FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
27 July 1998
NISSAN PUTS CARS THROUGH BIRD DROPPINGS TEST
Bird droppings can have a devastating effect on car paint, causing it to fade, swell and eventually crack.
Such is the measure of the problem, Nissan engineers have patented a formula for making artificial bird droppings, which they use for quality assurance testing. The sticky, white substance has the same corrosive properties as the real thing but offers greater consistency between samples, enabling more scientific examination.
The egg albumin, nitrogen and water mixture is applied to a sample of painted body work, then cooked for one hour at 50 degrees centigrade and 30 per cent humidity. The real life condition this recreates is a highly acidic bird dropping falling on to a car body that has baked in the sun. The heat of the car body causes the wet bird dropping to dry and contract instantly, causing maximum stress to the paint film.
To pass, the paint has to be completely blemish-free when the baked-on bird dropping is washed off.
The bird-dropping test is one of 500 quality checks carried out on the paint work of cars built at Nissan�s Sunderland factory. It has been introduced to the company�s global quality standard, which ensures all of the company�s cars match any of the world�s harshest environments.
John Burke, Nissan�s quality assurance director makes no apologies for the factory�s exhaustive testing programme, "It may appear bizarre that Nissan goes to such extremes as manufacturing artificial bird droppings to test the strength of its paint film but this is the degree of detail that makes our cars so durable and reliable. If the paint supplied to the factory doesn�t pass the bird dropping test, it doesn�t make it onto the car".
This year�s JD Power survey shows the Nissan Micra is the best super mini for customer satisfaction. Nissan is regularly one of the top manufacturers for quality and reliability in surveys carried out by JD Power and Lex.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Stewart McKee Manager, Corporate Affairs 01923 899930
E-mail: stewart.mckee@nissan.co.uk
