Surface news

Surventis supplies the Glasurit paint system for composite and metal parts for Lola Cars’ T70S program. The partnership combines water-based refinish coatings with a vehicle concept that relies on natural composite materials and limited production runs.

Surventis has published its first sustainability report, summarizing its progress in the areas of emissions, energy use, and sustainable solutions. The company reaffirms its 2030 goals in the areas of climate protection, resource efficiency, and safe and sustainable solutions.

Rowasol is expanding its portfolio of bio-based liquid colors, thereby broadening the available color gamut of the Greenline. New colorants derived from natural sources, along with an improved carrier system, are designed to expand the color options for sustainable plastic applications.

Since 2021/2022, the German chemical industry has lost more than 20 percent of its production. High energy costs, structural location disadvantages, and increasing regulation are jeopardizing its competitiveness—with far-reaching consequences for industrial value chains and surface technology.

CCL Design GmbH Solingen offers labeling solutions for industrial painting processes designed to protect the printed image and legibility even under thermal, chemical, and mechanical stress. The concept combines paint-protective labels with thermal transfer printing, software, and optional…

Maxion Wheels has named FreiLacke “Supplier of the Year.” This award recognizes the paint manufacturer’s collaboration, as well as the quality of its deliveries and services, in the field of wheel production.

Rowa Masterbatch will present the trend colors for 2027 at Fakuma. The palette ranges from natural tones to bold accent colors and is aimed at processors and product designers, including those in the plastics processing industry.

The GDCh Conference on Paints and Coatings, held in Bremen from September 16 to 18, 2026, addressed current developments in the paint and coatings industry. The conference focused on technical presentations on coatings for various substrates, as well as new approaches to raw materials, additives,…

Noah Seiler was awarded a Medal for Excellence at WorldSkills 2026. As a German competitor in the automotive painting trade, he was among the top performers in his field.

SATA used Automechanika 2026 to present new special editions of the jet X spray gun and the jetstream robotic solution to an international audience of industry professionals. The focus was on applications for base coats and clear coats, as well as automation in automotive refinishing.

Eight months before the trade show begins, Ligna 2027 has attracted approximately 1,100 exhibitors across 100,000 square meters of occupied space. The main drivers of growth are the Ligna.Builds and Ligna.TruckStop formats, while the hall layout is being organized in a more compact manner.

Axalta has selected "Redefined" as the 2027 Global Auto Color of the Year. The deep ruby-red automotive paint combines luminosity with subtle glossy effects and is an evolution of "Radiant Red," the color with which the company launched its annual color initiative 13 years ago.

Abstracts for the European Coatings Show Conference 2027 may be submitted until September 18, 2026. We are seeking unpublished research findings and technological developments in areas such as coating and paint technology, as well as digitalization.

How practical is AI-powered robotic painting today? Oliver Bayer and Giuseppe Palopoli from Gohm + Graf Hardenberg took a close look at the Sehon AI revolution during the workshop. In the video, they discuss the shortage of skilled workers, paint quality, process reliability, and the question of…

AI and robotics are intended to make the painting process more efficient and reduce the workload on skilled workers. In the video, Timo Sehon explains what the company has learned from its first five workshops with its painting robot—and why spot painting, material savings, and the software in…

The shutdown of Leuna Polyamid could cost an additional 30 million euros. Following the failed search for investors, the chemical plant in Leuna is being phased out. The closure will also affect the chemical site’s materials and energy network. Co-partner Leuna-Harze produces, among other things,…

Evonik plans to close two smaller sites in Hamburg and Bitterfeld in 2027 and consolidate operations there at larger German sites. The moves will affect the cosmetics and personal care products and chlorosilanes divisions. Customer supply will continue through the Essen and Rheinfelden sites.

Axalta showcased a connected refinish system at Automechanika Frankfurt 2026. New features include the Irus AutoDose automatic paint mixing solution and a UV-A system for faster spot repairs and minor damage repairs.

AI-Based Robotics for Automated Wet Painting of Complex Components and Batch Size 1. A robot that scans complex components and independently generates and executes painting paths is pushing the current boundaries of automated painting. The system impressed seasoned professionals at workshops hosted…

Surface technology companies can still include research and development activities from 2022 for the research tax credit. If the fiscal year coincides with the calendar year, the regular four-year assessment period generally ends on December 31, 2026.