4 September 2020 - The most innovative and productive solutions from Cromax, a premium global refinish brand of Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, include ChromaConnect and the Ultra Performance Energy System. They have both been developed specifically with its bodyshops in mind. The brand’s focus is on supplying time-, material- and energy-saving tools, which drive productivity by offering faster process times while reducing energy consumption. They give refinishers the ultimate flexibility and optimise workflow, resulting in increased bodyshop throughput.

Bilia, the largest Volvo dealer in southern Finland, has three branches, one of which is almost exclusively dedicated to damage repair. It has been a Cromax bodyshop for almost 30 years and has recently transformed its working practices thanks to these new Cromax innovations.

Digital Colour Management
Thomas Cool, Cromax Training and Technical Service Leader for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), says, “ChromaConnect offers refinishers complete mobility, which is a must for a busy bodyshop like Bilia. On any given day, Bilia can have up to 14 panel beaters and nine painters at work and with a weekly throughput of over 100 cars in busy periods, it’s imperative everyone is able do their job without any hold ups.”

ChromaConnect, an advanced digital colour management system, gives bodyshops the ultimate freedom of completely wireless, digital processes for everything from colour matching to colour mixing. This cloud-based approach offers refinishers complete control over every aspect of colour management by networking Wi-Fi enabled devices - including wireless scales and wireless printers – as well as the most advanced spectrophotometer from Cromax, ChromaVision Pro Mini, and ChromaWeb, the Cromax comprehensive cloud-based colour retrieval software.

ChromaConnect is available in three different packages. ChromaConnect Pro is the full digital colour management solution that uses ChromaVision Pro Mini and doesn’t require a PC. ChromaConnect Plus uses a combination of Wi-Fi and cable connection with a tablet or PC, and ChromaConnect Basic uses the spectrophotometer and the cloud-based formula database.

For Bilia, the building layout and bodyshop set-up created major conflict zones – something not easily fixable. Refinishers often wasted time walking between the different bodyshop locations or queuing for the scales in the mixing room. However, thanks to the addition of mobile workstations and ChromaConnect Pro, mixing room waiting time has been eliminated and unnecessary refinisher movement has been reduced to a minimum.

Niko Lindholm, a Bilia refinisher, says, “ChromaConnect Pro has changed the way we work. The ChromaVision Pro Mini spectrophotometer is easy and straightforward to use and gives highly accurate results. And there is now much less downtime as I can use ChromaWeb on my mobile phone from anywhere in the bodyshop to send the paint formula directly to the scales in the mixing room. It’s a much smoother and more efficient process.”

The Ultra Performance Energy System
Using revolutionary Axalta technology, the Ultra Performance Energy System gives bodyshops the opportunity to match their workload to the right products. By finding the balance between speed and energy use, refinishers ensure outstanding results. With the inclusion of the new CC6750 Ultra Performance Energy System Clear, the system is the ideal choice for bodyshops, like Bilia, where high productivity and fast process times are required.

The Ultra Performance Energy System comprises: PS1800 Metal Pretreatment Wipes; PS1081, PS1084 and PS1087 Ultra Performance Energy Surfacers; the NS2081, NS2084 and NS2087 Ultra Performance Non-Sanding Surfacers; Cromax Pro Basecoat; and the new CC6750 Ultra Performance Energy System Clear.

When Bilia started using the system, they immediately reaped the benefits. “We have the ultimate flexibility with the Ultra Performance Energy System. We choose short drying times when we are busy or take advantage of the air-drying properties when we are less busy. But the biggest benefit for us are the Ultra Performance Surfacers. We used to apply the surfacer at the end of the day to allow it to cure overnight but now we can apply them at any time as there is only a flash-off time of just five minutes. And the new CC6750 Ultra Performance Energy System Clear is truly incomparable to anything we’ve used before as we don’t need to activate the Cromax Pro Basecoat, which simplifies the process,” Lindholm says.

Cool concludes, “We’ve welcomed the opportunity to work closely with a bodyshop who has identified problem areas. In a short time we’ve easily addressed those issues with very real, value-added solutions. Not only have we transformed the way Bilia works, but also we’ve helped the team to maximise their productivity and increase its throughput – a win-win for any bodyshop.”

About Cromax

Cromax, a global refinish coating brand from Axalta, is designed to increase productivity. Our coatings are formulated specifically to optimise business with advanced time-, energy- and material-saving processes that increase throughput and lower operating costs. Our value-added solutions provide customers with the most advanced systems to get the best out of the entire workflow. And our smart tools, our people’s in-depth knowledge and our strong approved networks all make our bodyshop customers more attractive to work providers. Cromax - drive your productivity.