Charlie’s Paint and Body based in Searcy, Ark., has transitioned its shop to waterborne basecoats in anticipation of new air quality regulations. The body shop is now using the AWX Waterborne Basecoat System from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corporation (SWAFC), said Ed Covington, Charlie’s general manager.

“We are very pleased to switch to this new coating system and will continue to give our customers superior results for their collision repairs as well as help to improve our air quality,” Covington said. “We didn’t switch because we had to, but we feel this is better for the environment, so it’s a win-win situation.”
 
The AWX waterborne basecoat system uses a proprietary resin technology that allows it to behave like a solventborne system. The line offers up to a 96 percent decrease in VOC emissions compared to other solventborne coatings.

“With our conversion to waterborne coatings, we’ve seen a faster product and even better color matching,” Covington added.

For more information, visit www.sherwin-automotive.com/lowvoc.