Rely on PPG's experience with waterborne coatings to lead the way.
The move to waterborne refinish basecoat is an effective solution for lowering VOC emissions—improving air quality and our environment. The transition can be seamless and productive when the right choices are made concerning technology, equipment, and preparation.
WATERBORNE INFORMATION:
Long before most of North America's body shops had even given though to waterborne finishes, PPG was already immersed in it. That's because PPG saw the environmental handwriting on the wall even before it was written andfor the past two decades has been developing and refining its technological expertise in both North America and Europe. Having worked closely with OEMs in their transition to waterborne at vehicle assembly plants, PPG scientists understood early on that the refinish industry would have to move away from solvent-based paints. They took the steps to address the environmental issues solvent-based paints raised by developing a water-based paint system that produced remarkable results—that turned the heads of the OEMs.
PPG expanded its global research capabilities with the acquisitions of ICI Autocolor and MaxMeyer in the 1990s, solidly establishing itself as the world's waterborne paint leader. That role was reinforced when, in 1992, ICI Autocolor (now Nexa Autocolor) introduced the world's first waterborne refinish system, an innovation that received the United Kingdom's Queens Award for Technology in 1995.
Listening carefully to customer feedback and taking advantage of its expanded global research capabilities, PPG continued to add innovations to its waterborne offerings throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. For example, in 1998 it was the first to make available a compliant system capable of repairing 3-stage pearl finishes. And in 1999, PPG placed its first brand offering, Envirobase®—a product of its best European and North American waterborne technologies—into body shops. Ferrari was so impressed that it chose Envirobase as its original equipment finish.