cadmium substitutes.
Evaluation was done at both 80 cycles and 120 cycles in testing designed by
General Motors and adapted by TACOM to represent real world conditions such as
humidity and salt corrosion over periods of several years.  120 cycles would
equal 15 years.
    The Magni Group's leadership in providing a proven, cost effective
solution to the issue of fastener corrosion protection is another highlight in
the 25-year history of the family owned business.  Founded in 1978 as Magni
Industries (now a division of The Magni Group, Inc.) the company has become
America's fastest growing coating company.  With customers on five continents,
the company's business goal of extending the customer's product life by
eliminating corrosion has it well positioned for growth into the millennium.
As vehicle, aircraft, defense, agricultural and other equipment manufacturers
consider using aluminum or other lightweight materials and look to reduce
hazardous materials, The Magni Group has created a tremendous opportunity for
its customers as well as creating an even brighter future for itself.