Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, officially opened the doors of its new electrodeposition (E-coat) facility in Oshkosh this past week.
Political and military guests took part of the grand-opening ceremony. The facility was built specifically to support production of the U.S. Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).
 
“Our state-of-the-art E-coat facility will play an integral role in delivering thousands of Oshkosh FMTV trucks and trailers to our nation’s soldiers,” said Mike Ivy, Vice President and General Manager of Army Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “This accomplishment represents a collaborative effort involving government, military and industry leaders at the national, state and local levels.  We extend our thanks to our customers, partners, supporters and employees for their dedication to this program.”
 
The new 150,000-square-foot facility houses two independent E-coat systems, which use a multi-step finishing process to prevent corrosion on the body of the FMTV. The truck cabs and trailers are dipped in a “paint bath” and electrically charged. Next, the FMTV components are heat cured, which strengthens the paint to prevent corrosion, and then they receive a top coat.
 
Ground was broken for the Oshkosh E-coat building in December 2009, and construction was completed this month. Initial work in the facility began in August with FMTV frame assemblies. Vehicle cabs began undergoing the E-coat process in the facility in September.
 
The FMTV is a series of 17 models ranging from 2.5-ton to 10-ton payloads. The trucks and trailers support Army and National Guard operations both domestically and internationally, including combat operations, relief efforts, unit resupply and other functions. To date, Oshkosh has received orders to deliver more than 9,500 FMTV trucks and trailers.