News

Sep 21, 2022 11:00

Smarter equipment investment for bodyshops with Drivus Financial Services

Drivus is once again revolutionising the automotive refinish market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with its newly launched Financial Services. By simplifying the equipment leasing process, Drivus Financial Services allows bodyshops to stay up-to-date with the most recent technology, offering easy access to equipment upgrades, which will deliver increased efficiency and provide a strong competitive advantage.

Sep 20, 2022 06:44

New Spies Hecker Permacron Matt Clear System makes matt finishes as easy as one plus one

Spies Hecker introduces its new Permacron® Matt Clear System, comprising two products: Permacron Matt System Clear Coat 8185 and Permacron Semi-Gloss System Clear Coat 8170. Formulated specifically for use as part of the Permahyd® 280/285 Base Coat and Permahyd Hi-TEC Base Coat 480 Systems, as well as Permacron Base Coat 293/295 or original paintwork, these mix together to deliver high-quality OEM matt finishes, of all gloss levels, more quickly and easily than ever before.

Aug 22, 2022 06:05

Axalta Refinish FCLE reduces energy cost and carbon footprint

The energy crisis, called by some the most extreme that has ever occurred in Europe , is worsening. Businesses are facing the double hit of spiralling costs and increasing inflation on top of energy costs that are extraordinarily high - and rising. Controlling costs is now top of most businesses’ agendas, and bodyshops are no different, particularly as they utilise energy to carry out their daily work.

Aug 22, 2022 04:20

Axalta Refinish unveils new branded websites

Axalta Refinish has unveiled three new websites for its premium refinish brands – Cromax, Spies Hecker and Standox – that cater specifically for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The sites, which went live on 17 August 2022, offer visitors modern, clean homepages and page content with an enhanced and complete browsing experience.

Jun 16, 2022 07:44

Axalta Refinish showcases its drive for innovation at IBIS Global Summit 2022 in Monaco

Axalta Refinish is one of the Platinum Partners at the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) Global Summit 2022 in Monaco, taking place between 15 and 17 June 2022. Axalta Refinish is showcasing a number of its most recent ground-breaking firsts to a global audience of leaders and innovators in the automotive collision repair industry.

Jan 31, 2022 05:46

Axalta Refinish’s new electric vehicle repair package helps bodyshops to operate safely

Axalta Refinish has introduced another first to the EMEA market - a new electric vehicle (EV) repair package, which supports refinishers and bodyshops with the repairs of EV vehicles. Sales of electric cars are accelerating – one in 10 new cars in 2021 has been powered by a battery[i] - and refinishers and bodyshops need to be prepared to handle an increasing volume of EVs safely and efficiently.

Jan 14, 2022 02:53

Axalta extends automotive colour leadership with the 69th Global Automotive Color Popularity Report

Axalta released its 69th annual Global Automotive Color Popularity Report revealing most cars on today’s roads are white (35%), black (19%) and grey (19%). Grey increased by four percentage points worldwide. The results of Axalta’s Global Automotive Color Popularity Report are tabulated on Axalta’s analysis of 2021 automotive build data in major markets and are an indicator of current market trends.

Dec 06, 2021 06:57

Drivus offers personalised consultancy service with Bodyshop Optimizer launch

Bodyshop Optimizer is the latest offering from Drivus, a brand delivering business services for the automotive refinish market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), from Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings. The new personalised consultancy service focuses on a bodyshop’s finances with the aim to boost the bottom line.

Oct 07, 2021 06:32

Axalta’s industry-leading technology solves colour matching problems

Colour assessment and matching are two important process steps for every bodyshop; it’s easy to get wrong if the colour match is done by eye due to the subjective nature of colour. And factoring in that globally 8% of men are colour-blind[1], the risks of poor matches for bodyshops increases even further.

Aug 12, 2021 10:33

Spies Hecker offers practical advice on how to avoid defects in clear coats

Support from technical specialist helps refinishers avoid pinholes and other small surface defects. Spies Hecker, one of the premium refinish paint brands of Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, knows that even a seasoned refinisher can sometimes run into issues with tiny defects such as pinholes appearing in the clear coat

Jun 22, 2021 10:20

Axalta unveils the refinish industry’s first fully automated colour mixing process via Daisy Wheel 3.0

Axalta today announced it will make available pre-filled bottles of basecoat from its industry leading premium refinish brands for Fillon Technologies’ new Daisy Wheel 3.0, enabling fully automated colour mixing for the first time. Combined with Axalta’s cloud-based Digital Colour Management, bodyshops across EMEA will have access to the fastest and most productive paint process available.

May 04, 2021 10:15

New Spies Hecker Permahyd 280/285 mixing tint

Spies Hecker is expanding its Permahyd® 280/285 mixing tint portfolio to include WB 810 Brilliant Magenta Red. The colour formulas using the new mixing tint are now available in the Phoenix colour software.

Apr 13, 2021 10:11

Fix Network World names Axalta as Preferred Global Paint Partner

Over 700 collision shops aligned with Fix Network World in 12 countries set to benefit from five-year partnership agreement. Axalta has signed an five-year global partnership agreement with Fix Network World, one of the biggest collision repair franchise networks globally.

Feb 25, 2021 09:56

New Video-TEC video: Spies Hecker’s repair solution for deep reds with tinted clear coats

Highly chromatic blues and deep, lively and very intense reds are currently very much on trend for new cars. Spies Hecker, a global refinish paint brand from Axalta, has developed a process to achieve an invisible repair of these sophisticated colours using tinted clear coats. In the latest Video-TEC video, International Training Leader for Axalta’s Refinish business, Tony Mitchell, gives practical and easy-to-implement tips.

Jan 27, 2021 09:50

Spies Hecker gives contemporary artwork a cosmic look

For his first large outdoor artwork, established American contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua used Spies Hecker to achieve a visually striking, high-quality and durable finish. Solar Radiance is the first large-scale outdoor artwork by contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua, who is based in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Jan 27, 2021 09:45

Spies Hecker introduces new Brilliant Blue mixing tint

Blue is the most popular chromatic colour on new cars. Spies Hecker launches a new mixing tint to reproduce certain shades of blue perfectly. Colours are never just colours - each one stands for something and triggers associations in those who look at it. Blue, for example, is the colour of sky and sea, of distance and vastness; it also stands for values such as harmony, clarity and calm. Perhaps due to these positive associations, blue is a favourite among chromatic shades with new car buyers.

Jan 12, 2021 09:36

Announcing Axalta’s 2021 Global Automotive Color of the Year: ElectroLight

Axalta announced its 2021 Global Automotive Color of the Year – ElectroLight. ElectroLight is an expressively refreshing green-yellow hue with inspired bold, contemporary flavours that echo style, energy and flair. The unique personality of ElectroLight evokes a blend of sporty design elements with functional performance and offers great versatility when combined with two-tone charcoal colour accents or matte finishes on a variety of mobility solutions.

Dec 14, 2020 09:24

Axalta pays homage to its strong motorsport heritage with 2021 wall calendar

Axalta sets pulses of motorsport fans racing with the unveiling of its 2021 wall calendar - Brilliantly Fast - created by the Refinish business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). It celebrates student racing and is a fitting tribute to those professional motorsports teams that have achieved unparalleled success in 2020.

Jul 03, 2020 09:16

Spies Hecker tips Mazda Machine Grey three-stage finish

The popular Mazda colour Machine Grey is applied using a cutting-edge robotic painting technology called Takuminuri, which makes the repair of this three-stage colour particularly demanding. Evgeny Khmelev, Head of Training for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Spies Hecker, gives practical tips for repairing it with the Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC 480 Base Coat system

May 21, 2020 09:12

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s new livery and new colour

With the 2020 Formula OneTM season on hold, Spies Hecker takes the opportunity to look in-depth at the Team’s livery, and the work that goes in to applying it. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is the reigning FIA Formula OneTM Constructors’ Champion, having cinched a world record sixth consecutive title at the end of the 2019 season.

May 05, 2020 09:08

The sporty eRod Fun from Kyburz with Sea Glass finish

The successful cooperation between the Swiss electric car manufacturer Kyburz Switzerland AG and Spies Hecker will continue in 2020. Kyburz's exhibition vehicle received its design livery for the Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva at the Spies Hecker paint center Campus 105 in Pratteln and should have been presented on March 3.

Apr 24, 2020 09:02

Mercedes-Benz AG Approves Spies Hecker Until 2023

Mercedes-Benz AG has renewed its approval of Spies Hecker, one of the global refinish brands of Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings. Effective 1 April 2020, Spies Hecker is once again approved for use across the Mercedes-Benz network in 4 European countries, until 31 March 2023.

Apr 20, 2020 08:57

Five steps every bodyshop can take to improve their environmental sustainability

Spies Hecker is committed to supporting bodyshops in their efforts to think green and to reduce their energy consumption. Spies Hecker Brand Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Joachim Hinz, addresses the importance of sustainability and offers guidance on what bodyshops can do to improve their environmental sustainability.

Mar 19, 2020 08:55

Tactically clever: the new Speed-TEC Clear Coat 8810

Permasolid® Speed-TEC Clear Coat 8810 from Spies Hecker dries particularly quickly at low room temperatures and offers bodyshops a tactical solution for a higher throughput as well as the ability to reduce operating costs and to generate additional business.

Feb 21, 2020 07:38

Understandable, clear, simple: new Spies Hecker product label design

Spies Hecker has refreshed its product label design, and they are clear and user-friendly. "A good product label shows exactly what is in the tin and displays clearly all the information the refinisher needs – nothing more or less complicated than that," says Joachim Hinz, Brand Manager for Spies Hecker in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.