Fresh Paint
BASF providing solutions for Tata Nano
tion studies in the design phase to component tests in the trial phase, carried
out at BASF’s engineering plastics technical centers. BASF’s most noticeable
contribution to the Nano will be the color
and luster of the vehicle’s exterior,
according to the company. BASF has
been supplying automotive coatings to
Tata Motors since 1998 for the company’s Indica, Sumo, Safari, Indigo and
other commercial models. Now, BASF
Coatings has been approved by Tata
Motors to supply some colors for the
Nano as well.
The Tata Nano is a rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by Tata Motors, aimed primarily
at the Indian market. It was first presented at the 9th annual Auto Expo on January 10, 2008.
BASF is supplying India’s Tata Motors
with products and engineering solutions
for its new Nano automobile designed to
reduce emissions, enhance fuel efficiency
and improve the car’s overall aesthetic
look. The Nano project product development involved BASF’s wide network. For
example, BASF Catalysts developed a
catalytic converter for the Nano to meet
India’s current emission standards. The
Nano’s plastic air intake manifold is produced by Tata Visteon and employs
BASF’s Ultramid glass-fiber reinforced
engineering plastic. Generally, air intake
manifolds supply the engine with the air
it needs for combustion and was traditionally made from aluminum.
Replacing it with Ultramid leads to 40%
weight saving, which in turn leads to
better fuel efficiency and fewer emissions. BASF also provided development
support ranging from computer simula-
SPOKANE PAINT PLANT TO CLOSE
Sherwin-Williams Co. will close its
Columbia Paint and Coatings manufacturing facility in Spokane, WA, eliminating 37 jobs. The paint-making plant on
Haven Street opened 36 years ago. No
retail paint stores are closing, the company said. Sherwin-Williams acquired
Helena, MT-based Columbia Paint in
2007. The company operates 120
Sherwin-Williams stores and 42
Columbia Paint stores in six Northwest
states. That includes four Columbia and
six Sherwin-Williams stores in the
Spokane area. The Spokane plant will
close this summer because of “the challenges in the economy have created
reduced demand and created excess
capacity,” the company said.
PSA APPROVES GLASURIT
PREMIUM PAINT BRAND
French automaker Peugeot Société
Anonyme SE (PSA), which manufactures Peugeot and Citroën, has approved
BASF Coatings’ Glasurit paints for use
worldwide. The decision underscores
PSA’s trust in Glasurit products and
demonstrates its conviction of the high
quality of Glasurit paints and systems to
dealers and bodyshops all over the