Coatings World - June 2014

is launching a brand new paint-focused website, thepaintstudio.com. Created by GSD&M, the site is designed to provide consumers with an online hub to find inspiration, explore color and obtain helpful painting tips and how-to advice.

BASF Receives Award as
2013 Supplier of the Year
from Hyundai Motor Brazil

BASF was elected one of the best suppliers
of the year by Hyundai Motor Brazil. The
company received the award “Supplier
of the Year 2013 – Excellence in General
Purchasing” as recognition for supply-
ing waterborne automotive coatings for
Hyundai’s HB20 model manufactured
in Piracicaba, Brazil. The award includes
the assessment of requirements such as
cost management, quality and delivery.
Hyundai is one of BASF’s global automo-
tive customers. BASF has been working in
close partnership with Hyundai since the
beginning of paint process installation at
the Piracicaba plant. Here, a shortened in-
tegrated process was implemented for the
first time in South America. In addition to
using waterborne materials, the paintline
is shortened by one step. This means that
less material, time and energy are used
for the application of the coating. “The
award is a recognition of our successful
partnership. It demonstrates the great
commitment of our international team to
deliver sustainable solutions, anticipating
the needs of our customer,” said BASF
key account manager for Automotive
OEM Coatings in Brazil, Fabian Garcia.

PPG Completes Sale of
Ownership Interest in
Transitions Optical

PPG Industries, Inc. announced the successful completion of the previously announced sale to Essilor International of its 51 percent ownership interest in its Transitions Optical joint venture and PPG’s wholly-owned sunlens business. Essilor International had held a 49 percent interest in the Transitions Optical joint venture. The transaction reflects an enterprise value of approximately $3.4 billion, with PPG receiving cash at closing of $1.73 billion pre-tax or approximately $1.5 billion after-tax, subject to certain post-closing adjustments and transaction costs. In 2013, the Transitions Optical joint venture and sunlens business had combined net sales of $874 million.

Zero PFOA PTFE Coatings
Available in Six Colors

Boyd Coatings Research Co., Inc. has
announced the availability of six PTFE
colors – all of which are created with
the company’s new, fully-validated and
FDA-compliant, Zero PFOA PTFE for-
mula. Colors include blue, black, green,
white, yellow and clear. This color palette
represents a wider range of choices than
offered by most other medical
coaters. And, in addition to the
standard six colors mentioned,
Boyd Coatings has the ability
to custom formulate additional colors to
meet any customer’s particular needs.

The purposeful use of color on components within the medical device market is significant as colors serve to increase product functionality and precision, promote cleanliness, and perpetuate corporate brand. When color is applied simultaneously with the PTFE coating, medical device OEM’s can increase manufacturing efficiency, thus making the component more cost effective. Prime examples of medical devices currently utilizing colored PTFE include guidewires, mandrels and hypotubes.

Boyd Coatings’ Zero PFOA PTFE coatings have been successful in the field now for nearly a year. Recently, when the medical community expressed concern about adhesion issues of Zero PFOA PTFE, the company, again pro-actively, conducted additional, more rigorous tests of its materials which passed easily, as expected. These more severe tests confirmed proper adhesion with Boyd’s Zero PFOA PTFE formulation even though adhesion was no problem with Boyd Coatings’ products.