Group standard TL 256

Issue 2022-03
Class. No.: 50204

Descriptors: Ofl-x340, Ofl-x650, Ofl-x651, corrosion, corrosion protection, metal surface, paint, paintwork, powder
coating, surface, surface protection

Powder Coating on Metal Surfaces

Surface Protection Requirements

Previous issues
TL 256: 1974-10, 1993-09, 1999-06, 2004-08, 2010-12, 2016-11, 2022-02

Changes
The following changes have been made to TL 256: 2022-02:
a) Section 4.5 „Heat aging“: indicated room temperature corrected
The following changes have been made to TL 256: 2016-11:
a) Section 1 „Scope“: decorative surfaces in the interior area, half shafts, coil springs, and
wheels additionally excluded from scope
b) Section 3.2 „General requirements“: coating company and coating date added as additional
information to be provided
c) Section 3.3 „Quality“ revised
d) Section 3.4 „Requirements for the properties“ revised
e) Table 2, consec. no. 2: requirement „Coating system/binder base“ added
f) Table 2, consec. no. 3: requirement „Color“ added
g) Table 2, consec. no. 8 „Corrosion properties“ revised
h) Table 2, consec. no. 9.2 „Thermal stability after low-temperature aging“: requirement for coat-
ing adhesion (cross-cut test) removed
i) Table 2, consec. no. 11 „Resistance to chemicals“ revised
j) Table 2: requirements for infrared spectrum and gloss level removed
k) Section 4 „Notes on testing“ added and notes on testing from Table 2 moved to that section
l) Standard edited

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Contents
Page
1 Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2
2 Designation ................................................................................................................ 2
3 Requirements ............................................................................................................. 2
3.1 Surface protection (Ofl) types .................................................................................... 2
3.2 General requirements ................................................................................................ 3
3.3 Quality ........................................................................................................................ 3
3.4 Requirements for the properties ................................................................................. 3
4 Notes on testing ......................................................................................................... 6
4.1 Coating adhesion ....................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Stone-chip resistance ................................................................................................. 6
4.3 Scribe mark ................................................................................................................ 6
4.4 Constant condensation-water atmosphere ................................................................ 6
4.5 Heat aging .................................................................................................................. 6
4.6 Low-temperature aging .............................................................................................. 6
4.7 Impact test .................................................................................................................. 6
5 Applicable documents ................................................................................................ 7
6 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 8

1 Scope
This standard specifies the requirements for powder coatings on various base materials.
It does not apply to decorative surfaces in the exterior and interior area (see Technical Supply
Specification TL 52451 [1] and TL 226 [2]), half shafts (see TL 216 [3]), coil springs (see
TL 261 [4]), or wheels (see TL 238 [5] and TL 239 [6]).

2 Designation
As per Volkswagen standard VW 13750, section „Designation“

3 Requirements

3.1 Surface protection (Ofl) types

The surface protection types listed in table 1 apply.

Table 1 – Surface protection types

Surface pro- Type
tection type
Ofl-x340 Medium protection with any pretreatment
(for interior parts in non-visible areas)
Ofl-x650 Heavy protection with film- or layer-forming pretreatment
Ofl-x651 Especially heavy protection with film- or layer-forming pretreatment and primer
coat
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3.2 General requirements

Approval of first supply and changes as per Volkswagen standard VW 01155.
Material conformity as per VW 91101.
Ten parts are required for complete testing.
The following information must be provided for complete product documentation:
– Type of pretreatment (product designation and company name)
– Coating designation and binder type, coating manufacturer
– Coating company and coating date

3.3 Quality
The coating must have the specified surface protection, with the specified properties, over the en-
tire surface. The coatings must be free of pores, cracks, runs, foreign matter inclusions, damage,
and other flaws caused by the production process that impair the corrosion protection and/or the
specified appearance.
The paintwork must adhere firmly to the base material when the parts are used as intended.
The production process and its control must not impair the use properties of the finished part.
Proper installation of parts must not result in damage that impairs the part's function and/or decrea-
ses the specified corrosion protection.

3.4 Requirements for the properties

See table 2.

Table 2 – Requirements for the properties

No. Property Requirement
Ofl-x340 Ofl-x650 Ofl-x651
1 Base material See drawing
2 Coating system/binder base Released for general parts
For chassis and engine compartment parts: Only powder coating on an ep-
oxy resin base is permissible
3 Color Black or as per drawing (as per color combination table)
4 Pretreatment and primer coat
4.1 Steel/zinc-coated steel Zinc-phosphated and
Any Zinc-phosphated
primed
4.2 Die-cast zinc Any Passivated Passivated and primed
4.3 Aluminum materials Any Passivated Passivated and primed
4.4 Copper materials - Primed
5 Coating thickness
5.1 Primer coat - 25 µm ±5 µm
5.2 Powder coating ≥ 60 µm
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Table 2 (continued)
No. Property Requirement
Ofl-x340 Ofl-x650 Ofl-x651
6 Coating adhesion
Testing by means of cross-cut test
Characteristic ≤ 1
as per DIN EN ISO 2409 and
section 4.1
7 Stone-chip resistance
as per DIN EN ISO 20567-1, Characteristic ≤ 1,5
method B and section 4.2
8 Corrosion properties
8.1 Corrosion cycle test as per PV 1210
No change to the sur-
face and cut edges
Isolated base metal cor-
15 cycles rosion in the area of -
welds and gaps over a
width not exceeding
1,5 mm is permissible
60 cycles with a scribe mark; No change to the surface and cut edges
see section 4.3 Loss of adhesion at the scribe mark sm ≤ 2,5 mm
Evaluation of scribe-line corrosion - Isolated base metal corrosion in the area of welds
creepage as per and gaps over a width not exceeding 1,5 mm is
DIN EN ISO 4628-8 permissible
8.2 Test in a constant condensation-
No blisters, no base metal corrosion;
water atmosphere ,
no cracks, no changes having adverse effects;
CH standard atmosphere
see table 2, consec. no. 6: Coating adhesion (cross-cut test) as per
as per DIN EN ISO 6270-2 and
DIN EN ISO 2409: characteristic ≤ 1
section 4.4
9 Thermal stability (temperature cycle test)
9.1 After heat aging; No cracks, no changes having adverse effects;
see section 4.5 see table 2, consec. no. 6: Coating adhesion (cross-cut test) as per
DIN EN ISO 2409: characteristic ≤ 1
9.2 Followed by (after heat aging as
per table 2, consec. no. 9.1)
No cracks, no changes having adverse effects
low-temperature aging;
see section 4.6
10 Impact test at low temperatures No cracks, penetration down to the base material is permissible;
based on DIN ISO 4532 and max. flaking 3 mm with layer thickness < 120 µm;
section 4.7 max. flaking 4 mm with layer thickness ≥ 120 µm
11 Resistance to chemicalsa) b)as per DIN EN ISO 2812-4
Evaluation as per DIN EN ISO 4628-1, table „Rating scheme for designating the intensity of changes“
11.1 For all parts
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Table 2 (continued)
No. Property Requirement
Ofl-x340 Ofl-x650 Ofl-x651
11.1.1 Mineral Oil and Fuel Standardiza-
tion Committee (FAM) test fuel B
as per DIN 51604-2,
1 h at room temperature (RT) Evaluation after 1 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
-
VW 50554 – 2 Max. characteristic 1
11.1.2 Diesel fuel B7
as per TL 788-B,
10 min at RT VW 50554 – 2
11.2 Only for parts in the engine compartment
11.2.1 Factory-fill engine oil
as per TL 52167,
16 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
11.2.2 Automatic transmission fluid
as per TL 52162,
Evaluation after 1 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
16 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
Max. characteristic 1
11.2.3 Hydraulic fluid
as per TL 52146,
16 h at RT VW 50554 – 2 -
11.2.4 Sulfuric acid (10 mass percent),
1 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
11.2.5 Brake fluid
as per TL 766-Z,
Evaluation immediately after the end of loading
1 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
Max. characteristic 2,
11.2.6 Coolant additive
but after 5 h rest time, max. characteristic 1
as per TL 774, mixture L5,
1 h at RT VW 50554 – 2
a) As part of the initial sample inspection, resistance to chemicals may also be demonstrated by a certificate issued by the coating
material manufacturer.
b) Following agreement with the appropriate department, the scope may be reduced to those media relevant to the application.
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4 Notes on testing

4.1 Coating adhesion

The test must be performed using adhesive tape with a bond strength of (10 ±1) N per 25 mm
width. The adhesive tape must be firmly pressed onto the surface by hand with the cross cut ap-
plied, and then pulled off with an abrupt movement perpendicularly to the surface.
NOTE 1: For this test, e.g., tesa® 46571) is suitable.

4.2 Stone-chip resistance

Adhering coating residue must be removed by applying and tearing off adhesive tape.
The adhesive tape must be firmly pressed onto the exposed surface by hand, and then torn off with
an abrupt movement perpendicularly to the surface.
NOTE 2: For this test, e.g., tesa® 46571) is suitable.

4.3 Scribe mark

Scribe mark as per DIN EN ISO 9227, Annex C.4. Scribing tools as per DIN EN ISO 9227 that pro-
duce rectangular or trapezoidal scribe profiles (scribing tool manufactured by Sikkens) or scribing
tools as per DIN EN ISO 17872, Annex A, that produce U-shaped scribe profiles (scribing stylus
manufactured by van Laar) are permissible.

4.4 Constant condensation-water atmosphere

Test duration: 240 h
The specimens are then acclimatized at RT VW 50554 – 2 for at least 30 min.

4.5 Heat aging

240 h aging in a forced-air oven at (90 ±2) °C
The specimens are then acclimatized at RT VW 50554 – 2 for at least 30 min.

4.6 Low-temperature aging

After heat aging, the same specimens are aged at low-temperature for 24 h at (-40 ±3) °C; immedi-
ately afterward, these same specimens are tested as per table 2, consec. no. 10.

4.7 Impact test

Testing based on DIN ISO 4532, but with a specified test force of 90 N on a rigid, non-elastic base
after temperature aging (heat and cold phase); see table 2, consec. no. 9.2
Flaking around the impact area after a low-temperature impact must be completely removed.
The maximum diameter of the flaking must be determined; the coating thickness determined next
to the flaking must be documented.

1) tesa® 4657 is the manufacturer's product designation. It is produced by tesa SE.

This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned product by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they lead
to the same results.
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5 Applicable documents
The following documents cited in the standard are required for the application of this standard:
Some of the cited documents are translations from the German original. The translations of Ger-
man terms in such documents may differ from those used in this standard, resulting in terminologi-
cal inconsistency.
Standards whose titles are given in German may be available only in German. Editions in other
languages may be available from the institution issuing the standard.

PV 1210 Body and Add-On Parts/Hang-On Parts; Corrosion Test

TL 52146 Hydraulic Oil; Lubricant Requirements
TL 52162 Factory-Fill-for-Life Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF); Lubricant Re-
quirements
TL 52167 Factory-Fill Engine Oil SAE 5W-40; Lubricant Requirements
TL 766 Brake Fluid; Material Requirements
TL 774 Ethylene-Glycol-Based Coolant Additive; Materials Requirements
TL 788 Diesel Fuel; Fuel Requirements
VW 01155 Vehicle Parts; Approval of First Supply and Changes
VW 13750 Surface Protection for Metal Parts; Surface Protection Types, Codes
VW 50554 Standard Atmospheres and Room Temperatures; Requirements on
Standard Atmospheres
VW 91101 Environmental Standard for Articles; Material and Chemical Conformity
DIN 51604-2 FAM-testing fluid for polymer materials - Composition and requirements -
Part 2: Testing Fluid B, containing methanol
DIN EN ISO 17872 Paints and varnishes - Guidelines for the introduction of scribe marks
through coatings on metallic panels for corrosion testing
DIN EN ISO 20567-1 Paints and varnishes - Determination of stone-chip resistance of coat-
ings - Part 1: Multi-impact testing
DIN EN ISO 2409 Paints and varnishes - Cross-cut test
DIN EN ISO 2812-4 Paints and varnishes - Determination of resistance to liquids - Part 4:
Spotting methods
DIN EN ISO 4628-1 Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designa-
tion of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes
in appearance - Part 1: General introduction and designation system
DIN EN ISO 4628-8 Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designa-
tion of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes
in appearance - Part 8: Assessment of degree of delamination and cor-
rosion around a scribe or other artifi...
DIN EN ISO 6270-2 Paints and varnishes - Determination of resistance to humidity - Part 2:
Condensation (in-cabinet exposure with heated water reservoir)
DIN EN ISO 9227 Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres - Salt spray tests
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DIN ISO 4532 Vitreous and porcelain enamels - Determination of the resistance of
enamelled articles to impact - Pistol test

6 Bibliography
[1] TL 52451 – Paintwork on Metallic Decorative Add-On Parts for the Exterior; Require-
ments
[2] TL 226 – Paintwork on Materials Used in the Vehicle Interior Trim; Requirements
[3] TL 216 – Corrosion Protection on Half Shafts; Requirements for Surface Protection
[4] TL 261 – Paintwork of Coil Springs; Requirements for Surface Protection
[5] TL 238 – Surface Protection for Steel Disc Wheels; Requirements for Surface Protection
[6] TL 239 – Surface Protection for Alloy Wheels; Requirements