PPG recently opened its $2.1 million Milan, Italy, architectural paint and coatings color automation laboratory.
“The new paint color automation laboratory will further strengthen our leadership in color and reflects our goal of providing innovative solutions to address our customers’ needs,” Rita Di Leo, PPG color application engineering manager for Milan, said. “It allows an increased number of products, improved paint color accuracy, and faster time to market for new color collections.”
The facility will provide up to 100,000 paint color matches annually, increasing its time to develop paint color formulations. The facility also will provide master paint color formulations for new colors and existing colors when they are reformulated.
The facility includes two color matching automation lines for automotive refinish paints and coatings. The automated system will dispense colorants and base paint samples without manual inputs and mix, apply, and measures them.
It also will include a design and color showroom for powder coatings.
The facility will serve as PPG’s European hub for product development and a global center of excellence for color-hosting laboratories for paints and coatings used by the architectural, automotive refinish, industrial, and packaging markets.
PPG operates in more than 75 countries.