Citation
(2004), "BASF Coatings wins Pace Award", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 51 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2004.12851eab.018
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
BASF Coatings wins Pace Award
BASF Coatings wins Pace Award
BASF Coatings has received the prestigious Pace Award for its innovative “ColorCARE” system. The Pace Award is presented annually to honor outstanding accomplishments by automobile industry suppliers. This year, the award for the category of Manufacturing Processes and Capital Equipment went to BASF Coatings. The main reason for the selection of BASF Coatings is that its ColorCARE system is being used by various leading automobile manufacturers. During the research phase, for example, two of the jurors went to Audi AG in Ingolstadt, Germany, and got a convincing first-hand look at the innovation's impressive performance. The ColorCARE system was developed at the BASF Coatings' site in Muenster, Germany. Using the latest software, the system is able to continuously monitor the colour match between the body and hang-on parts such as mirror housings, door handles or bumpers. The combined use of colour measurement instrumentation and analytical software produces statistical data that are displayed in the form of graphics and that reliably reveal deviations at an early point in the production process. Sending this information back to the paint suppliers as feedback allows the colour of the coating to be adjusted to meet customer needs, and it avoids the need for subsequent rework. These advantages, plus the elimination of interfaces, significantly reduce the total cost of the painting process. Because of the use of various substrates, coating technologies and application methods, testing to achieve consistent colour matching has become increasingly important in automotive coating.