PITTSBURGH — PPG announced that PPG CLEAN SURFACE TECHNOLOGY™, which enables stain-resistant, easy-clean interior paint, and the company’s overspray-free application for faster automotive painting have earned 2020 R&D^® 100 Awards.

“At PPG, we’re constantly striving to improve our customers’ experiences, whether it’s through a service, product or technology,” said David Bem, PPG Vice President, Science and Technology, and Chief Technology Officer. “We’re proud to be honored with this prestigious global recognition for two innovations that leverage our broad, cross-industry expertise to meet the needs of our customers.”

PPG Clean Surface Technology is a combination of stain-resistant, soft-touch coatings originally developed to make premium electronic devices stain proof, as well as an automotive coatings technology that brings toughness and scratch resistance to car coatings. PPG Clean Surface Technology, which PPG developed to give homeowners a long-lasting, freshly painted look, is now embedded in PPG ULTRALAST™, PITTSBURGH PAINTS & STAINS™ REVOLUTION™ and DULUX^® DIAMOND™ interior low-sheen eggshell paint products.

The proprietary technology forms a barrier against the toughest stains, holding them at the surface of the paint film. Because stains can be washed away easily with gentle, all-purpose cleaners, PPG Clean Surface Technology reduces the need for abrasive cleaners and sponges that remove paint and leave unsightly marks when trying to clean common household stains. It also makes these products more resistant to color loss from daily abrasions and shiny spots that can result from trying to remove stains, which is common with less washable paints.

PPG’s overspray-free paint application combines a state-of-the-art automotive painting application system called EcoPaintJet (invented and offered by Dürr) and customized decorcoat paint developed by PPG to apply multiple colors to an automobile without the use of intricate masking to control where paint is applied. It is the world’s first precision application for automotive OEM coatings.

By enabling the paint to maintain crisp edges without the use of masking, the overspray-free paint application saves body shops significant time. When performing a process as simple as painting a car roof a different color from the body, for example, the process can save up to 50 minutes per car. It also eliminates energy-intensive air filtering systems that handle overspray from the paint application process, further reducing costs and time without compromising quality.

The overspray-free paint application is currently commercial for two-tone cars and is being expanded to other applications where labor- and time-intensive masking is used, such as motorcycles, garage doors, trains, buses and aircraft.

The R&D 100 Awards Committee and R&D World magazine honor the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year with the R&D 100 Awards. PPG has earned 29 R&D 100 Awards through the years.

PPG UltraLast paint + primer is available at PPG PAINTS™ stores, select independent retailers and www.TheHomeDepot.com. To learn more about PPG UltraLast paint + primer and see it in action, visit www.ppgpaints.com/ultralast. Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Revolution paint + primer is available exclusively at Menards stores in the Midwest, and DuluxDiamond paint is available at Dulux stores in Canada.