4 OCTOBER 2022 – The energy crisis, called by some the most extreme that has ever occurred in Europe[1], is worsening. Businesses are facing the double hit of spiralling costs and increasing inflation on top of energy costs that are extraordinarily high - and rising. Controlling costs is now top of most businesses’ agendas, and bodyshops are no different, particularly as they utilise energy to carry out their daily work.

Jim Muse, Vice President, Axalta Refinish, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), says, “Bodyshops are facing a crisis of their own. They must control their energy costs in the area of the bodyshop that uses the most energy – the spraybooth. In order to control those costs, however, they must first know what the costs are, and then understand how different processes impact those costs. And that’s where we come in. Axalta has created a dedicated tool, available today in the market, specifically designed to do just this: the Axalta Energy Scanner.”

The Axalta Energy Scanner looks at a variety of variables including external air temperature, spray booth temperature, bake temperature where relevant, cost of gas and electricity, the number of jobs per week, as well as the general spraybooth data. From there, the tool calculates how much the bodyshop can save on process time and how much money they can save on energy consumption. The Axalta Energy Scanner compares a bodyshop’s current paint system’s cycle cost against Axalta Refinish’s Fast Cure Low Energy (FCLE) technology’s cycle cost, which reveals a clear prospect for increased capacity and therefore an opportunity for business growth.

Based on Axalta’s revolutionary in-house chemistry that uses both temperature and ambient humidity to accelerate the drying process, the patented FCLE technology delivers the perfect balance between high speed and low baking energy consumption, while providing the highest quality finish. It is proven to lower the energy costs of running a direct gas-fired combi spraybooth by approximately 75% based on a typical 30 minute, 60^oC bake cycle.

FCLE is the only refinish technology that can be dried at lower baking temperatures, or at air dry temperatures of 20^oC, yet still has the productivity of traditional systems. The FCLE technology also aligns with Axalta’s 2030 Sustainability goals, released earlier in 2022, specifically the goal that states that 80% of Axalta’s new technology and innovation developments will offer customers sustainability benefits. The reduced energy usage delivered by FCLE technology decreases the bodyshop’s carbon footprint by up to 55%, making the technology more sustainable compared to traditional refinish technologies.

Muse concludes, “The results from our Axalta Energy Scanner can’t be ignored by bodyshops facing skyrocketing energy prices. The bottom line is clear: why burn money by baking? Our ground-breaking FCLE technology allows bodyshops to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprints, and is the most sustainable refinish system on the market.”

This patented technology is offered by Axalta’s three premium global refinish brands, Cromax, Spies Hecker and Standox. For more information please visit www.cromax.com/eu/ultrasystem, www.spieshecker.com/speed-tec or www.standox.com/xtreme-system.

To find out how Axalta’s Fast Cure Low Energy technology can help bodyshops save on energy costs, and to arrange for an Energy Scan, please contact the local representative.

For more information about Axalta Refinish, please visit www.refinish.axalta.eu.

[1] https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/11/europe-energy-crisis-natural-gas-russia-nord-stream-1/