Smarter surfaces have the power to extend the life of the things that matter most and change the way we live. For more than 150 years, Axalta has provided surface solutions that protect, improve, and advance everything we see and touch. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and refinish applications, to electric motors, building facades, and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity, and enhance durability. Still, we’re always seeking out new innovations to better serve customers in over 140 countries. We’re developing technologies, processes, and products that help accelerate our customers’ businesses, improve the lives of the people they serve, and safeguard our planet.

Scientists, technical experts, and engineers help to further advance global industry trends such as electrification, energy, resilient infrastructure, and sustainability through innovation and advanced coatings.

Market-Shaping Innovations

Foundationally, both our direct customers and our end consumers crave better, faster, smarter coating solutions for cars to cabinets and everything in between. In today’s economy, all our customers – no matter the segment – require increased productivity to drive efficiencies. Innovative coatings solutions are defined by faster drying and curing times, and are engineered to reduce the number of layers needed to coat a product. For example, our self-priming kitchen cabinet coating won Gold at the 2023 Edison Awards™ – an annual competition honoring excellence in new product and service development, human-centered design, and innovation – for consolidating a conventional three-coating finishing system into a single coating. This simplifies the overall process for customers and provides outstanding aesthetics and performance.

Of equal importance to aesthetics and productivity, is performance. Coatings need to satisfy demanding specifications for protection across industries. We are constantly enhancing our coating performance to provide corrosion resistance and UV durability, and to withstand scratches – all within the most demanding environments. One example of delivering both sustainability and performance is Axalta’s Abcite^® 2060 flame spray powder coating. This too was recognized with a Gold Edison Award. The powder coating is an environmentally friendly solution compared to typical multilayer liquid coatings. It has no VOC emissions and requires no primer, saving customers time and money, while providing enhanced durability.

While the market demands top-line aesthetics, increased productivity, and enhanced performance, we’re seeing an even greater demand for sustainable solutions. Customers – and society-at-large – are looking for solutions that reduce emissions and energy consumption, require fewer coating layers, and reduce materials. Since our inception, sustainability has been a driving force for Axalta’s innovation arm. We have been focused on improving sustainability across all our products and processes, and, in particular, developing and furthering our waterborne technologies. Our waterborne coatings significantly improve productivity and energy savings while reducing the environmental footprint of the painting process for our direct customers in the automotive, commercial vehicle, vehicle electrification, and industrial materials markets.

Fast Forward

Global regulatory, environmental, and consumer trends, coupled with advances in electrification, are converging to create unprecedented opportunities and unique challenges for our customers. Axalta is well-positioned to be a key partner for our customers on our collective journey toward an electric future. Our portfolio of electrocoats, thermoset and thermoplastic powder coatings, fire-intumescent liquid coatings, and casting resins are specifically designed for battery applications. This includes battery cell, module, and pack applications. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and ecologically responsible insulating liquid coatings for the protection of conductors, electric steel, transformers, generators, and electric motors.

Beyond electrification, trends reflect higher demand for vehicle personalization, including complex designs, images, and use of accent colors. Our patented digital paint technology provides for inline customization of elaborate color schemes, including two toning and striping on vehicles, while delivering a high-quality, durable, and sustainable automotive finish. The technology also will increase customer productivity and efficiency, allowing for the elimination of overspray, energy, and waste for OEM customers.

Furthermore, as in many industries, developments in artificial intelligence are completely upending the way we conduct R&D. For example, by using advanced models, we are now able to do just one experiment where in the past would have taken five or more experiments. The recent advancements in AI applications are increasing our efficiency, and allowing us to bring more solutions to the market, more quickly.

At Axalta, we continue to emphasize that it isn’t only where we’ve been, but what’s next. Our more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry provides us the track record of quality products and solutions that our customers have come to expect. Still, we must continue to earn that trust, day-in and day-out, by delivering solutions that exude personality and color, increase productivity, enhance performance, and drive sustainability. To do that, we must continue to innovate and leverage the latest technologies to deliver smarter surface solutions for better living and a more sustainable future.