Axalta commissions new waterborne facility
Facility engineered to meet demand for high-quality, environmentally-responsible coatings.
Axalta Coating Systems a global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, commissioned its new waterborne manufacturing facility in Wuppertal, Germany, nine months after ground was broken on the project. The facility further expands Axalta’s substantial operations in Wuppertal and reflects Axalta’s commitment to produce environmentally responsible waterborne coating technology, for which there is a growing demand.
‘Wuppertal has now become the centre of waterborne production for Axalta’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Wuppertal is already home to the largest Axalta manufacturing facility in the world,’ said Axalta’s Chairman and CEO, Charlie Shaver, at the opening ceremony. ‘The region, and in particular Germany, has become synonymous with some of the finest automotive engineering in the world and is home to some of our key customers. With our strong legacy in the market, we are proud to say that you can find at least one Axalta coating on every other car in the region, and increasingly, a lot of these coatings are waterborne.’
The new Wuppertal facility will manufacture coatings for most light vehicle original equipment and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the region, as well as for Axalta’s three global refinish brands – Cromax®, Spies Hecker and Standox.
Dr Norbert Weckes, Plant Manager at the Wuppertal facility, explained the advanced processes utilised by the factory, which have been designed to lessen the environmental impact of Axalta’s operations. He said, ‘This is a next generation facility. It will reduce our waste from operations, deliver coating systems that can enable Axalta customers to reduce their environmental footprint and provide them with the high-quality products they expect from us.’
‘The expansion project also provided an opportunity to enhance productivity elsewhere at the Wuppertal facility,’ explained Charlie. ‘We installed new equipment in the existing waterborne production lines. We also reorganised the way we produce, transport and fill our products and gained synergies by combining production resources used to manufacture coatings for OEM and refinish customers alike.’
Peter Jung, the Lord Mayor of the city of Wuppertal, said, ‘An investment on this scale is of great significance to Wuppertal. With it, Axalta secures the jobs of its employees and positions itself for the future with sustainable, advanced production facilities. We are delighted about the dynamic development of Wuppertal as a business location. Axalta is an important part of this development, and I would like to say thank you on behalf of the entire city.’
