01 basf209 e titel 400 - welcome to coatings : basf ... leyland – a newspaper announcement leads...

The BASF Coatings magazine — 2/2009

COATINGSPARTNER

Innovative clearcoat:iGloss provides lasting scratch resistance

Coatings for motorcycles: Increased presence in the ASEAN region

Coatings for rotor blades:Wind energy – market of the future

01_BASF209_E_Titel_400.indd 1 25.06.2009 11:20:04 Uhr

AZ_KTLRZ_210 280_en.fh11 02.06.2009 19:47 Uhr Seite 1

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

CathoGuard® 800 and CathoGuard® 900

The new wave of innovation in cathodic e-coating.

Developed for automotive applications, the new technologies

meet the highest standards for environmental and corrosion

protection and ensure perfect vehicle surfaces. Combined

with the new pre-treatment and integrated application

processes, they are the e-coat system of choice.

Give us a try!

The Chemical Company

Innovation in cathodic e-coating

BASF Coatings AG | +49 2501 14-0 | www.basf-coatings.com

Automotive Solutions Performance Passion Success

Coatings Partner 2/09 3

Editorial

Dear readers, Seldom before has there been a greater focus on the economy. Every news pro-

gram, newspaper and trade journal is preoccupied with the causes and effects

of THE crisis. This makes sense in view of an upheaval that goes beyond eco-

nomic sphere and affects many areas of the lives of people around the world.

BASF Coatings too faces market challenges that are far from being trivial, and

we must confront them head-on. Yet focusing excessively on the crisis threatens

to divert our creative energies. A balanced perspective is key to our ability to

develop effective solutions, to innovate and confidently move forward.

The BASF Coatings business model has proven sound over a period of many

years. The value of the know-how we have cultivated can be seen from its best

side in difficult times. For our Coatings teams around the world this means:

· Supporting our customers with innovative solutions and a steady flow of new, market-ready products.

· Working in close partnerships because joint efforts help us achieve our goals faster.

· Providing our expertise around the world, wherever we can add value.

Innovative solutions, partnerships and a global presence thus are at the core

of all that we do. Coatings Partner reports on these aspects of our business

across different regions of the world. I hope you find it captivating reading.

A comprehensive portfolio: BASF Coatings offers inno-vative paint systems for many applications.

Raimar Jahn

Raimar Jahn, CEO of BASF Coatings AG andPresident of the BASF Group’s Coatings Division

03_BASF209_E_Editorial_400.indd 3 25.06.2009 11:18:22 Uhr

Contents

4 Coatings Partner 2/09

Short Cuts

6 Deal with Peugeot in China · Expansion of BASF plant in Würzburg · Strong partnerships in Turkey · Awards in Brazil und India

8 Refinish Competence Center in Brazil · Special paints for pianos · Electric sports car Lampo · New XColors color concept · Lab and mixing station in Turkey

38 BASF Coatings worldwide Products, markets, locations

Publishing details/Contact

Innovative

10 Cover story Close hauled RELIUS rotor coatings protect wind turbines – now on the high seas as well

14 Innovative product iGloss is an extremely scratch-resistant auto mobile finish – made possible through molecular-level research

16 Diving down BASF Coatings has been optimizing cathodic e-coating products for 30 years

18 Big exhibition BAU 2009 – BASF Coatings presenting innovative products at Europe’s largest construction trade show

20 For the home UV coatings for finish foils refine a best-selling IKEA furniture item

10 Seaworthy: Germany’s first offshore wind park is being built off the North Sea coast with RELIUS as exclusive coatings partner.

04-05_BASF209_E_Inhalt_400.indd 4 25.06.2009 11:17:40 Uhr


Contents

Cooperative

22 Investing in the future Coatings for the Nano – Tata Motors and BASF in a successful partnership

24 Futuristic High-tech equipped – the US police force’s new E7 squad car

27 Lightning-fast start Subaru North America is converting to water - borne basecoats – within a timeframe of just a few months

28 Flexible L’ISOLANTE K-FLEX pipe insulation is extremely heavy-duty – and so is its coating

30 Glories of old A five-star hotel renovates its medieval half-timber façade

Global

32 Dynamic Despite the crisis, demand for automotive refinish products is rising in the Gulf region

34 Aiming high Coil coatings for steel and aluminum protect skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates

35 Prompt reaction Ashok Leyland – a newspaper announcement leads to a business partnership

36 Coatings for two-wheelers Motorcycles are big in the ASEAN nations – a growth market for BASF Coatings

28Well-insulated: Pipe insulation saves energy – and special paints protect the insulation pipes.

32 Glasurit partner in Dubai: The AUTomAx Center is one of the top locations in the emirate for car repair and refinishing.

04-05_BASF209_E_Inhalt_400.indd 5 25.06.2009 11:17:41 Uhr

Short Cuts


Expansion of the partnership The Turkish commercial vehicle manufacturers BMC and Otokar are focussed on BASF Coatings.

Around one and one-half years after the construction start, BASF Coatings has launched its new production and lab capacities for basecoats at the Würzburg site. “With this capacity expansion, we are making a bold statement in the face of the economic crisis,“ Dr. Stefan Marci nowski, Member of the Board of BASF SE, stressed the signifi cance of the investment. “We are pursuing our long-term strategy and are consistently building on our environmentally friendly waterborne basecoat technology.” Production capacities have been expanded and state-of-the-art dispersion and dosing techniques implemented. Basecoat development has been concentrated in a newly constructed lab building. Additional application facilities have been set up to cover lab and production needs. During the mid-1980s, BASF employees in Würzburg developed the waterborne basecoat

Both BMC, a manufacturer of buses and trucks, and Otokar, a producer of buses and military vehicles, have each opted for BASF Coatings as their sole coatings partner. The two Turkish companies have a combined annual production capacity of almost 30,000 vehicles. With the support of BASF Coatings, both manufacturers succeeded in changing over their production facilities to the new high-solids topcoats in just three months and are already reaping the benefi ts of the change after only a short period of time. Serhat Uzunoglu, Paintshop Team Leader at Otokar: “The new system from BASF Coatings in-creases our productivity and, thanks to lower consumption, also makes us more cost-effective and helps to protect the environ-ment, while we get to enjoy outstanding technical support.” Savas Özkan, Paintshop Assistant Manager at BMC, adds: “The reasons

Pro environment:Waterborne basecoatCapacity expansion at BASF Würzburg production site completed

Expansion of the partnership The Turkish commercial vehicle manufacturers BMC and Otokar are

Both BMC, a manufacturer of buses and trucks, and Otokar, a producer of buses and military vehicles, have each opted for BASF Coatings as their sole coatings partner. The two Turkish companies have a combined annual production capacity of almost 30,000 vehicles. With the support of BASF Coatings, both manufacturers succeeded in changing over their production facilities to the new high-solids topcoats in just three months and are already reaping the benefi ts of the change after only a short period of time. Serhat Uzunoglu, Paintshop Team Leader at Otokar: “The new system from BASF Coatings in-creases our productivity and, thanks to lower consumption, also makes us more cost-effective and helps to protect the environ-ment, while we get to enjoy outstanding technical support.” Savas Özkan, Paintshop Assistant Manager at BMC, adds: “The reasons

Agreement with Peugeot R-M solidifying its position in China

At the end of 2008, BASF Coatings signed an agreement with

Dongfeng Peugeot for the supply of premium R-M® refinish prod-

ucts. Following the deal that has been in effect with Citroën since

2007, R-M now is partnering with a second brand of the French

automotive group, i.e. PSA in China, substantially increasing its

presence in that country. “We are very pleased to be working with

R-M to enhance refinishing quality and to even exceed customer

expectations,” said Guo Heping, After Sales Director at Peugeot

China, which maintains 150 service centers. ■

➜ www.rmpaint.com

➜ www.peugeot.com

New partner: Dongfeng Peugeot and BASF Coatings rely on R-M® refi nish products in China.

06-09_BASF209_E_ShortCuts_400.indd 6 25.06.2009 11:16:37 Uhr

Short Cuts


BASF Coatings India received a Bronze award from Honda as a supplier of motorcycle and scooter paints. The manufacturer gives awards for outstanding product quality, cost conscious-ness, supply reliability, developmental advances and effective management. BASF Coatings is the only paint supplier to receive recognition, and it is the third time it has received a Honda award within only a short period. ■

Award IIHonda gives awards for motorcycle and scooter paints in India.

Award I Mercedes-Benz recognizes BASF Coatings achievements in Brazil.

Each year the carmaker’s top suppliers are recognized through the “Mercedes-Benz Interaction Award”, a prize for outstanding quality, cost reductions and cooperation. BASF was the only coatings manufacturer to receive this award in 2008 in the Special category and has supplied Mercedes with automotive paints in Brazil for over three decades. In 2008 alone, 35 different paints were supplied including polyester and polyurethane coatings. “These are key components within the entire production process,” says Ricardo Santos, head of Materials Procurement at Mercedes-Benz do Brasil. “We worked intensively to develop special paint colors to meet our customers’ requirements,” adds Rene Postema, Director of Automotive Coatings in South America. “The award recognizes the achievements of all the team, which has delivered out-standing results through dedication to the continual improve-ment of products and services.” ■

Happy about their great success: Rene Postema, Director of Automotive Coatings in South America, and Michele Alvarenga, Business Coordinator for Trucks

technology. Today, it continues to set the global standards in terms of product properties and ecological quality. Around 50 million vehicles currently sport waterborne basecoats “Made in Würzburg,” and the numbers are growing. Within BASF Coatings’ global network, Würzburg plays a key role in research on and the production of waterborne basecoats and is BASF’s competence center for this important, envi-ronmentally friendly product. ■

➜ www.basf-coatings.com

for changing over were reduced consumption, better environmental protection, compliance with VOC regulations, and simply the fact that we get to work with a globally recognized

product rather than with just a local system. We are impressed with our now faster and more

cost-effective processes. The convincing factors were not just the performance and quality of the products, but also the technical support during

the changeover phase. We are already looking for-ward to the introduction of the waterbased coating systems, which is due to happen shortly.” ■

➜ www.bmc.com.tr

➜ www.otokar.com

for changing over were reduced consumption, better environmental protection, compliance with VOC regulations, and simply the fact that we get to work with a globally recognized

product rather than with just a local system. We are impressed with our now faster and more

cost-effective processes. The convincing factors were not just the performance and quality of the products, but also the technical support during

the changeover phase. We are already looking for-ward to the introduction of the waterbased coating systems, which is due to happen shortly.”

➜ www.bmc.com.tr

➜ www.otokar.com

BMC trucks: BMC too is now using the new high-solid topcoats of BASF Coatings.

BASF in Würzburg: A tradition-steeped location where water-based coating technology was developed.

Waterborne basecoat: Water replaces the majority of the

organic solvents.


Short Cuts


A special carThe electric sportscar Lampo was a big hit at the Geneva Automobile Salon in March 2009 – thanks in part to its paintjob.

The Lampo, which is the Italian word for lightning,

is a prototype vehicle made by Protoscar, located

in Ticino. For 20 years the company has been de-

veloping environmentally friendly solar and electrical

vehicles like the Lampo, a 268 hp sports car running

on advanced lithium ion battery technology. The

car’s dynamic design accentuates its power and

elegance, and so does its paintjob. It was developed

by BASF Coatings Designer Eva Höfli, who selected

a bright, blue-green silver for the car body and a

brown color with a bronze effect for the add-on

parts. Protoscar and BASF have been working to-

gether for years in the development of energy-saving

and pro-environment products. ■

➜ www.protoscar.com

Synonym for quality Piano paints have to be both brilliant and resistant. This market segment is a small but attractive one for BASF Coatings.

After an investment of 250,000 euros, the Competence Center located in the city of São Bernardo do Campo is now the largest in South America. However, it is not only bigger; it also features modern coating lines and other innovative facilities for training on the proper application of coating products. The center also has an area for presenting the Glasurit® product portfolio, and special communications and entertainment areas for seminar attendees. ■

Enhancing competencies BASF Coatings expands its Refi nish Competence Center in Brazil.

Piano finishes are expected to retain their shine and scratch

resistance for a long, long time. BASF Coatings manufac-

tures these specialty coatings, and supplies all of

Europe’s leading piano manufacturers. “It is

a small market, but a profitable one. Our

products in this specialized market

are extremely successful,” relates

Reinhard Wiesing, head of

BASF’s Wood Coatings Lab.

Piano paints are based on

unsaturated polyester resins,

condensed from alcohols and

acids at 200 degrees Celsius.

Pigments are then mixed in along

with other additives, for example for keep-

ing the liquid paint from running on vertical

surfaces and determining how quickly the

paint will set and harden. An applied coat-

ing has a thickness of one millimeter and is thus

roughly 200 times thicker than a car finish. BASF

Coatings piano paints are also used for fine furniture

and in shipbuilding in addition to musical

Knowledge and com-munication: The expanded

BASF Coatings Competence Center in Brazil

Piano paints have to be both brilliant and resistant. This market segment is a small but attractive one for BASF Coatings.

Piano finishes are expected to retain their shine and scratch

resistance for a long, long time. BASF Coatings manufac-

tures these specialty coatings, and supplies all of

Europe’s leading piano manufacturers. “It is

a small market, but a profitable one. Our

products in this specialized market

are extremely successful,” relates

Reinhard Wiesing, head of

BASF’s Wood Coatings Lab.

Piano paints are based on

unsaturated polyester resins,

condensed from alcohols and

acids at 200 degrees Celsius.

Pigments are then mixed in along

with other additives, for example for keep-

ing the liquid paint from running on vertical

surfaces and determining how quickly the

paint will set and harden. An applied coat-

ing has a thickness of one millimeter and is thus

roughly 200 times thicker than a car finish. BASF

Coatings piano paints are also used for fine furniture

and in shipbuilding in addition to musical



Short Cuts

“Despite the difficult current economic situation, Turkey is still very

important for the automotive industry,” says Gunther Sthamer,

responsible for BASF’s coatings business in Turkey, whose new

facilities began operation in February 2009. Because of the invest-

ments made in laboratories and a mixing station at the BASF

location in Gebze-Dilovasi, the infrastructure is now in place that

is necessary to provide an even wider array of services as a key

partner. “We have a highly qualified and experienced team in place

here allowing us to fully capitalize on the opportunities available in

this expanding market,” says Dr. Jürgen Barwich, head of the Tur-

key, Middle East and Northern Africa Business Centers, regarding

the expanded capabilities at the Gebze-Dilovasi location. ■

instruments. Car makers used the

paints for wood deco finishes

in car interiors until a few

years ago. When industry

specifications changed,

BASF Coatings responded to

the heightened requirements

with new specialty paints. ■

Expanding market BASF Coatings opens labs and mixing facility in Turkey.

The fi rst fruits of this concept were shown in April of this year at the European Coat-ings Show in Nuremberg, where BASF Coatings and Merck jointly presented an Audi Q5 coated with the special Black Violet fi nish. Referred to by Audi as a “black panther crystal” effect, this fi nish was devel-oped in an exclusive partnership between AUDI AG and BASF Coatings. “We devel-oped this sporty and elegant color tone especially for AUDI,” says BASF Coatings

Color Designer Eva Höfl i. “This color tone reinforces the Audi Q5’s sporty image and dynamic contours. Indi-vidualistic, image-defi ning color tones are a key innova-tion factor.” Stephan Schwarte, head of Color Develop-ment at BASF Coatings, adds: “The XColors product array affords car makers both cutting-edge design and maximum process reliability in the coating line. Now car makers can utilize color even more effectively as a dif-ferentiating feature.” ■

IndividualityCarmakers are increasingly using bold and distinctive color tones. Picking up on this trend early on, BASF Coatings developed “XColors – designed by BASF,” a new color concept.

Elegant SUV: The Audi Q5 in XColors “black panther crystal” effect

Refi ned instruments: Premium quality pianos have both a superb sound and an immaculate appearance.

instruments. Car makers used the

paints for wood deco finishes

in car interiors until a few

years ago. When industry

specifications changed,

BASF Coatings responded to

the heightened requirements

with new specialty paints. ■

Refi ned instruments: Premium quality pianos have both a superb sound and an immaculate appearance.


Giants: Modern rotor blades can be up to 60 meters long.

10-13_BASF209_E_Windenergie_400.indd 10 25.06.2009 16:08:50 Uhr


Wind EnERGY Innovative

The stresses and strains to which the

rotor blade of a wind turbine is ex-

posed at 90 meters above the ground

are truly immense. Reaching top speeds of

up to 300 kph, forces are exerted on the

tips of the blades, which bend several me-

ters. in the world of technology, the 60 me-

ter long blades are regarded as the largest

objects to have ever had to withstand such

stresses and strains. Even an aircraft that

can fly speeds of up to 900 kph does not

have to withstand such forces on account

of the lower atmospheric density. What is

more, rotors are under constant attack from

UV radiation, salt water and air pollution.

Consequently, strength and resistance are

essential properties for wind turbines. Jörg

Hermes, Global Sales Manager for Wind En-

Close to the windThe use of wind energy presents a challenge for both technology and materials. With RELiUS high-tech coatings for rotor blades, BASF’s industrial Coatings unit has made a name for itself in the industry.

ergy at RELiUS, uses a metaphor to express

this: “imagine a car driving constantly at

200 kph through the rain. damage would

start to appear after a few months. A ro-

tor blade has to withstand conditions that

are even harsher than this for a period of

between ten and twenty years – without

becoming damaged.”

Solid and light

The demands on the design of the rotors

and the materials used are correspondingly

high. The largest and most modern blades

are made from glued glass and carbon fiber

mats into which epoxy resin is injected under

a vacuum. The high-tech design ensures the

exceptional level of stability and flexibility

that is required, while keeping the blades

Attractive location: At sea, wind can be twice as powerful as on land.

›


Innovativ WindkRAFT


thin and light. The valuable construction

is protected by special coatings that are no

less sophisticated. They are also flexible

and cannot flake off, for example, when the

blades bend. They are erosion and abra-

sion resistant and withstand UV radiation.

And they are matte so as to prevent re-

flections, which could, for example, pose

a hazard to air traffic – a property that is

difficult to achieve without solvents.

RELiUS solved this technical challenge

at an early stage, enabling the company to

enter the rotor blade coatings business in

the mid-1990s. “At the time, we were the

first company that could produce the spe-

cial coatings required without solvents,” re-

calls Hermes. This was an innovation that

flung the doors wide open for the coatings

producer within the industry and allowed

it to become a close development partner.

Hermes: “Working with our customers, we

have constantly optimized our systems

with regard to costs and performance.”

not least of all, this includes a device for

checking the erosion and rain resistance

of coatings. The tailor-made device is rare

in the industry and consists of a rotating

disk onto which a coated test specimen is

fastened and made to turn for hours at 500

kph through a curtain of water drops.

it was not long before RELiUS was

supplying virtually all of the major blade

manufacturers in Europe and, since 2006,

it has also acquired manufacturers of com-

plete wind turbines as partners. “Thanks to

the global activities of these partners, our

products are used on virtually every conti-

nent,” says Hermes. This in turn has made

it easier for RELiUS to gain a foothold in

markets outside of Europe such as india,

Canada and China. The company is now

about to launch its products onto the U.S.

market, where so far most components for

wind turbines – including the rotor blades

– have been imported. Today the U.S. mar-

ket, which was the fastest growing wind

energy market in 2008, is in the process

of developing its own production capaci-

ties. GE, the largest American wind turbine

manufacturer, is leading the way, and they

have already qualified the coating products

from industrial Coatings Solutions RELiUS

worldwide for their installations. The same

applies to other leading global wind energy

plant manufacturers with whom RELiUS

maintains close partnerships, including

the German company Enercon, Suzlon from

india and China’s second largest manu-

facturer dongfang. The RELiUS coating

systems, which are suitable for all types of

rotor blades available on the market, are

used around the world in over 25,000 wind

energy plants.

Rough sea

Offshore wind turbines constitute a seg-

ment in which RELiUS, thanks to its special

coating processes adapted to the rigors of

the rough sea, ranks among the most im-

portant suppliers of rotor blade coatings.

A promising outlook, since the significance

of offshore plants is constantly growing, as

suitable land-based sites become increas-

ingly rare in important markets such as Ger-

many. Furthermore, wind farms at sea are

attractive because, depending on the loca-

tion, the wind there can be twice as pow-

erful as on land and therefore yields more

power. Some 300 offshore wind turbines

are based in the north Sea alone; the first

German offshore wind farm is now planned

Big step: The first German offshore wind farm is being implemented in the North Sea – supported by RELIUS as exclusive coatings partner.


Wind EnERGY Innovative

Crisis-proofThe danish company BTM Consult Aps specializes in the monitoring and analysis of the wind energy market. its annual world market updates and ten-year forecasts are important sources of information. Coatings Partner inter-viewed Per krogsgaard, one of the managing directors.

Mr. Krogsgaard, now that you’ve

completed your annual analysis for

2008, where did the wind energy

industry grow fastest last year?

in China and in the United States.

Business in China grew, believe it

or not, by some 106.3 percent com-

pared to 2007, and China now has

wind farms with a capacity of more

than 12,000 megawatts. in the USA

the capacity grew by just under 50

percent to over 25,000 megawatts.

The two countries will continue to

be the wind energy markets that

will grow the most. in relative terms,

although Europe has the most wind

energy plants, generating just under

66,000 megawatts, business there

only grew by just under ten percent

compared to 2007.

in terms of the number of individual

wind energy plants, the industrialized

countries are of course still in the

lead. The United States, for instance,

which has over 33,000 wind turbines

today, and Germany, where more

than 20,000 rotors generate electricity.

However, the large nations in Asia

are not far behind: india has just under

14,000, while China has around

12,000 wind energy plants.

What does the near future hold in

the wind energy industry? Will there

be a dip due to the economic crisis?

Our forecasts show that the industry

will continue to grow in spite of the

current financial crisis. Worldwide,

we have recorded a steadily steep

increase since 2000. Whereas the

capacity was 24,000 megawatts back

then, it grew to over 122,000 by the

end of 2008. Such a development

does not suddenly collapse from one

day to the next, even if the financing

is currently more difficult. The general

trend points upwards, and the increas-

ing number of very large wind farms

shows the attractiveness of the wind

energy market. By 2013, we would

expect to see a worldwide capacity

in crease of around 220,000 megawatts,

over 10,000 of which would be in the

off-shore segment.

What percentage of the world’s

electricity generation does wind

energy account for today?

in 2008, 1.3 percent, which means an

annual electricity production output of

about 254 terawatt hours or, in other

terms, 254 billion kilowatt hours. By

2013, we are predicting 3.35 percent –

almost triple the amount.

Is wind energy thus interesting for

investments?

i would say yes. The necessity of

generating electricity in a CO2 neutral

way and of getting our world to change

in the direction of renewable ener-

gies has already made wind energy an

industry with a future for quite some

time. Renewable energies are also set

to grow in economic significance as

fossil fuels become increasingly scarce

and above all more expensive, and to

the extent that politicians define new

CO2 reduction targets and implement

them through legislation and govern-

ment funding. ➜ www.bard-offshore.de

➜ www.relius.de ➜ www.btm.dk

about 100 km northwest of the island of

Borkum. in an area measuring 60 square

kilometers, it will comprise 80 wind energy

plants, five megawatt wind turbines in each

case, which are currently the most efficient

and largest in the world. This is the first ever,

and an endurance test for the industry –

the north Sea is up to 40 m deep, the sea

and climate are unpredictable, and some

100 km of power cables have to be laid un-

der the sea bed. This mammoth project is

being implemented by the Bremen-based

plant manufacturer BARd Engineering with

RELiUS as the sole supplier of the coating

materials for the rotor blades. Construc-

tion started in spring of 2009. By the end

of 2010, “BARd Offshore 1” is expected to

be supplying electricity for around 400,000

households. A nearshore test plant just off

the coast at Hooksiel north of Wilhelms-

haven was started up in fall of 2008. The

five megawatt rotor is the same type that will

subsequently be used out at sea. For BARd

as well as for RELiUS, this is the starting

signal for a groundbreaking project. ■



Lattice structureMolecular-level research: BASF Coatings has developed an extremely scratch-resistant, long-lasting clearcoat called iGloss.

utomotive coatings are high-tech

products. They give the body a bril-

liant, long-lasting and resistant

exterior, and come in a wide range of col-

ors and effects. BASF Coatings’ latest ad-

vance is a clearcoat that offers even better

protection as the top layer finish. Extensive

research went into this technology, in par-

ticular to ensure greater long-term scratch

resistance. “The iGloss clearcoat provides

long-term scratch resistance,” says Dr. An-

dreas Poppe. After the preliminary studies

of Dr. Matthijs Groenewolt, Dr. Poppe was

responsible for the development of iGloss all

the way through to market readiness. “Over

time, iGloss provides substantially better

A

14-15_BASF209_E_i-Gloss_400.indd 14 25.06.2009 11:15:41 Uhr



additionally features modified segments

that optimize elastic recovery, i.e. its ability

to return to the same shape once an applied

stress or load is removed. “Our research ef-

forts achieved this property fairly early on,”

recalls Dr. Winfried Kreis, head of Applied

Coatings Research at BASF Coatings. “The

challenge was to make a paint that was both

scratch-resistant and weather-resistant at

the same time. This combination had proven

unfeasible in past scratch-resistance devel-

opment efforts.” BASF Coatings’ iGloss de-

livers the best of both worlds.

These innovative properties were ob-

tained without any sacrifices with regard to

other key clearcoat properties. iGloss thus

retains its scratch resistance in the long-

term, even if exposed to extremely adverse

weather conditions, evidences only a mini-

mal tendency to run and is highly resistant

to chemicals, protecting the shine signifi-

cantly longer.

No compromises were made with the

new paint in terms of environmental com-

patibility, nor with process compatibility, as

iGloss requires no significant changes to

the car makers’ current painting processes.

“iGloss is furthermore designed as an

all-in-one package for line coating, paint-

ing parts and touch-up work,” explains

Dr. Joachim Woltering, head of the BASF

Coatings Clearcoat Competence Center,

“We will now be introducing the advantages

of this technological improvement to the

automobile industry.”

An entire series of pilot applications,

weathering tests and extensive risk analyses

conducted based on the two-component

paint system employed in the premium seg-

ment have already yielded excellent results.

Dr. Woltering: “We believe the first vehicles

finished with this new coating technology

will soon be going on the market.”

And quite a few innovations originally de-

veloped for the premium segment, like ABS

and ESP, have found their way into other ve-

hicle classes. This will likely soon be the case

for the new clearcoat now available. ■

protection against micro-scratches, such

as those caused by automated car washes.

This means car owners can now enjoy that

new-car shine for many more years.”

Hybrid material

The development concept was to combine

the advantages of inorganic ‘hard’ materials

with those of organic ‘soft’ materials, effec-

tively balancing out their respective disad-

vantages in the process. The resulting hy-

brid material delivers scratch resistance, but

without the brittleness of glass, for example.

The new BASF solution involves a lattice

structure of glass-like silicon clusters that

enhance scratch resistance. This structure

Soft and hard: iGloss, BASF Coatings’ new 2K clearcoat, com-bines the advantages of organic and inorganic materials, while balanc-ing out their respective disadvantages. The result is long-lasting scratch resistance, even under adverse conditions.

iGlOSS Innovative

14-15_BASF209_E_i-Gloss_400.indd 15 25.06.2009 11:15:43 Uhr

Innovative CathodiC E-Coating


cleaned and pre-treated car body is

dipped into the bath. air bubbles

rise as it descends into the e-coat

paint. after only a few minutes the body re-

emerges from the bath fully coated. then

after a rinse cycle it is dried in a curing oven.

Rust is now a thing of the past thanks to

the anti-corrosion primer coat applied in the

cathodic e-coating process. Cathoguard®

800 and 900 represent the latest chapter in

the success story of e-coating (see insert)

that began over 40 years ago.

Opposites attract

Coating processes underwent fundamental

changes in the early 1960s. Conventional

dip coating was literally “electrified” through

the introduction of anodic dip coating. in

this process, a positive electric charge was

applied to the car body, while a negative

electric charge was applied to the paint. this

resulted in the paint bonding evenly with the

car body, penetrating into even the smallest

cavities. the electric dip coating process

was highly effective for edges as well.

the even surface afforded by this coat-

ing technology provided an optimal sub-

strate for the next paint layers. the uniform

appearance achieved represented a refine-

ment in surface quality. Since their invention,

e-coating systems have steadily evolved to

keep up with the constantly rising require-

ments of the automobile industry.

Resins play a major role in the process

as bonding agents. “the resins ensure that

the paint bonds with the car body under

electrical current,” says dr. guenther ott, a

chemist and head of Resin development for

high degree of coverage of the various metal

substrates – with Cathoguard technology

this problem is solved.

“the success of cathodic e-coating as a

technology is unparalleled,” says lab man-

ager dr. Klaus arlt, who played a major role

in the development of eco-efficient Catho-

guard coatings. “Cathodic e-coating saves

a lot of material compared to conventional

coating methods. the specified properties

are in no way compromised, but rather en-

Diver downBaSF has offered products and solutions for cathodic e-coating for 30 years. Cathoguard coating systems provide dependable corrosion protection for metals and are very environmentally compatible.

e-coats, who has worked uninterrupted for

30 years on the optimization of resins.

in the mid-1970s, anodic dip coating was

replaced by cathodic e-coating. in cathodic

e-coating, the poles are reversed. the work-

piece is now negatively charged, and the

paint positively charged. at the end of the

seventies, BaSF supplied the paint for the

first small parts e-coating line ever used in

the European auto industry. “We have been

working successfully with austrian carmaker

Magna StEYR Fahrzeugtechnik and oth-

ers for 30 years,” relates guido harbusch,

a member of the BaSF team serving the

Magna StEYR graz location. the BaSF

Coatings plants in Münster and guadalajara

supply the required e-coat paints.

The new generation

in the late 1980s BaSF introduced the

Cathoguard technology. Cathoguard e-

coat paints provide optimized edge pro-

tection, flow and throw power. Cathoguard

300 to 500 were the first lead-free cathodic

e-coating product lines. the latest genera-

tions, Cathoguard 800 and 900, are also tin-

free and conform to the latest environmental

regulations. BaSF customers benefit from

the environmental advantages of a solvent

content of less than 1%. Cathoguard 800

and 900 are haP-free in line with US envi-

ronmental regulations, containing no haz-

ardous air pollutants. though just now being

launched, these product lines are blazing the

trail to the future, anticipating new regula-

tions requiring tin-free e-coat paints that are

certain to be adopted sooner or later. Es-

pecially integrated paint systems require a

Rust flakes: A thing of the past. E-coating makes car bodies more robust and resistant than ever before.

a

16-17_BASF209_E_KTL_400.indd 16 25.06.2009 16:09:29 Uhr


hanced, as the base polymers contained

in the paint afford excellent corrosion and

stone chip protection.” and the low solvent

content of modern dip coatings benefits the

environment as well.

“and don’t forget our CathoCare® ser-

vices, available to all customers,” says

dr. achim gast, head of the BaSF Coat-

ings E-Coat & Primer Competence Center.

CathoCare is a package of tools useful for a

variety of applications ranging from planning

■ E-COATING

Complete protectionElectrophoretic coating (e-coating) is an electrochemical coating method. The objects to be painted, from the car body to parts like rims, axles and radia-tors, are dipped into an electrically con-ductive water-based paint and covered completely. An electrical field is created between the items to be e-coated and an opposite-charge electrode. The basic principle of e-coating is to cause water-soluble binders to precipitate onto the surface of the item to be coated by the item’s having been rendered an electrode, thus producing a complete paint film that adheres to the surface. In combination with modern pretreat-ment methods, this technique effectively protects coated items from corrosion. The advent of e-coating led to the re-placement of spray and simple dip application for priming and single-layer topcoating of a host of mass-produced goods. BASF Coatings develops and manu-factures e-coat paints for the automobile industry and industrial applications.

to process monitoring. “the service team

works to optimize the production process.

We provide on-site line operation support

to ensure that customer processes run

smoothly.” one core service is the regular

analysis of e-coat bath samples taken from

plants operated by car manufacturers and

automotive suppliers.

BaSF Coatings manufactures ca-

thodic e-coating products in germany,

Spain, Brazil, the US, China and india. all

BaSF Coatings production sites are

equipped with product labs to test the paints

produced for such properties as deposition

behavior, stability and corrosion protection.

at these labs, product enhancements are

studied for their adaptability to customer

requirements while still in development. So

experience, innovative spirit and customer

focus are what makes BaSF successful not

only in cathodic e-coating. ■


New: Cathodic e-coating line at the MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik plant in Graz, Austria (first photo left). Ongoing: BASF chem-ists enhance the proper-ties and eco-efficiency of cathodic e-coat paints.

16-17_BASF209_E_KTL_400.indd 17 25.06.2009 16:09:32 Uhr

Innovative RetRospective: Bau 2009

18 Coatings partner 2/09

ceRaM® top. its protective qualities have

been proven in extensive long-term test

procedures – including a 1000-hour salt

spray test as part of an anti-corrosion test

and a 4,000-hour test exposing the coating

to the influence of adverse weather condi-

tions and uv radiation. these advantages,

coupled with their property profile, make coil

topcoats containing plastisol an important

material for modern architectural designs,

which pLasticeRaM top additionally sup-

ports with metallic effects and individual

color schemes in line with the requirements

of the designers. the high performance of

pLasticeRaM top is combined with the

further enhanced environmental compatibil-

ity. the coating does not contain any heavy

metals and is phthalate-free. it is quicker to

apply and cures faster, which significantly

increases the efficiency of the application

process and thus the sustainability as well.

since its market launch last year, pLasti-

ceRaM top has been highly successful.

References include the porsche showroom

and the BasF energy House in Nottingham

(described in coatings partner 1/09).

as the third highlight, BasF coatings

presented flooring with finish foil, a wood

décor paper coated with a clear coat (foil

this was the first time that BasF coat-

ings participated in the Bau trade fair,

which is held every two years and

regarded as europe’s leading trade fair for

the construction industry. Being there was

all the more worthwhile since the trade fair

broke all records once again this year. over

210,000 visitors informed themselves at the

trade fair booths of more than 1,900 exhibi-

tors from 151 countries. at the joint BasF

stand, the construction Network team of the

BasF Group had an excellent platform from

which to present the innovative products of

the individual partners along with their joint

developments. For BasF coatings, the main

emphasis was on the coil coatings sector.

“the construction market, which enjoys a

share of almost 70 percent for steel and al-

most 80 percent for aluminum, is the largest

market for coil coatings,” says Dr. Wolfgang

Kranig, responsible for BasF’s coil coatings

business in europe and africa, explaining the

reason for his company participating in this

trade fair. coil-coated thin sheets of metal

are proven, versatile materials and constitute

the basis of a large number of construction

products in the areas of roofing, façades

and windows as well as doors and gates.

such aspects as technology, cost-efficiency,

Exciting portfoliosynergies are more productive. such synergies are generated by the construction Network team of the BasF Group, to which BasF coatings also belongs. the latest innovations were presented at the Bau construction trade fair in January 2009.

functionality and last but not least aesthetics

speak in favor of products made of steel and

aluminum – particularly when they are used

in major building projects for designing entire

roofs or façades of buildings.

System solution

the latest developments in coating materials

for precisely such applications were present-

ed at the trade fair by BasF coatings, for

example, the third and enhanced generation

of chromate-free primers for coil coatings,

a segment in which BasF coatings paves

the way as a market leader. the new prod-

uct coiLtec® universal p cF harmonizes

with every pre-treatment, spreads well and

is ideal for deep-drawing. as a white and

homogeneous system solution, it offers both

smooth and textured topcoats excellent

properties and prevents rust on galvanized

steel panels. coiLtec universal p cF can

be used for all galvanized substrates and

topcoat technologies, which both simplifies

and speeds up production.

enhanced resistance to adverse weath-

er conditions, particularly at low tempera-

tures and in uv radiation, is just one of the

characterizing features of the new genera-

tion of the plastisol-based topcoat pLasti-

Façades and roofs: A broad field of application for BASF’s coil coatings.

18-19_BASF209_E_Bau_400.indd 18 25.06.2009 11:14:05 Uhr

Coatings partner 2/09 19

K-FLex itaLieN Kooperativ

■ Latent heat storage

Wax regulates the temperature A new approach emanates from the Construction Network Team: Why not provide sandwich elements for façade insulation with an additional function? The experts combine coated steel or aluminum coils with the polyurethane rigid foam from Elastogran and the BASF product Micronal® PCM, a microencap-sulated latent-heat storage material. The tiny microscopic plastic balls contain a core made of pure wax, which liquefies when the room temperature reaches a defined melting temperature – for example, 23 degrees Celsius – and in do-ing so absorbs surplus room heat. If the temperature falls, the wax solidifies and returns the heat to the room. In this way, the room temperature is stabilized, which is not possible with any other passive technology. As a result of the collabora-tion between BASF Coatings, Elastogran and BASF SE, sandwich elements equipped in this way were developed in the laboratory. The possibilities for their use are currently being discussed with customers – for instance, in commercial and industrial building construction, for office buildings, in caravan/yacht build-ing, as mobile partition walls as well as in residential construction. All of these applications are focused on providing greater comfort and using less energy for heating and cooling.

➜ www.basf-coatings.com ➜ www.micronal.de

Microscopic balls: Their core made of wax liquefies when the temperature rises and solidifies when the tempera-ture falls.

coating). in contrast to laminate, these fin-

ish foils use less energy and material during

production, and – like real wooden floor-

ing – also have a “warm touch” due to their

structure, which laminate does not offer.

it was only the development of a special

coating formula that made it possible to ef-

ficiently produce finish foils for flooring even

on standard production equipment.

Combined fields of expertise

“our products are highly promising and

have successfully won visitors over,” says

anne Heimes-scheller, industrial coatings

Marketing europe, summing up the trade

fair presentation by BasF coatings. the

joint presentation as part of the BasF con-

struction Network team highlighted the per-

formance of this association for experts and

guests attending the fair. How the innovative

products of individual divisions of BasF are

combined to produce synergetic solutions

was demonstrated by various applications

such as sandwich elements and complete

external wall insulation systems. Different

fields of expertise within the BasF Group

were drawn upon to devise a coherent and

highly productive complete solution in terms

of construction physics. ■

BaU 2009: BASF Coatings set up a booth for the first time.

18-19_BASF209_E_Bau_400.indd 19 25.06.2009 11:14:11 Uhr

Innovative Panel coatings


the Malm chest of drawers is one of

the most popular pieces of painted

furniture at iKea. one of the produc-

ers of this piece of furniture are the MaJa

MÖBelWeRKe furniture factories in Wit-

tichenau, to which BasF coatings has been

supplying UV paints for seven years. the

requirements of the swedish furniture store

are clearly defined: furniture produced for

iKea must be free of contaminants, high-

quality and family friendly. “We not only

expect a sustainable and consistently high

level of quality, but also that our suppliers

coatings. the quality of the furniture pro-

duced by MaJa is checked on a continu-

ous basis. “Regularly keeping tabs on the

process monitoring allows us, together with

BasF coatings, to guarantee our customer

iKea comprehensive safety and consistent

quality, even when dealing with high num-

bers of units,” says Ralf Kohl, Plant Manager

at MaJa MÖBelWeRKe.

System partnership

MaJa produces the Malm chest of draw-

ers in the standard colors of White, Black

Simply exceptional living spacesthe german furniture maker MaJa and BasF coatings work hand in hand, with flat-pack furniture for iKea being one of their products. this successful cooperation is now to be extended to new areas.

keep their finger on the pulse of the times

with regard to technical developments,” ex-

plains Helmut Witassek, iKea austria.

What exactly goes into producing the

shiny surfaces of the furniture cannot be

seen by the consumers with the naked

eye. “Particularly for residential furniture,

as a coatings producer it is important to

pay attention to the materials used. thus,

for instance, no contaminants should be

released into the environment,” says Fried-

helm Redlich, responsible for Foil and Panel

coatings Business Development at BasF

“Malm”: The IKEA chest of drawers, finished with BASF Coatings paints, features a clear-cut design and is combinable in a multitude of ways.

20-21_BASF209_E_Moebellacke_400.indd 20 25.06.2009 11:13:10 Uhr


and Pink. the color and surface quality

are constantly checked by MaJa with the

technical support of BasF coatings. Vari-

ous test instruments are used to determine

the precise values. if any deviations were

to be found, the pieces of furniture in ques-

tion would have to be reworked if necessary,

which would represent a significant time and

cost outlay.

this is the reason why BasF coatings

and MaJa constantly work on further en-

hancing color and quality control. in order

to be able to implement this type of project

better together, BasF coatings and MaJa

MÖBelWeRKe gmbH have also entered

into a system partnership with the new

supply agreement. “We entered this – also

new for us – form of working relationship

with BasF coatings in order to be a strong

partner together for iKea,” explains Kohl.

among other things, the system partnership

envisages using project teams that make it

possible for us to work together on a new

■ Panel CoatIngs

Panel coatings are usually roller-applied paints used in the industrial coating of wood based materials like panels and boards. They are used on doors, furniture and floors. BASF Coatings supplies panel coatings in the form of water-based paints and solvent free UV paints.


level. “We are no longer just responsible

for simply supplying the coating materials,

but now also for actively supporting MaJa

in optimizing processes,” says Wolfgang

Kranig, head of Precoatings europe at BasF

coatings. in doing so, the coating produc-

er’s employees can draw upon the wealth

of experience that they have already built up

through successful in-house projects.

350 tons of paint

the joint project groups not only deal with

technical issues, but also environmental

topics. “one key issue, for instance, is how

it is possible to further reduce the quantities

of solvents used for cleaning the system,”

explains Redlich. in addition, it is planned

to further advance improved application

processes and paints in regular technology

discussions.

over the course of a year, BasF coatings

supplies 250 to 350 tons of paint to MaJa –

including body fillers, primers and topcoats.

these three layers are applied with rollers

one after the other while the particle board

panels pass through production on a flat

conveyor belt. after three to four minutes,

the coating of the surface is complete. the

MaJa factory has around 100,000 chests

of drawers coated in this way per month

with paints from BasF coatings. the flat-

pack pieces of furniture are then shipped

off around the world – to germany as well

as to china and Japan. ■

➜ www.maja-moebel.de

Permanent control: Color and surface quality of the wood panels’ paint are checked by MAjA and BASF Coatings technicians.

20-21_BASF209_E_Moebellacke_400.indd 21 25.06.2009 11:13:15 Uhr

Cooperative TaTa MoTors


Tata Motors Ltd., a subsidiary of Tata

Group, the world’s largest conglom-

erate, has been ranking among the

Top Five automobile manufacturers in the

world since the takeover of Jaguar and

rover. Tata Motors is the fourth largest truck

manufacturer and the second largest sup-

plier of buses. With the Nano, an inexpen-

sive, fuel-efficient and reliable compact pas-

senger car, Tata Motors is in the process of

getting a new “people’s car” ready for series

Strong communityBasF Coatings associates more than just the supply of coatings with the Indian automaker Tata Motors. Both enterprises share a common philosophy.

production. This is a strategic investment,

which is already being seen as a paradigm

shift in the automotive industry.

Convincing example

Forward-looking economic strategies and

consistent customer orientation are two

factors that have made Tata Motors big

over the past 50 years. This corporate phi-

losophy resembles that of BasF – a com-

monality which, in the early 1990s, led to

a firm basis being established for doing

business together. Back then, BasF Coat-

ings worked together with Mercedes-Benz

in Puna (India), where coating lines were

used in the factories of Tata Motors. The

quality of the products from BasF Coatings

and the level of their technical service drew

Tata Motors’ attention to BasF as a coat-

ings producer. “step by step, we have made

a name for ourselves,” says N. J. raju, Chief

Executive of BasF Coatings (India) Private

Premieres: The Euro-pean version of the Tata

Nano was first presented at the Geneva Motor

Show in March 2009. Its world premiere took place

at the New Delhi Auto Expo in January 2008.

22-23_BASF209_E_Indien_400.indd 22 25.06.2009 11:11:48 Uhr


the obvious outcome being a fulfi lling part-

nership. In the meantime, it has taken on

global dimensions. Tata Motors is becoming

increasingly involved in international mar-

kets, making BasF Coatings an ideal partner

once again thanks to its own international

positioning. For instance, BasF Coatings is

already the main supplier for Tata Thailand,

and for the Tata Nano now being produced,

BasF Coatings was closely involved in the

preparations as an important coatings sup-

plier. The Nano has been presented in car

showrooms since late March 2009.

BasF’s most noticeable contribution to

the Nano will be the color and luster of the

vehicle’s exterior. BasF has been supplying

automotive coatings to Tata Motors since

1998 for the company’s Indica, sumo, sa-

fari, Indigo and other commercial models.

Now, BasF Coatings has been approved by

Tata Motors to supply some colors for the

Nano as well. ■

➜ www.tatamotors.com


■ TATA, CORUS, BASF

Steel coalition 2007 served up a tremendous surprise: Europe’s largest steel producer, the Anglo-Dutch Corus Group, became part of Tata Steel, another subsidiary of the Indian Tata Group. By mutual consent, the enterprises had planned the cooperation and, since then, have formed the world’s eighth largest steel corporation. BASF Coat-ings supplies paints to Corus and already worked together with them when the company was still called British Steel before the merger with the Dutch enterprise Koninklijke Hoogovens in 1999. Corus is BASF Coatings’ largest European coil coatings customer, using nearly the complete product range from the Coil Coatings segment. Corus domi-nates the market above all with its innovative pre-finished steel prod-ucts for the building envelope, an achievement that has been aided by the UV and weathering-resistant plastisol coating PLASTICERAM® Top and the technological support provided by BASF Coatings. BASF and Corus also work together in the development of new colors in an effort to further expand the architectural scope for design in steel construction.

➜ www.corusgroup.com

➜ www.tatasteel.com

Cathodic e-coating: Tata Motors’ tank is the largest in India.

Big small car: The Tata Nano

is about to become a new “people’s car”.

Ltd. The business relationship that was

agreed upon shortly thereafter has been

constantly expanded over the years thanks

to targeted product innovations from BasF.

Today, BasF Coatings supplies around 35

percent of the coating materials that Tata

Motors needs. “and we are the only supplier

from whose range one product – namely

white paint – is used for all Tata model lines,”

raju adds.

The cooperation continued to expand

over the years. In 2007, BasF Coatings In-

dia provided support during the construc-

tion of the cathodic e-coating line at the Tata

plant in Uttaranchal and supplied lead and

tin-free material for the e-coat tank. With a

capacity of 300 metric tons, this e-coating

line is the largest in India. BasF’s efforts

and expertise in providing integrated solu-

tions were appreciated by Prasann Chobe,

plant manager of Tata Motors in Uttaranchal.

BasF Coatings India offered the desired

standard of technical services and know-

how along with high-quality products, with

22-23_BASF209_E_Indien_400.indd 23 25.06.2009 11:11:52 Uhr

Kooperativ Carbon Motors


High-tech for Law Enforcementthe next generation Us police car, the Carbon E7, is a sophisticated special vehicle for which a wealth of new technology – including coatings technology – was developed.

Strong character: The E7’s performance and dynamic potential is already reflected in its styling.

24-27_BASF209_E_CarbonSubaru_400.indd 24 25.06.2009 11:10:32 Uhr


Carbon Motors Cooperative

atch out criminals! With the

Carbon E7 police car, you are

up against a new type of law en-

forcement vehicle! the car that will be pro-

duced by Carbon Motors Corporation is fast

and ultra-modern, even futuristic. some say

that it looks like the high-tech prop, K.I.t.t.,

from the action series “Knight rider,” the

bat Mobile, or something even James bond

would fancy. and yet it’s very real.

While other occupational groups such

as fire departments, ambulance services

and post offices have long driven in pur-

pose-built vehicles, thus far law enforce-

ment officers in the U.s. have used modi-

fied everyday retail passenger cars for going

out on patrol and pursuing criminals. the

E7 is designed to provide officers with a

vehicle that satisfies the most stringent

requirements of law enforcement. “the E7

is a vehicle that is specially tailored to the

needs of law enforcement. It is also better

equipped and will reduce the overall lifetime

costs compared to the retrofitted police cars

used today,” says alan J. bratt, Executive

Vice President and Chief Production officer

at Carbon Motors.

Carbon Motors has developed the E7

over the past several years. the first con-

cept demonstration vehicle (CDV) was built

in 2008. In recent months, Carbon Motors

has taken the CDV on its nationwide “Pure

Justice tour” to over 25 cities across the

country. “officers were truly impressed by

the vehicle in every respect,” says bratt. In

fact, the Pure Justice tour made a week-

long stop at the north american headquar-

ters of basF Coatings in southfield, Michi-

gan, where it was enthusiastically received

by basF staff and a number of members of

local police and sheriff departments.

E7 launch: highly promising

Carbon Motors plans to produce the first

E7s during calendar year 2012, and reports

that the output of the first year of production

is almost sold out. this could, in part, be

attributed to the fact that Carbon Motors in-

cluded ideas and suggestions of more than

3,000 active police officers from all

Brilliant: The BASF designers Holly Steward (l.) and Sandra Mathia developed the color palette for the E7.

Precise: Soliant processes BASF Coatings material into coated special films – allowing Carbon Motors to produce the E7 without a paint shop.

Specially tailored: The E7 is better equipped and more cost effective than the police cars used today.

›

W


Cooperative Carbon Motors


50 Us states in the development of the E7.

that is why the police car is equipped with

a rear compartment camera, sensors for

detecting nuclear, biological and chemical

weapons, as well as a specially shaped cli-

mate control seat, which enables an officer

to sit comfortably even while wearing a duty

belt, gun holster and body armor. the 300 hp

clean diesel engine accelerates the vehicle to

100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds; the top

speed is governed to 250 km/h (155 mph).

Equipment features also include an infrared

night vision camera, an automatic license

plate recognition system and bullet resis-

tant panels around the front compartment to

protect officers if they come under live fire.

The coating: BASF

basF Coatings developed for the E7 a UV-

curable coating which is characterized by

extreme durability, high scratch resistance

and an outstanding appearance. at the

basF site in southfield, Michigan, color

designers Holly steward and sandra Ma-

thia developed the color palette for the CDV.

For the traditional “black & White” exterior

paint scheme, they chose a black standard

paint. It complements the newly developed

“White Firemist” tricoat used on the doors

and roof. the designers picked coordinating

shades of titanium for the wheels and grille

that emphasize the durable, no-nonsense

persona of the vehicle.

“our vision was to produce a police car

in a way that was both affordable and en-

vironmentally friendly,” emphasizes bratt,

“basF Coatings makes an important con-

tribution in helping us to achieve our ambi-

tious goals.” to this end, basF works close-

ly with soliant, based in Lancaster, south

Carolina, the world’s leading producer of

special films that are used in the automo-

tive, marine, and construction industries as

well as the signage industry. basF Coatings

supplies soliant with paints for the E7. so-

liant then processes these materials into a

film that is applied to individual sections of

the vehicle. this means that Carbon Motors

can produce the E7 without a paint shop in

the assembly plant, and save hundreds of

millions of dollars in capital costs. Further-

more, using special films is environmentally

friendly since emissions of volatile organic

compounds (VoCs) are substantially lower

than in other coating processes.

“only teamwork and close cooperation

were able to help us pull off this tremendous

challenge,” says Paul Lamberty, Market and

business Development Manager for basF

Coatings. “We are in regular contact with

both soliant and Carbon Motors.” John

Cupstid, sales Director at soliant, goes on

to add: “We have been working with basF

for a long time. our successful partnership

was the decisive reason for Carbon Motors

hiring us to produce the film coatings.”

the E7 is getting a lot of recognition

in the U.s. as law enforcement personnel,

the industry and the media anxiously await

its first year of production. stay tuned to

Coatings Partner for more information on

this exciting and one-of-a-kind law enforce-

ment vehicle. ■

State-of-the-art: Suggestions from more than 3,000 active police officers were taken into account when developing the E7.

➜ www.carbonmotors.com

➜www.paintfilm.com



sUbarU Cooperative

■ SUBARU

Subaru is the automotive division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), a Japanese company founded in 1953. One year later, the first Subaru rolled off the production line. FHI employs over 12,000 people worldwide; the company headquarters are in Ota, Japan. Subaru is the largest pro-ducer of automobiles with all-wheel drive. In 1987, FHI founded Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. (SIA). The American com-pany produces the Subaru models Legacy, Outback and Tribeca. Since April 2007, the Toyota Camry has also been produced to order in Indiana.“Subaru” is the Japanese name for the “Pleiades” stellar constellation (also known as the “Seven Sisters“ shown in the picture above). It is made up of over 500 stars, seven of which shine brightly, but only six of which are bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. The Subaru logo with its six stars refers to this constellation.

the partnership between basF and

subaru of Indiana automotive (sIa),

the north american Group of the Jap-

anese automaker subaru, has been in exis-

tence since July 2008. Just a few months

later, the cooperation partner presented

the coating experts with a supplier award

for “outstanding achievements and excel-

lent service”. During a ceremony, Masahiro

Kasai, President and CEo of sIa, pre-

sented the “bulk award 2008” to

Juan Carlos ordoñez, respon-

sible for basF’s coatings

business in north america.

“basF and subaru worked

From zero to one hundredtogether, subaru and basF are getting off to a fl ying start in north america. Just how much can be achieved in a short time is demonstrated by the initial successes of the still fl edgling cooperation.

together under tremendous time pressure

when converting the plant in Lafayette, Indi-

ana, from solventborne paint to waterborne

basecoats,” explains Joe schmondiuk,

Global account Director of basF Coatings.

the conversion was completed within two

weeks; a process that normally would have

taken several months. “For sIa, basF is an

exceptional partner who consistently deliv-

ers good quality and performance. basF

Coatings has clearly shown us that we

made the right decision in choosing

it as our supplier,” says robert

ryder, Manufacturing Engineer-

ing Manager at sIa.

about one year before the

presentation of the award,

subaru in north america had

chosen basF in a selection pro-

cedure. an important factor for

winning this contract was that

basF Coatings Japan acted

sented the “bulk award 2008” to

Juan Carlos ordoñez, respon-

sible for basF’s coatings

business in north america.

Coatings has clearly shown us that we

made the right decision in choosing

it as our supplier,” says robert

cedure. an important factor for

Honors: BASF Coatings was presented the Subaru Bulk Award 2008 after the successful plant conversion to waterborne basecoats.

as a “door opener”. In Japan, subaru and

basF can already look back on a twenty-

year partnership. besides the good relations

in the Far East, the technical expertise on the

part of the asian colleagues also helped dur-

ing this selection process. the paint experts

presented proven basecoat and clearcoat

technologies that are already being used

at subaru’s parent corporation, Fuji Heavy

Industries.

Production in Lafayette is already

smoothly up and running, with the effect

that in recent months basF has gone from

being a sub-supplier to a main supplier.

the coatings producer now supplies seven

colors to sIa, which are used for the sub-

aru models Legacy, tribeca and outback.

the next joint undertaking is already in the

works, with basF set to supply several

colors for the upcoming new version of the

subaru Legacy. ■

Subaru in the U.S.: Partner of basF Coatings since July 2008

➜ www.subaru.com


Cooperative K-Flex ItalY


Insulation pipes and esthetics – two terms

that initially appear not to have very much

in common. However, it is also possible

to attractively integrate the pipe insulation

of heating and air conditioning systems into

buildings and offer both architects and de-

signers new, stylish possibilities for their

designs.

to achieve this, functionality and es-

thetics must go hand in hand. By team-

ing up with the Italian insulation materials

manufacturer l’ISOlaNte K-Flex, BaSF

Coatings has succeeded in developing a

flexible product that caters to both of these

demands: the K-Flex COlOR SYSteM of-

fers highly resistant coatings for insulation

tubes and sheets.

Esthetic solutions

the insulation products manufactured by

l’ISOlaNte K-Flex are highly flexible

elastomeric foam materials for thermal and

acoustical insulation. the right look is en-

sured by using paints from BaSF Coatings

for the K-Flex COlOR SYSteM range.

“With this insulation concept, customers

can choose from a broad range of colors

in order to satisfy requirements not only in

terms of necessary insulation, but also for

design and corporate identity,” explains

Massimiliano Colombini, Corporate Market-

ing Director at l’ISOlaNte K-Flex. “We

provide flexible elastomeric insulation mate-

rials and at the same time esthetic solutions

for both designers and architects.”

Up until now, gray and black standard

heating system pipes have generally been

covered with insulation materials and only

then, using a time-consuming process, the

encasement could be coated. l’ISOlaNte

K-Flex does things differently. the com-

pany coats the elastomeric tubes during

the actual manufacturing process with an

acrylic paint from BaSF Coatings.

Time and money savings

BaSF developed the highly resistant

spray paint at its liquid coatings labora-

tory located in the northern Italian town

of Burago. Regardless of how much a tube

is bent, twisted or compressed, the coat-

ing remains firmly adhered to the elasto-

meric substrate, without flaking off. the

coated insulation material is than fitted

in a single operation, without any need

for additional coating steps – a process

that saves up to 50 percent in terms of time

and money.

the result of the K-Flex COlOR SYSteM

is impressive. the new coating protects

the tube better than other materials and

increases the service life of the insulation

from 18 months to five years.

BaSF Coatings has been working with

l’ISOlaNte K-Flex since 2001. “the de-

FLEXible solutionPaints from BaSF Coatings improve the appearance of insulation pipes – and help to save costs at the same time.

28-29_BASF209_E_K-Flex_400.indd 28 25.06.2009 11:09:49 Uhr


velopment of the K-Flex COlOR SYSteM

presented a tremendous challenge for

both companies, which we successfully

mastered together,” says a delighted Val-

entina Modugno, Marketing Support for

Postcoatings at BaSF Coatings. “We are of

course dealing with a niche product. What

we have realized, however, is the tremen-

dous potential of coatings that can be used

not only on firm or metallic substrates and

whose function goes beyond simply pro-

tecting surfaces.” ■

■ L‘ISOLANTE K-FLEX

Insulation materials for the world L’ISOLANTE K-FLEX is specialized in the production of thermal and acoustical elasto-meric insulation materials. The Italian company has production facilities and subsidiary networks around the globe in order to supply their products to a worldwide customer base. Its diversified product range provides solutions for various market sectors, includ-ing building, transportation, petrochemicals and renewable energy. L’ISOLANTE K-FLEX is a worldwide market leader thanks to its focus on technological innovation and the quality of its products that play an essential role in energy consump-tion control and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. L’ISOLANTE K-FLEX is present in 43 countries, with 11 production facilities and more than 1,500 employees. The Company is UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 registered and has over 1,000 additional product certifications that guarantee quality, reliability and per-formance standards for the broad insulation market.

Highly flexible: The elastomeric foam and its coating resist even to extreme twisting.

Colorful instead of gray: Paints from BASF Coatings protect

and brighten up insulation pipes.

➜ www.isolante.it

➜ www.kflex.com

28-29_BASF209_E_K-Flex_400.indd 29 25.06.2009 11:09:55 Uhr

Cooperative HOTEL EISENHUT

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is without

a doubt one of the most famous

German tourist attractions. The out-

standingly well preserved medieval old town

center, defi ned by magnifi cent half-tim-

bered buildings, its intricate web of

narrow streets and lanes and

small squares is world fa-

mous and is regarded

as the prototype

of a German

Committed to traditionHistoric façade refurbishment in Rothenburg o.d.T.

Whenever a building has to be refurbished

in this history-steeped environment, this

understandably presents an important

task that demands the highest degree of

responsibility. Only real experts will do for

this job. Therefore, when confronted with

such demanding projects, the monument

protection authority and the master builder

of Rothenburg are regular members in any

team of experts. This was also the case for

the latest, successfully completed, façade

refurbishment of a hotel building in the old

town center.

Patrician splendor

Even in medieval times, the Herrngasse

thoroughfare was the center of the Free

Imperial City of Rothenburg. All the houses

were occupied by patricians, the infl uential

and wealthy citizens of the town. Today, four

of these former patrician houses form the

Hotel Eisenhut, a fi ve-star hotel regarded as

the “best of its kind on the square”. These

beautifully preserved buildings from the

16th century have been carefully adapt-

ed inside to meet the modern-day

requirements of a fi rst-class hotel,

without detracting from the au-

thentic historic atmosphere. The

hotel’s international guests can

experience an exciting trip back in

time to the Germany of the Middle

Ages.

One of the historic façades,

however, was no longer in keep-

ing with the overall image of a

fi rst-class, ritzy hotel. The task of

performing the necessary main-

tenance to the elaborately deco-

rated half-timbered house dat-

ing back to the year 1599 was

awarded to the long-standing

RELIUS customer Hans-Jürgen

Hülse from the neighboring

town of Neusitz. This master

town. Thanks to its unadulterated historic

townscape, Rothenburg has often provided

a perfect backdrop for fi lms, e.g.

for the fi lming of the tragic and

mysterious life of the found-

ling Kaspar Hauser.

Medieval half-timber: Restored with RELIUS

paints and coatings

30-31_BASF209_E_Restaurierung_400.indd 30 25.06.2009 11:09:29 Uhr


painter has a wealth of experience in re-

furbishing half-timbered buildings and can

produce an impressive reference list in this

specialty fi eld.

RELIUS paints recommended

An assessment of the initial situation pro-

vided a real surprise for the preservation-

ists. It was not just the color that far from

complied with historic evidence, but also

the acrylic paints used in previous refur-

bishments would no longer simply be used

today in the preservation of historic build-

ings. Faced with this initial situation, it was

no longer possible to use the method gen-

erally preferred by preservationists, i.e. sili-

cate paint, which is highly permeable.

Instead of this, master painter Hans-

Jürgen Hülse recommended Silcosan F1

from RELIUS, which he had already used

with successful results. Silcosan F1 is a

silicon resin paint that is highly “compat-

ible” with the old paint coating and it also

has two additional benefi ts: it is consid-

erably more permeable than pure acrylic

paints and, thanks to its innovative for-

mula, is universally pigmentable, even in

diffi cult intense yellow and orange shades.

This allowed the historic color scheme to

be restored true to the original version. The

timber framing itself was painted with A-Z

Color from RELIUS, a water-based acrylic

paint that is also water-vapor permeable.

The historic wall paintings have become

real eye-catchers; an expert painter of

coats of arms was specially commissioned

for their reconstruction.

Master painter Hans-Jürgen Hülse and

RELIUS technical adviser Willi Carstensen

are rightly proud of the result achieved in

this refurbishment project. Even the Arvena

Hotel Group as the building owner, plus the

town master builder Hans Mühleck and the

supervisory monument protection author-

ity are impressed with the new appearance

of this historic building. The famous his-

toric townscape of Rothenburg has been

enriched with a further attraction. ■

■ SILCOSAN F1

16,000 colors With its silicon resin paint Silcosan F1, RELIUS has set new standards in façade design. Up until now, the range of colors available in high-quality silicon resin paints suitable for use on façades was very limited, since they could only be colored with inorganic pigments on account of their combination of raw materials. Despite the fact that inorganic pigments, unlike organic ones, are UV and weather resistant, they were previously not available in a satisfactory range of colors. By using an innovative, inorganic paste system, the developers at RELIUS have now opened up an entirely new, much broader range of colors for silicon resin paints. More than 16,000 colors in numerous nuances are

possible, including even previously unachiev-able intense shades of turquoise, yellow and orange – offering maximum color stability at the same time. RELIUS Silcosan F1 loses none of the standard positive properties of silicon resin paints, which were even further improved by using new combinations of raw materials: RELIUS Silcosan F1 is microporous, has high early rain resistance and exhibits no unwanted traces of wetting agents. Both the high per-meability for water vapor and CO

2, for which silicon resin paints are valued, as well as their extreme water-repellant properties are optimally realized in RELIUS Silcosan F1. This translates into highly dirt-repellent finishes, even in areas sheltered from the rain, and thus façades that remain permanently clean.

Added to this is the protection the coating offers against algae and fungal attack thanks to the addition of proven ALGOSILAN. Thanks to its mineral-matte surface, SILCOSAN F1 is ideally suited for painting historic buildings and mineral finishing coats of plaster.

➜ www.eisenhut.com

➜ www.relius.com

An eye for detail: Half-timber style, gold- plated

coats of arms and Gothic calligraphy – Hotel Eisenhut

retrieves the glory of the past into the present day.

30-31_BASF209_E_Restaurierung_400.indd 31 25.06.2009 11:09:31 Uhr

Global MIDDLE EAST


The desert is alive – the same can also

be said of the activities of BASF Coat-

ings in the Middle East. The construc-

tion industry in the Persian Gulf relies on

BASF for such products as coil coatings.

Likewise, many of the flashy automobiles

sport paintwork from BASF Coatings, with

the automotive refinishing business expe-

riencing a boom in this region. Two people

who realized the potential of this growing

region early on thanks to key figures and

clear business plans are Country Manager

Arie Verboon and Business Development

Manager Dave Jerrison. Under the hot des-

ert sun, the Dutch and the Brit keep it cool,

working persistently on achieving their goal:

the marketing of premium coatings.

In addition to innovative customer solu-

tions and a local presence, anyone looking

to successfully do business in the Middle

East over the long term requires experi-

ence and trust. BASF Coatings is selling via

various importers automotive refinish prod-

ucts in the region for over 30 years. In early

2007, Arie Verboon, who was previously

responsible for Eastern Europe, switched

to the metropolis of the United Arab Emir-

ates (UAE), the international commercial

center of Dubai. He settled in the Jebel Ali

free trade zone in Dubai, the headquarters

of the BASF representation, where the

couldn’t be a better place for our knowledge

and experience,” says Verboon.

Just how well Glasurit, a paint brand of

BASF Coatings, fits in with Dubai is reflected

in the recent success story with AUToMAx,

a company offering automotive repairs and

refinishing work. The company swears by

the environmentally friendly Glasurit 90 Line

of waterborne basecoats. However, BASF is

not just supplying the paint. It is also training

AUToMAx employees in the use of 90Line.

In addition, the experts at BASF Coatings

provide support for problems arising in the

application process on site. AUToMAx is

growing. By fall, the company in Dubai is set

to open three more shops in other emirates

of the UAE.

AUToMAx is a state-of-the-art, high-

tech service center. The company’s com-

prehensive range of offerings include major

and minor repairs, full body and paint shop

facilities, diagnostics, emission control, elec-

trical and AC repairs, tires and alloy wheels,

multimedia, audio and video installations,

upholstery, accessories, warranty pack-

ages and advice on insurance matters. When

Iqbal Rauf, General Manager of AUToMAx,

started operations back in 2008, he knew

that Glasurit would be his product of choice

for the company’s refinishing work. “At my

previous place of employment, I had al-

BASF Kanoo Gulf FZE team with seven

employees looks after the direct market-

ing of automotive refinish products in the

United Arab Emirates and supports import-

ers in neighboring countries. The contacts

and partnerships extend as far as Bahrain,

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, oman, Egypt,

Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iran as well as to

countries in Central Africa such as Tanza-

nia and Kenya. The fact that the team’s

headquarters are based here is no coinci-

dence. Almost all of the automobile brands

represented in the Middle East have their

regional headquarters in Dubai.

Exciting market

“In the growing automobile market of the

Middle East, we are now benefiting im-

mensely from the constant local contact

with our customers,” says Verboon. “Al-

though also here in the Middle East we feel

the global economical downturn, the UAE

car park is still growing and all the cars do

need services and repairs to preserve their

visual appearance – a case for products and

service offerings from BASF Coatings.” In

the Middle East, there are numerous large

state-of-the-art workshops with high quality

standards. “The region is an exciting market

for our quality products in the A-segment,

which is for large automobile brands. There

Dubai and moreBASF Coatings is the right partner for the dynamically growing companies in the Middle East

32-33_BASF209_E_NaherOstenAutomax_400.indd 32 25.06.2009 11:09:03 Uhr


ready worked with Glasurit paints and got to

know the products’ high quality first hand.

on top of that, I am convinced by Glasurit’s

intensive and competent customer service,”

Rauf said.

Waterborne basecoats in Oman

In the sultanate of oman, the Glasurit paint

brand of BASF Coatings is also on the road

to success. More and more workshops are

relying on this premium brand, with two

new body shops having only recently been

added. “High-quality products on their own

are not enough when it comes to acquiring

customers. We were also able to offer these

workshops comprehensive support and

training seminars. This has certainly con-

tributed to the success. No other coatings

provider in oman provides its customers

with such a comprehensive service offer-

ing,” says Hendrik Franke, Global Trainer

of the Coatings Refinish Academy. And

Glasurit is the only offering available here

with environmentally friendly, waterborne

basecoats.

one of the two new Glasurit custom-

ers is the Sayarti body shop in Muscat. The

twelve spray painters complete eight to nine

jobs per day. This makes the Sayarti body

shop one of the leading workshops in the

capital of oman and is also set to expand

over the course of this year. The body shop

is part of Sayarti LLC, a company with which

BASF Coatings has fostered a close part-

nership for a number of months now.

one important customer for the Glasurit

90 Line paints is BMW Muscat. This body

Inauguration of the AutomAx Center: Dave Jerrison, Glasurit Business Development Middle East (left picture, left). Right picture, from left: Max Shaw (Chairman, GBS Group including Auto- MAx), Sultan Al Samahi (guest of honor), Iqbal Rauf (General Manager, AutoMAx Service Center).

Eine Bildunterschrift: Diese ist erst gefettet und geht dann leicht weiter. An-sonsten ist der Doppelpunkt nicht zu

➜ www.glasurit.com

shop has two spray booths and six spray

painters at its disposal. The Glasurit/Sayarti

team, responsible for developing business

in oman, has every reason to be pleased.

“We have made significant progress in the

market and are working very closely to-

gether with our partner Dave Jerrison – the

responsible Glasurit business development

manager in Dubai. We are certain that more

and more body shops are recognizing the

benefits of Glasurit and changing over to

Glasurit paints,” says Carl Roy of Sayarti.

And somehow the Sheikh Zayed Road

in Dubai is symbolic for business under the

desert sun. This main highway has seven

lanes and nearly everyone is in the fast lane.

There is certainly a great deal going on in

Dubai… “maa saalama” (goodbye). ■

■ thE mIddlE EAst: According to the definition by the World Bank, the Middle East includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the West Bank and Gaza as well as Yemen.

■ duBAI: 1.3 million inhabitants (unofficial sources: 2 million), some 15 percent of whom are locals, while 85 percent come from 100 different nations. All the 7 UAE emirates together: Approx. 4.5 million inhabitants.

■ thE KAnoo Group: For more than 25 years, the group has been a partner of BASF in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The first joint venture was founded in 1986 in the Jebel Ali free trade zone. The Kanoos are one of the largest family-owned corporate groups in the Gulf region. The headquarters are located in Bahrain, where the company was founded in 1890 by Haji Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo who traded with wood and pearls. Today the group has 4,000 employees and operates in all economic sectors of the Gulf region.

32-33_BASF209_E_NaherOstenAutomax_400.indd 33 25.06.2009 11:09:05 Uhr

Global MIDDLE EAST

Aiming highThe skyscrapers in the emirates are exposed to the extreme atmospheric infl uences of the desert climate. To protect their façades, the construction industry trusts the coil coatings from BASF.

Architecture and design: BASF Coatings paints adorn skyscraper façades.

BASF is the main supplier of the coil

coatings required by Intermetal Ltd. Ar-

turo Bastermaji, Technical Consultant of

the company, is particularly keen to praise

the customer service and support pro-

vided by BASF Coatings. The Italian site

in Burago is responsible for the produc-

tion and marketing of the coatings in this

region. “Our relationship to BASF is like

in a school or university, in that we have

the best and most generous teacher in the

world, who is extremely eager to impart

knowledge to us,” says Nishan Basmajian,

the General Manager of Intermetal. Both

partners praise the quality of the coatings

in addition to the reliability and reputation

of the company.

Computer-assisted

This smooth-running partnership was

given a further boost a few months ago

when BASF installed a paint management

system on site at Intermetal Ltd. in 2008.

This involves a computer-assisted mix-

ing system, the Pevicoat system, that can

mix every color and gloss level in the

shortest amount of time to the precise

kilogram and the utmost consistency. “This

enables us to cater to the demands of the

market for even shorter delivery times and

customer requests for more fl exible and

smaller quantities with regard to topcoats,”

says Renato Frigerio, Sales Manager Coil

Coatings at BASF Coatings for the Medi-

terranean region.

The importance of such innovations in

diffi cult times cannot be over-estimated.

The Middle East market has also expe-

rienced a downturn in the wake of the

global economic crisis. Bastermaji is,

however, optimistic that his company

will survive the crisis by working together

with its strong partner: “We have a saying

here: ‘Diffi cult times are like seasons, they

come and go.’ With BASF at our side, we

are confi dent that we can rise to the chal-

lenges facing us.” ■

I ntermetal Ltd. is part of the Harval Group

and is headquartered in Sharjah, one of

the seven United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Since commissioning its fi rst coil coat-

ing plant in 1998, the company has

been using paints from BASF

Coatings for coating alu-

minum and steel coils for

the construction industry.

Most of these coils are

then used for producing

various building products

such as façade elements.

Over the years, more

than 25 million square

meters of coils have

been coated in this way

with coatings from

BASF Coatings and

today adorn im-

pressive buildings

in the UAE and

across the entire

Gulf region. ➜ www.intermetal.com

34-35_BASF209_E_Dubai_Intermental-Ashok_400.indd 34 25.06.2009 16:10:11 Uhr


MIDDLE EAST Global

T he go-ahead was given in January

of this year: Ashok Leyland, India’s

second largest commercial vehicle

manufacturer, started production in a newly

constructed factory in the Emirate of Ras Al

Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Buses

roll off the assembly line here and, when

working to capacity, this facility can pro-

duce around 2,000 units per year. This was

also a special moment for BASF Coatings.

As a close partner, the coatings producer

developed the coatings for the buses and

supported Ashok Leyland in setting up the

painting facility and coating processes.

BASF supplies a two-component system

of the Salcomix brand, which is used in the

new bus factory for the entire range of mod-

els currently being produced there.

“We didn’t hesitate”

Flashback: In 2007, a newspaper an-

nouncement caught the attention of BASF

Coatings in Dubai. It announced Ashok

Leyland’s intentions to set up its own bus

production facility in Dubai. “We didn’t hesi-

tate for a second,” recalls Dave Jerrison,

Business Developer of BASF Coatings in

Dubai, “and contacted the Board of Trade

there immediately.”

Backed by the positive acknowledgment

of this announcement, BASF Coatings es-

tablished contact with Ashok Leyland at

an early stage – an initiative that received

positive feedback. “We were already on

the lookout for a professional and reliable

coating partner,” says K. M. Mandanna,

Vice President of Manufacturing at Ashok

Leyland. “At the time we were convinced by

the fact that BASF Coatings is present in

Dubai, can supply us from local warehouses

and provide us with customer service at all

times.” Accordingly, the coatings producer

was also immediately at hand when it came

to designing and installing the process tech-

nology after the shell of the factory building

had been constructed.

This was the start of what was to become

a close working partnership. “It is almost as

if we set up this plant together,” says Jerri-

son, summing up the months that followed

until last fall when the first test coatings were

ready to be carried out. The decision was

made in favor of a complete Salcomix sys-

tem consisting of an epoxy primer and a PU

topcoat. Following the approval by Ashok

Leyland, the coating system was incorpo-

rated into the production process now to

be implemented as well as into the training

of the vehicle manufacturer’s spray paint-

ers. Also in this phase, the close proximity

to the customer proved highly useful, which

BASF Coatings can ensure by having its own

technical department in Dubai – which in

turn is closely linked to the laboratories and

technicians at the corporate headquarters in

Münster, Germany.

In setting up the plant near Dubai, Ashok

Leyland has equipped itself for the future.

The strategic objective is to be able to meet

the growing demand for urban buses and

touring coaches in the Middle East with a

corresponding offering and to expand the

portfolio to include the luxury bus segment.

The factory’s capacity is designed with this

strategy in mind, as is the state-of-the-art

production and process technology, thus

providing the basis that allows Ashok Ley-

land and its new main coatings supplier

BASF Coatings to have a positive outlook

despite the current economic crisis. ■

Successful initiative How a business partnership can come about from a newspaper announcement.

➜ www.salcomix.com

New plant in the emirate Ras Al Khaimah: The first Ashok Leyland buses are coated in the paint shop which was set up with the help of BASF Coatings.

34-35_BASF209_E_Dubai_Intermental-Ashok_400.indd 35 25.06.2009 16:10:15 Uhr

Global MOTORCYCLE COATINGS


The population increase, urbanization

and economic growth are all long-

term trends that will be continuing in

Asia in the future. And these trends give rise

to growing mobility. On Asia’s roads, this

means not only more cars, but more motor-

cycles, too, which are prominently featured

in sprawling Asian cityscapes from Mumbai

to Manila. For some time now, the ASEAN

nations have been especially active in the

production of motorcycles. The world’s

leading manufacturers produce two-wheel-

ers in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia,

the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. The

market will continue to grow.

BASF Coatings, a world leader in paints

for cars and commercial vehicles, has also

supplied coating materials for motorcycles

for years. Its key success factors are its

global presence in all important markets,

close partnerships with its customers, tech-

nological competence and innovative prod-

ucts. The company is now expanding this

profile in the ASEAN region with its focus on

motorcycle paints.

Close to the customer

In January 2009, BASF took over the motor-

cycle coatings business in the ASEAN region,

in which it had previously operated as part

of a joint venture. Now BASF has the sole

operational responsibility and can thus pro-

vide its expertise to the motorcycle produc-

Dynamo on two wheelsBASF Coatings is stepping up its involvement in the ASEAN region. The future is extremely bright for motorcycle coatings.

Armada: In Asia, mobility means

motorcycles – the growing market offers great opportunities for

BASF Coatings.

ers directly. Thailand’s EASON Paint PLC has

taken over the production of the coatings as

a toll manufacturer. This is the next chapter

of many years of successful cooperation be-

tween BASF and the Thai coatings producer,

which has expanded its business operations

beyond the borders of its home country.

The new business structure consolidates

competencies and offers the customers nu-

merous benefits. The quality standards for

coatings – color design and scratch and

chemical resistance – are constantly rising,

as are requirements for efficient and envi-

ronmentally friendly application processes.

Now, a proven paint expert will be ensuring

that these standards are met and on top of

that, will be able to support the entire ASEAN

region. Thailand is by far the national market

with the highest demand for motorcycle coat-

ings, but other ASEAN countries are quickly

catching up. For example, motorcycle man-

ufacturers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia

and the Philippines are now also looking for

suppliers of approved high-quality paints.

The newly created set-up of BASF Coatings

in the ASEAN region provides an excellent

platform to meet such requirements.

With its multinational structures, BASF

Coatings can support customers’ needs

with new products and comprehensive

service, as demonstrated by the current

technological successes achieved from its

innovation network. Just recently, line tri-

als were successfully completed for a wa-

terborne coating that also allows efficient

electrostatic application to plastic parts.

The paint system was developed by BASF

Coatings in Japan, and so the higher ef-

ficiencies directly benefit the customers in

the ASEAN region. Another example is a UV

coating which was also developed by BASF

in Japan. The twin-cure system (combining

UV and thermal curing) offers the customers

a quick and environmentally friendly curing

solution.

In order to further boost its innovation

capacity, BASF is setting up a Technical

Center in Thailand that is dedicated to the

36-37_BASF209_E_Motorradlacke_400.indd 36 25.06.2009 11:07:53 Uhr


development of coatings in all areas of

work. This Technical Center will consolidate

BASF know-how from the various markets

and, together with its experts in the region,

will offer new product developments even

faster and more efficiently.

A promising market

“As a transnational company, BASF is in an

outstanding position. Our activities in the

ASEAN region have now given us a face

the customers can recognize. They know

the quality they can expect from us,“ said

Jongluck Nitikitpaibool, summing up the

advantages of the new presence. She has

been the head of BASF’s coatings busi-

ness in the ASEAN region since fall 2008.

“And our offer is not just limited to paints for

motorcycles, since our realignment also ex-

tends to the automotive OEM and industrial

coatings sectors,“ she explained. It’s a per-

spective that will pay off. After all, the coat-

ings market in ASEAN, with a total volume

of approximately 2.8 billion euros, accounts

for about 15% of the coatings business in

Asia Pacific (2007).

“In the medium term, our primary focus

in the ASEAN region will be on motorcycles,”

explained Nitikitpaibool. And this goes hand

in hand with the strategies of the motorcycle

producers. The four big international manu-

facturers, Honda Motor Co. Ltd, Kawasaki

Motors Co. Ltd, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd,

and Suzuki Motor Corporation, are increas-

ingly using other locations beyond their pre-

vious core countries for their activities. “In

this area, we see great opportunities and are

determined to expand our position,” said

Nitikitpaibool. It’s a strategy that is already

bearing fruit. Shortly after the transaction in

December 2008, Yamaha Motor Philippines

Inc. placed a new order with BASF for the

supply of four motorcycle colors. ■


➜ www.yamaha-motor.com.ph

36-37_BASF209_E_Motorradlacke_400.indd 37 25.06.2009 11:07:55 Uhr


BASF Coatings WorldWide

How do you like the new Coatings Partner? Please send your feedback and suggestions to [email protected].

We bring color to lifeBASF Coatings is an operating division of BASF – the world’s leading chemical company. Worldwide, we help our customers to be more successful through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products.

PRINTING DETAILS

Publisher: BASF Coatings AG P.O. box 6123, 48136 Münster, Germany Tel. +49 2501 14-3399, Fax +49 2501 14-3750 www.basf-coatings.com

Managing editor: Dr. Martin Rissmann (responsible under press law)

Project manager: Susanne Focken

Contributing editors: Richard Amberger, Julia Brinker, Beatriz Cesar, Dr. Michael Golek, Anne Heimes-Scheller, Susan Jaszkowski, Priyanka Mishra, Ayumi Mizutani, Jörg Schneider, Philipp Schnorbus, Nadine Sieren

Publishing company: corps. Corporate Publishing Services GmbH, Kasernenstrasse 69, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany

Managing editors: Wilfried Lülsdorf, Michael Schmid

Project manager: Christiane Reiners

Picture editor: Barbara Brower-Rabinowitsch

Art direction & design: Dirk Bartos, Andreas Kersten, Sandra Sodemann BartosKersten Printmediendesign, Hamburg, Germany

Translation: 24translate GmbH, Hamburg, Germany

Pictures: Christopher Furlong/gettyimages (cover); BMC (page 6/7); Protoscar (page 8); fotolia (page 8 above); fotolia (pages 4, 11); BARD Engineering GmbH (page 12 left); MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik (page 16 above); bilderlounge/gettyimages (page 16); Jeffrey Hamilton/get-tyimages (pages 14-15); www.piqs.de (page 17); IKEA (pages 20-21); UnitedPictures (page 22); Tata Motors (page 23 below); Carbon Motors (pages 24-26); Soliant (Seite 25 above right); istockphoto (page 27 above right); L’ISOLANTE K-FLEX (pages 4/5, 28-29); Intermetal (page 34); Yamaha Motor (page 37); all other photos: BASF

Lithography: Steinert GmbH, Düsseldorf

Printing: Buersche Druckerei Neufang KG Nordring 10, 45894 Gelsenkirchen, Germany

DowNLoAD www.coatingspartner.com

■ CoATINGS SoLuTIoNS

AUTOMOTIVE OEM COATINGS In the field of automotive OEM coatings, BASF Coatings is one of the top three global leaders. We offer eco-efficient technologies and a broad range of competence in e-coats, primers, basecoats and topcoats. We are a trusted partner with all of the world’s major automobile manufacturers in terms of corrosion protection, color competence, and scratch-resistant coatings. Working in close partnership with our customers is one of the key factors behind our success. Jointly, we develop innovative coating processes, and our applications engineers are highly inte-grated into our customers’ production lines.

AUTOMOTIVE REFINISH COATINGS In the automotive refinish sector, BASF Coatings develops and markets products for a comprehensive portfolio of coating sys-tems. Our specific focus is on eco-efficient waterbased and high-solids coatings with low solvent content. The automotive refinish coatings supplied by BASF Coatings have the approval of most leading automotive manufacturers for use in their authorized bodyshops. The automobile manufactures prefer BASF automotive refinish coatings because of their high color accuracy. Another focus for BASF Coatings is cus-tom-built coatings solutions for transport/commercial vehicles. BASF Coatings uses the Glasurit® and R-M® brands to support its premium segment customers with a comprehensive portfolio of refinishing paint systems. The Salcomix® brand also offers a solution for smaller-scale, flexible indus-trial coating.

INDUSTRIAL COATINGS BASF classifies industrial coatings as either precoatings or postcoatings. The first cate-

gory comprises coil coatings and foil coat-ings. Coil coatings are applied to aluminum or steel bands which are then supplied as “coils” to the construction, appliances and auto motive industries for further process-ing. Foil coatings are special coatings ap-plied in a similar process as coil coatings, but to paper substrates and plastic strips. The resulting finish foils are then used, for example, in furniture production.The postcoatings category comprises liquid coatings and e-coats, which are used in a variety of industrial applications. Household appliances, heavy-duty corrosion protec-tion in ship building and land-based ap-plications as well as the worldwide supply of coatings for wind turbine rotor blades are only a few examples in this important field. Great attention is currently being granted to expanding the product portfolio for marine and aircraft applications.

ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS In the field of architectural coatings, BASF’s activities focus on Europe, South America, and China. Under the Suvinil® brand, BASF Coatings has been the market leader in Brazil for many years. In general, Suvinil is one the most successful brands in the country. The decisive factors are un-paralleled quality, excellent service to the industry, and the environmentally-friendly production and processing of Suvinil prod-ucts. The integration of the RELIUS Group in 2007 has allowed BASF Coatings in Europe to include construction paints in its already broad portfolio of coating products. The RELIUS product line includes façade and interior paints, render systems, as well as floor coatings and external wall insulation systems. Varnishes and glazes round out the portfolio.

38-39_BASF209_E_weltweit_400.indd 38 25.06.2009 11:07:24 Uhr


WorldWide BASF Coatings

■ MAJoR SITES EuRoPE:France (Clermont de l‘Oise) Germany (Memmingen, Münster, Oldenburg, Schwarzheide, Würzburg) Great Britain (Deeside) Italy (Burago di Molgora) Netherlands (Deurne) Russia (Pavloski Posad)Spain (Guadalajara) Turkey (Istanbul-Kavacik, Gebze-Dilovasi)

AFRICA:South Africa (Vanderbijlpark)

AMERICA:Argentina (Tortuguitas) Brazil (São Bernardo do Campo, Jaboatão) Canada (Windsor) Mexico (Tultitlán) uSA (Belvidere, Greenville, Southfi eld, Whitehouse)

ASIA PACIFIC:Australia (Wetherill Park / Sydney)China (Shanghai)India (Mangalore) Japan (Totsuka, Ako)Philippines (Canlubang / Laguna)

(Canlubang / Laguna)

38-39_BASF209_E_weltweit_400.indd 39 25.06.2009 11:07:28 Uhr

A passion for coatingsCoatings by BASF protect surfaces and give

them color and luster. For automotive OEM

coatings, automotive refinish coatings, industrial

coatings and decorative paints our customers

rely on our ability to provide intelligent solutions

that will improve their products. Whether it is

research and development or production and

service – you can depend on BASF Coatings

worldwide.

BASF Coatings AG

+49 2501 14-0

www.basf-coatings.com

ww

w.a

dre

i.de

Coatings Solutions

The Chemical Company

01 basf209 e titel 400 - welcome to coatings : basf ... leyland – a newspaper announcement leads...

Documents