Predictika · Collision refinish clearcoat mix tickets

An AI sales agent's clearcoat mix ticket, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a mixing ticket for a collision-repair clearcoat job: basecoat, hardener for the shop temperature, mix volumes, application timing and drying. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published product-information rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: DELTRON NXT DC4000 Velocity Premium Clearcoat mix tickets: hardener by shop temperature, mix ratios, cut-in clear, flexibilizer, pot life, coats and force dry. See everything this validator covers

This validator models mix tickets for one product line, the DELTRON NXT DC4000 Velocity Premium Clearcoat, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Hardener by temperature — DCH3070 for 60-75°F, DCH3085 for 75-95°F, DCH3095 or DCH3098 for 95°F and above; a shop below 60°F is outside the ranges the product information covers.
  • Mix ratios — standard 4 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener; with SL814 flexibilizer 3 : 1 : ½; cut-in clear is 1 part basecoat color to 1 part DC4000, then that mix to hardener to DT reducer 4 : 1 : ½. The cut-in method needs a solventborne basecoat, so it is blocked over Envirobase High Performance.
  • Timing and application — pot life of 1½ to 2 hours at 70°F, force-dry time by hardener at 140°F (10 minutes for DCH3070, 20 for the others), 2 wet coats, 2.0 to 2.5 mils dry film; deviations go to a person for approval.
  • Stated volume — the total mixed volume stated on the ticket is compared with its components.

Any DC4000 mix ticket that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (PPG publishes no price list for this product, so this validator produces no price build-up or line-item quote), other PPG clearcoats and refinish systems, waterborne basecoat mixing, coverage per gallon, and pot life at temperatures other than 70°F beyond the checks shown.

The AI sales agentBuilds the mix ticket from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

8 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
A hardener that depends on the shop temperatureOnly with care
A product rule per hardener and temperature band, with the boundaries (75°F and 95°F belong to two bands). It works, but it is easy to get an edge wrong.		The temperature and hardener are in one request and every band is checked together, including the boundaries.
Mix ratios that change with the methodOnly with workarounds
Standard, flexibilizer and cut-in mixes each need their own ratio rule over several quantity fields that interact.		Every quantity is in one request; the ratio for the method in use is computed and compared on every call.
A method that cannot be used with some basecoatsOnly with care
A compatibility rule between the method and the basecoat, one more pair to maintain.		The method and basecoat are checked together with every other rule.
Timing limits and partial approvalsOnly with workarounds
Pot life and drying depend on temperature and hardener; a gray zone that needs a person (not a hard stop) usually becomes a custom approval flow.		Block, needs-approval and allow are separate outcomes, returned with the reasons.
Stated volume that must match the componentsOnly with care
A stated figure is a free-entry field; a rule can compare it with a computed total, but someone has to write and maintain that comparison.		The stated volume travels with the ticket and is compared with the computed volume on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the ticket is saved, so a user often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 76 degrees F.
2The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 74 degrees F.
3The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 96 degrees F.
4The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 94 degrees F.
5The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 80 degrees F.
6The shop temperature of 55 degrees F is below 60 degrees F, the lowest range for which the product information gives a hardener.
7A standard mix is 4 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener; the quote has 80 oz DC4000 and 16 oz hardener.
8A standard mix is 4 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener; the quote has 48 oz DC4000 and 16 oz hardener.
9A mix with SL814 flexibilizer is 3 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener to 1/2 part SL814; the quote has 64 oz DC4000, 16 oz hardener and 8 oz SL814.
10A mix with SL814 flexibilizer is 3 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener to 1/2 part SL814; the quote has 48 oz DC4000, 16 oz hardener and 4 oz SL814.
11The cut-in clear method cannot be used with Envirobase High Performance; the product information says not to mix DC4000 with it and that cut-in clear needs a solventborne basecoat.
12The cut-in clear method adds 1 part basecoat color to 1 part DC4000; the quote has 16 oz color and 32 oz DC4000.
13The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 12 oz hardener and 8 oz reducer.
14The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 16 oz hardener and 0 oz reducer.
15The quote adds 16 oz of basecoat color to the clearcoat but the method is not cut-in clear.
16The product information gives the SL814 flexibilizer mix and the cut-in clear mix separately; combining them is not covered, so a person should confirm it.
17The product information lists DT reducer only in the cut-in clear mix; a person should confirm reducer in a standard mix.
18The mix would be applied 91 minutes after mixing; the stated pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F, so the last coat is inside the uncertain part of the range.
19The mix would be applied 120 minutes after mixing; the stated pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F, so the last coat is inside the uncertain part of the range.
20The mix would be applied 121 minutes after mixing; the pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F.
21The quote force dries for 9 minutes at 140 degrees F; the product information gives 10 minutes for the selected hardener.
22The quote force dries for 19 minutes at 140 degrees F; the product information gives 20 minutes for the selected hardener.
23The basecoat is not one of the three the product information lists for DC4000 (Deltron DBC, Deltron NXT, Envirobase High Performance); a person should confirm it.
24The product information recommends 2 wet coats; the quote has 3.
25The recommended total dry film is 2.0 to 2.5 mils; the quote has 26 tenths of a mil.
26The recommended total dry film is 2.0 to 2.5 mils; the quote has 19 tenths of a mil.
27The quote states a total mixed volume of 70 oz, but its components add up to 80 oz.
28The quote states a total mixed volume of 90 oz, but its components add up to 80 oz.
29The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 90 degrees F.
30The mix would be applied 140 minutes after mixing; the pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F.
31The quote force dries for 8 minutes at 140 degrees F; the product information gives 10 minutes for the selected hardener.
32The quote states a total mixed volume of 100 oz, but its components add up to 84 oz.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Hardener and shop temperature: A 92-degree shop with the low temp hardener

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron NXT basecoat, for a shop at 92 degrees F with DCH3070 low temp hardener. The mix is 64 oz of DC4000 with 16 oz of hardener. It will be applied 60 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 10 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 80 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Hardener not right for the temperature. The hardener on the quote is not the one the product information gives for a shop temperature of 92 degrees F.
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2. Hardener and shop temperature: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron NXT basecoat, for a shop at 92 degrees F with DCH3085 medium temp hardener. The mix is 64 oz of DC4000 with 16 oz of hardener. It will be applied 60 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 80 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Mix summary. Total mixed volume of 80 oz; the force dry time for the selected hardener is 20 minutes at 140 degrees F.
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3. Cut-in clear: Cut-in clear over Envirobase with a short hardener measure

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Envirobase High Performance basecoat, for a shop at 82 degrees F with DCH3085 medium temp hardener. The mix is cut-in clear: 32 oz of basecoat color and 32 oz of DC4000, with 12 oz of hardener and 8 oz of DT reducer. It will be applied 60 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 84 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Cut-in clear over Envirobase. The cut-in clear method cannot be used with Envirobase High Performance; the product information says not to mix DC4000 with it and that cut-in clear needs a solventborne basecoat.
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  • Cut-in mix is not 4 to 1 to 1/2. The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 12 oz hardener and 8 oz reducer.
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4. Cut-in clear: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron NXT basecoat, for a shop at 82 degrees F with DCH3085 medium temp hardener. The mix is cut-in clear: 32 oz of basecoat color and 32 oz of DC4000, with 12 oz of hardener and 8 oz of DT reducer. It will be applied 60 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 84 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Cut-in mix is not 4 to 1 to 1/2. The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 12 oz hardener and 8 oz reducer.
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5. Cut-in clear: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron NXT basecoat, for a shop at 82 degrees F with DCH3085 medium temp hardener. The mix is cut-in clear: 32 oz of basecoat color and 32 oz of DC4000, with 16 oz of hardener and 8 oz of DT reducer. It will be applied 60 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 88 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Mix summary. Total mixed volume of 88 oz; the force dry time for the selected hardener is 20 minutes at 140 degrees F.
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6. Flexibilizer and pot life: A flexibilizer mix applied 140 minutes after mixing in a hot shop

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron (DBC) basecoat, for a shop at 98 degrees F with DCH3095 hi temp hardener. The mix is 48 oz of DC4000 with 16 oz of hardener and 4 oz of SL814 flexibilizer. It will be applied 140 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 68 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Flexibilizer mix is not 3 to 1 to 1/2. A mix with SL814 flexibilizer is 3 parts DC4000 to 1 part hardener to 1/2 part SL814; the quote has 48 oz DC4000, 16 oz hardener and 4 oz SL814.
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  • Pot life exceeded. The mix would be applied 140 minutes after mixing; the pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F.
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7. Flexibilizer and pot life: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron (DBC) basecoat, for a shop at 98 degrees F with DCH3095 hi temp hardener. The mix is 48 oz of DC4000 with 16 oz of hardener and 8 oz of SL814 flexibilizer. It will be applied 110 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 72 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Pot life at the edge. The mix would be applied 110 minutes after mixing; the stated pot life is 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F, so the last coat is inside the uncertain part of the range.
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  • Mix summary. Total mixed volume of 72 oz; the force dry time for the selected hardener is 20 minutes at 140 degrees F.
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8. Flexibilizer and pot life: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Deltron (DBC) basecoat, for a shop at 98 degrees F with DCH3095 hi temp hardener. The mix is 48 oz of DC4000 with 16 oz of hardener and 8 oz of SL814 flexibilizer. It will be applied 75 minutes after mixing, in 2 wet coats to 2.2 mils dry film, then force dried for 20 minutes at 140 degrees F. The ticket states a total mixed volume of 72 oz. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Mix summary. Total mixed volume of 72 oz; the force dry time for the selected hardener is 20 minutes at 140 degrees F.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a mixing ticket for a collision-repair clearcoat job: basecoat, hardener for the shop temperature, mix volumes, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published product-information rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please check a DC4000 clearcoat mix ticket over Envirobase High Performance basecoat, for a shop at 82 degrees F with DCH3085 medium temp hardener. The mix is cut-in clear: 32 oz of basecoat color and 32 oz of DC4000, with 12 oz of hardener and 8 oz of DT reducer. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The cut-in clear method cannot be used with Envirobase High Performance; the product information says not to mix DC4000 with it and that cut-in clear needs a solventborne basecoat. The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 12 oz hardener and 8 oz reducer.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned two blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for mix ratios that change with the method, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the basecoat to Deltron NXT basecoat.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. Still blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. The cut-in mix (color plus DC4000) to hardener to DT reducer is 4 to 1 to 1/2; the quote has 64 oz mix, 12 oz hardener and 8 oz reducer.
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  12. One finding cleared. Still blocking: cut-in mix is not 4 to 1 to 1/2.
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  13. The agent resubmits once more.
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  14. The revised request. It changes the hardener to 16 oz and the stated total mixed volume to 88 oz.
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  15. It calls the validator once more.
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  16. This time the validator clears it.
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  17. The earlier finding is cleared, and the validator's figure matches the quote.
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  18. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.