Get Your Coat On

Axalta-Industrial Coatings Systems revels in the art of protection

Paint and coatings protect, insulate, beautify, and even extend the life of objects. They are as much a part of a product as the item itself, a critical aspect of making industrial products perform well, remain durable, and continue looking great. And, make no mistake, they are much more than a pretty color or a glossy sheen. They are industrial coatings, and they are the specialty of the global liquid and powder coatings company, Axalta.

Axalta is the leading global coatings provider dedicated to the development, manufacturing, delivery, and service of liquid and powder coatings for three distinct business segments: Transportation, Refinish, and General Industrial. Axalta has more than 150 years of industry experience and conducts business in 130 countries. It has more than 14,000 employees across the globe, operates 46 manufacturing centers and over 30 laboratories, including the world’s largest R&D center dedicated to coatings and color located in the United States.

Measuring 175,000-square feet, Axalta’s Global Innovation Center is the nexus for the company’s innovation efforts. These include developing the coatings for the manufacturing of electrical components; flooring and wood products; oil and gas pipelines; energy components and systems; agricultural, construction, and earth moving equipment; infrastructure; construction; electric vehicle and transportation parts; and sports equipment.

For decades, Axalta's Industrial Coatings segment has provided coating solutions that work for a wide array of industrial applications, from harsh weather to chemical exposure to wide temperature variations. Products are designed to be easily applied by brush, roller, or spray and available in a wide array of colors and gloss levels. Axalta’s industrial coatings are formulated to provide superior performance with long lasting protection.

Dave Heflin, Axalta’s Vice President Global Industrial Liquid Coating Solutions, explained it this way: “Meeting global customer demand and trends will always be one of the driving strategies at Axalta. We will ensure that we are delivering on the promise to be the preferred coatings partner for customers seeking the most innovative products and services, delivered by the most talented team in the industry.”

He pointed to the company’s work on developing antimicrobial powder coatings treated with silver ion or silver zeolite. This technology is known to inhibit the growth of microbes on powder coated surfaces.  “Antimicrobial technology is used to provide additional protection against the growth of microorganisms on coated surfaces, offering our customer supplementary protection for their products. Our customers continuously rely on Axalta to deliver innovative new products and processes for the betterment of their business." Heflin said.

Axalta’s Energy Solutions business produces wire enamels, impregnating resins, and electrical steel coatings. These three segments represent a broad range of insulation materials for the growing energy market. Axalta’s product lines are designed to fulfill the increasing requirements of modern and environmentally conscious materials. Axalta’s culture is to consistently move technology forward, developing formulation and application systems that meet the changing needs of customers.

“With our global presence of development and service facilities, technical expertise and high-quality products, our Energy Solutions portfolio provides great value to our customers,” Heflin added. “We’ve won the R&D 100 and Gold Edison awards for our Voltatex® 4224 thermally conductive impregnated resin,” Heflin added. “It dissipates the heat of an electric motor by up to 30° Celsius so it runs cooler and extends the motor’s lifetime. The resin also allows for the building of smaller motors with greater output as a result of heat dissipation. That helps save money for our customers. If they're able to use less copper wire or less metal, or make a smaller, lighter motor and get the same output, they are saving money. That's value.”

Innovation Leadership

Axalta has more than 150 years of intellectual property prowess and consistently invests approximately 4% of sales into research and development, which is among the highest in the industry. It comes as no surprise that Axalta’s customers look to them to help drive new efficiencies and better products.

“If a customer has a need, a problem, or a hurdle that they're trying to get over with a coating solution, we will work with them to ensure we’re offering the optimal solution for their specific needs and drive value for their business,” Heflin clarified. “In some cases this requires longer-term technology development, whether it's working on a resin, polymer, or other coating, resulting in the ideal solution for a very specific need.”

“In other cases our technology application specialists will work collectively with our customers to optimize the application line and process to maximize the coating efficiencies and value.

Axalta’s sales technicians are expert troubleshooters, tasked with finding fit-for-purpose technologies that provide ideal solutions for their customers. “We do that with current products, or we can develop or optimize a product to meet their specific requirements,” he added.

The Perfect Partners

“We look for vendors who are willing to partner with us to find the best solutions for our customers,” Heflin said. “When we work closely with our customers, we're not only trying to assist them in making their process easier and more efficient, but also to make their product better.

“We’re interested in creating partnerships with suppliers that are investing in innovation. We work best with those that share our values and also challenge us to think differently. This process allows Axalta, the vendor, and the customer to collaborate as one united team. Often yielding the best results.”

“Working with our customers, we discuss with them their business strategy and review their wish list and ‘must haves’ for success. ‘What are their aspirations from the standpoint of their end products?’ We  then review how we can help them achieve their objectives, in order for us to become part of their business solution. This is how we look toward our vendors as well. We look for suppliers who will partner with us to find solutions and then work with us to develop, execute, implement, and manage those solutions to provide overall value to our customers and their business.”

Axalta’s offerings are much more than paint. They are also part of the products and surfaces that reflect their color and coatings. As Heflin put it, “We become partners. We also become part of our customers' businesses by helping and collaborating with collectively to improve every day. It’s that challenge to innovate that drives our passion.”