Axalta Introducing Sustainability-Boosting Harmonized Coating Technologies to China Car Makers at SURCAR Shanghai

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New coatings process designed to help auto makers simplify paint processes lowering emissions and reducing costs

SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, will showcase its Harmonized Coating Technologies™, a consolidated coating system, in China at the SURCAR 2015 automotive body finishing show in Shanghai.

Combining latest generation waterborne coatings with established high solid coatings, Axalta’s Harmonized Coating Technologies aim to meet the emerging needs of light vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to achieve more sustainable and efficient car manufacturing.

At SURCAR Shanghai, Axalta will debut two new application systems for customers in China under the Harmonized Coating Technologies umbrella: an upgraded 3-Wet Waterborne system and High Solid 2-Wet Monocoat system. Each system responds to different customer needs for high-performance, quality and flexibility. The systems share the ability to reduce the number of bake/flash steps needed for curing and are designed to deliver full-layer performance. As part of the portfolio of Harmonized Coating Technologies, the patented and patent-pending Eco-Concept primer-less coating system is also presented at Axalta’s booth, representing one of the most advanced waterborne coating processes today.

“Sustainability is at the core of Axalta’s innovation and business development, and sustainability is a key value we share with customers,” said Luke Lu, Vice President of Axalta and President of Axalta’s operations in China. “At Axalta, we believe Harmonized Coating Technologies are a concrete example of how we are putting that philosophy into practice to provide tangible benefits to customers here in China.”

Axalta’s Eco-Concept process is designed to reduce OEM investments and operation expenses up to 20 percent when compared to conventional water-borne coating processes while also lowering energy use and emissions. It is especially suitable for waterborne coating production lines and in shifting from medium-solid solventborne production lines to waterborne coating lines.

The upgraded 3-Wet Waterborne system uses a specially developed water-based coating formulation that enables successive coats to be applied on top of prior coats while still wet or requiring only an ambient (minimal flash) dry step between coats. The process is designed to further reduce the bake steps and save energy.

The 2-Wet Monocoat system is designed to increase productivity with reduced energy use and paint shop footprint. It combines the paint performance of a clearcoat-over-basecoat system with the productivity of a monocoat process. With this advanced technology, coating applications can be reduced from three to two and the number of baking steps from two to one. The monocoat appearance is achieved with a hyper-branched acrylic polymer formulated to provide high quality appearance and durability. Advanced weathering tests conducted by Axalta have shown that paint applied with this 2-wet technology retains as much as 90 percent of its gloss after four years.

Axalta has been operating in China since 1984, and this experience enables Axalta to maintain its leadership role in developing innovative, cutting-edge coating products. In addition to the recently-opened Jiading waterborne coatings facility, Axalta operates an adjacent plant in Jiading, a plant in Changchun, six powder coating operations in collaboration with its joint venture partner, four refinish training centers, and a Global Color Lab. Axalta also operates its Asia Pacific Innovation Center and its Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters in Shanghai.

About SURCAR 2015

As the world’s leading automotive body finishing congress, SURCAR has been successfully enhancing innovation strategies and R&D programs in the industry for over 50 years. It has been recognized a professional platform for leading industrial players to showcase their advanced solutions, technologies and applications, exchange marketing views, share industrial insights and discuss industrial trends.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With nearly 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the over 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 120,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com and follow us @axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Axalta Coating Systems
Ada Gao
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EBA Communications
Diana Chang
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Source: Axalta Coating Systems

Released September 17, 2015