multi-shop operations (MSOs).”
According to Schueler, AkzoNobel is
committed to sustainability and to
reducing its environmental footprint.
“We’ve always aimed to be a leader in
producing environmentally friendly,
safe, sustainable products, and so we
view the trend as an opportunity rather
than a threat, because we have products available that meet the tighter regulations,” he added. “Besides lowering
VOCs, we’re constantly looking to ways
to reduce or eliminate the use of other
hazardous substances like lead and
chromates, and to improve waste and
energy management.”
Rising raw material costs continue
to put pressure on coatings manufacturers. “Of course the trend towards
higher costs for raw materials puts
pressure on us and drives up costs to
our customers as well,” Schueler continued. “That presents a serious challenge.
We aim to respond to those pressures by
finding alternative sources, by improving our efficiency in our production
processes, and by improving the quality
of the products.”
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS AUTOMOTIVE FINISHES AWX SYSTEM
RECEIVES GLOBAL APPROVAL FROM VOLVO CAR CORP.
The Volvo Car Corporation has announced Global Technical and
Commercial approval of Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes’
(SWAFC) AWX waterborne refinish system for use in all certified Volvo
collision repair facilities around the world.
AWX is now listed in Volvo Car’s new VIDA (Vehicle Information and
Diagnostics for Aftermarket) system, as is previously approved
SWAFC’s Ultra 7000 basecoat/clearcoat system. SWAF recently introduced AWX, an innovative waterborne basecoat/clearcoat system that
utilizes a proprietary resin system that allows it to perform as well as
today’s solventborne systems, the company reports.
“Volvo Cars is justifiably proud of its innovation, safety and environmentally responsible automotive developments like advanced air bags
and SIPS side impact protection,” said Craig Williams, SWAF director,
OEM global marketing and service. “Sherwin-Williams is a market
leader in environmentally and user-friendly products such as the AWX
waterborne system. We also share that same commitment to quality as
Volvo Cars and feel this approval demonstrates its confidence in our
refinish materials, global reach and support.”
PROVIDING THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED
Manufacturers of automotive refinish
coatings must deliver a quality product
at a reasonable price. Providing value-added services such as training, technical support and tools is one way coatings companies can make sure their
customers and in turn, their customers’
customers are satisfied.
“One of the key issues facing our customers is improving or maintaining
profitability in the changing marketplace,” said Eilenberger.
“Understanding key indicators allows
the shops to identify problems or issues
within their work streams and immediately take corrective actions. BASF is
helping collision repair shop owners in
this area by holding more frequent
Vision Plus University classes and
offering additional Vision Plus activities
online. Additionally, BASF has recently
introduced the Vision Plus Dashboard,
a real-time Key Performance Indicator
scorecard that helps shop owners and
managers monitor their shop’s progress
in real time.”
“The first interest of our customers
is the satisfaction of their own customers, driven by the right quality,
delivered at the right time, for the right
cost,” said Schueler. “We help our customers achieve this goal by offering
solutions in terms of products and
processes. But it’s not just about that.
It’s also about services, and helping our
customers to get the greatest efficiency
out of their shops. We have recently
introduced Sikkens Process Centered
Environment, a modular program
which brings lean manufacturing concepts in a body shop environment.”
Another key area is color. “Here
again, it’s not just about products like
quality basecoats and topcoats, but also
about supporting tools like color documentation and color measurement
tools,” said Schueler. “In color documentation, we now provide color chips that
have the actual car paint on them. And
earlier this year we introduced a major
upgrade of our Automatchic color measuring tool. And we will introduce more
interesting things in the coming
months.”
AkzoNobel is working on a number
of new technologies. One of its latest
developments is a UVA curable
clearcoat. The UVA clearcoat helps save
energy and speeds up the process. “We
are also developing technologies that
allow us to re-use raw materials,” said
Schueler. “In some cases, they may be
retrieved from other paints, and in
other cases, from other products. The
idea is to extend the life cycle of raw
materials, or even create a ‘cradle to
cradle’ loop where the materials are not
discarded as waste, but continuously re-used. These technologies have great
promise for the future. Right now, we
are using a certain percentage of renewable raw materials in our Sikkens
Autoclear LV Superior, a high gloss,
VOC-compliant clearcoat.”
AkzoNobel is also working on a number of new technologies for the future.
“One of those solutions, foil technology,
has made amazing advances in recent
years in terms of color accuracy and the
range of colors available,” said Schueler.
“We have just made an exciting acquisition by buying Soliant LLC, a U.S.-based company that is technology
leader in film coatings.”
BASF is working on a number of
technologies for the collision repair
industry. “Technologies of the future
will provide lower VOCs, scratch resistance, improved or quicker curing methods, fewer steps required to achieve
results and sustainability,” said
Eilenberger. “Whether this is nanotechnology, UV technology, ‘cool’ coatings or
another technology depends on the
desired outcome.” CW
