At the 2024 SURCAR Asia Conference, Nippon Paint and AVATAR, a global high-end direct driving brand of Changan Automobile, shared the successful application of Nippon Paint's new self-healing varnish solution TuffLac in the AVATR 011 global limited edition model, demonstrating the innovative value brought by high-performance coating technology to the exterior of automobiles.
Hu Xubin, R&D Manager of Automotive Coatings of Nippon Paint China IU Business Group, participated in the keynote speech
SURCAR is a global event for the automotive body coating industry, bringing together many world-class car manufacturers, coating suppliers and well-known research institutions. Nippon Paint is honored to be invited to participate in the conference and bring the results of innovative painting cooperation with AVATAR.
In order to meet the high-quality requirements of car companies, Hu Xubin, R&D Manager of Automotive Coatings of Nippon Paint China IU Business Group, said, "We have set strict standards at the beginning of product design, and are committed to improving the scratch resistance of the varnish while ensuring the appearance, high gloss and high durability of the paint surface, so as to create a more economical solution for customers." ”
The new TuffLac self-healing varnish solution brought by Nippon Paint has been proven to significantly reduce body scratches after comparing and analyzing the data of simulated car wash and dry scratch (crockmeter). At present, this solution has been successfully applied to AVATAR's co-branded limited edition emotional intelligent electric SUV - AVATR 011. The model was designed in a groundbreaking partnership with Matthew M. Williams, creative director of France luxury fashion brand Givenchy, and only 500 units were sold worldwide.
Nippon Paint TuffLac's new self-healing varnish solution was successfully applied to the AVATR 011 global limited edition model
In the process of research and development of self-healing varnish technology, Nippon Paint conducted several rounds of experiments on raw materials, and finally selected an acrylic resin as the main base material. The key to overcoming the difficulties of this material lies in the use of Nippon's self-developed CyGlaz technology.
Cyglaz is an ultra-branched polymer that provides excellent hardness and flexibility, increases the crosslinking density of the varnish film, reduces the application viscosity, reduces the shrinkage of the varnish film, and provides better leveling. In the coating process, clearcoats with CyGlaz technology are flexible and highly productive, compatible with a wide range of solvents and additives, faster curing and less heat loss.
Therefore, the varnish with this additive can effectively improve the appearance of the varnish itself while improving the durability of the coating. It can also help reduce the rate of scrap and defects, increase the durability and repair efficiency of products, and create higher economic and environmental value for car companies.
Up to now, Nippon Paint TuffLac's new self-healing varnish has passed a number of laboratory tests, including Mercedes standards and Ford standards, and its performance is better than conventional standards in all aspects. In the exposure test in Hainan, the gloss rate of Nippon Paint samples was less than 20% (20° mirror gloss method), which was far lower than the 30% required by the test, which is expected to meet the appearance needs of more mainstream car companies in practical applications.
As an automotive coatings manufacturer with the world's cutting-edge R&D strength and resources, Nippon Paint insists on building a collaborative and open innovation ecosystem. At present, Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings has five global R&D centers in Germany, France, United States, Japan and China, and is committed to providing high-quality and efficient coating solutions for global automotive industry customers. Over the years, Nippon Paint has launched a series of forward-looking and benchmark high-performance coating solutions, such as ultra-low temperature electrophoresis, thin film 2K varnish, and bio-based coatings, which have been widely recognized by automotive brands at home and abroad.