Axalta recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of delivering new technologies to its customers around the world from its Global Innovation Center, the world’s largest research and development (R&D) center dedicated to coatings and color located in Philadelphia’s historic Navy Yard.
Dennis M. Davin, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, joined Axalta in celebrating the anniversary by touring the facility’s specialty labs.
“Pennsylvania – and especially Philadelphia – is made better by the powerhouse industries and innovative companies like Axalta that call it home, which only increases our competitive advantage,” said Davin. “The Global Innovation Center employs the best and brightest to develop the technologies and products of the future, benefiting both the industry and the commonwealth for years to come.”
Serving a global customer base across more than 130 countries, Axalta is an innovation leader in the coatings industry with more than 150 years of experience and intellectual property backing many products in the industry. The company holds nearly 1,000 patents and has introduced more than 250 new products a year.
Since opening the Global Innovation Center, Axalta has developed many new innovations in Philadelphia and brought them to the global market, including:
- PercoTop CS306 – a sustainable primer for direct-to-metal application that provides outstanding corrosion protection and produces the optimum surface finish for the commercial vehicle market.
- Lumeera 5220 – a clearcoat for light vehicles that provides superior scratch and chemical resistance obtained from novel high-performing resin development and nanodispersion technology.
- Corlar 3.5 – a corrosion-resistant and highly durable primer for commercial vehicles that provides protection from the elements and maintains an excellent appearance. Corlar 3.5 reflects the latest technology in corrosion inhibition and advanced formula design.
- Acquire Quantum EFX – a fifth-generation spectrophotometer that packs innovative color modeling technology into a lighter, faster and more accurate device that matches the color of a vehicle with the best coatings formula, allowing collision repair body shops to return damaged vehicles in perfect condition.
- Pamake – a solvent-based refinish coating built from locally-sourced raw materials that delivers outstanding appearance and application with new resin and dispersion technology.
The 175,000-square foot Global Innovation Center employs more than 200 engineers, scientists and technicians, and features synthesis, color, process technology and specialty coatings labs. Axalta’s Global Innovation Center serves as the central hub for Axalta’s global network of technology centers, which are focused on innovative research, product development and technology initiatives that benefit Axalta’s customers.
“Innovation is at the core of our business,” said Roop. “The innovations from this past year have been nothing short of impressive, and we look forward to continuing to introduce new, award-winning solutions that grow our customers’ businesses. We are proud to be an active company in the Navy Yard and plan to continue innovating for the world from right here in Philadelphia.”
