ITALY – AkzoNobel has recently completed a significant €21 million (US$22.76m) expansion of its powder coating site in Como, Italy, making it now the company’s largest facility.
This expansion aims to bolster supply chains for customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
With four new manufacturing lines in operation—two dedicated to automotive primers and two to architectural coatings—alongside the addition of new bonding equipment lines, AkzoNobel is poised to enhance its capabilities in serving customers within the region.
Sanal Limoncuoglu, commercial director of AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings business in South and East Europe and Middle East Africa, highlighted the significance of this milestone in ensuring supply security for customers.
The renovated building now houses the extra capacity in Como, with a focus on sustainable production practices.
The new lines are equipped with recycled energy systems and prioritize meeting the highest standards in sustainable production, aligning with the company’s ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
In parallel with its expansion efforts in Italy, AkzoNobel has invested €32 million (US$35 million) in a new plant at its Vilafranca site in Spain, dedicated to producing bisphenol-free coatings for the EMEA’s metal packaging industry.
This facility, boasting advanced automation and high eco-efficiency standards, signifies a significant advancement in energy and material efficiency.
Moreover, AkzoNobel continues to innovate in response to evolving industry demands. The company has developed a new 2K solvent-borne primer designed specifically for OEM production of plastic parts in automotive manufacturing.
This primer, part of a new technology family developed by AkzoNobel, offers enhanced adhesion to a broader range of automotive substrates, including challenging materials like polypropylene grades and polycarbonate blends.
By providing greater versatility and compatibility with automotive application lines, the new primer streamlines production processes and increases efficiency on the paint line.
“There is an increasing focus on vehicle weight reduction and emissions, which is accelerating the growth of the market for automotive plastics, but conversely, the adhesion of coatings is becoming more and more difficult,” said Ed Hilborne, global product marketing manager for AkzoNobel’s Automotive OEM Coatings business.
AkzoNobel’s Automotive OEM Coatings business remains committed to delivering high-performance coating solutions to the global automotive industry, supporting innovations in radar and connectivity technology while addressing the challenges faced by OEMs now and in the future.
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