PPG opens architectural paints and coatings colour automation laboratory in Milan

PPG has announced the opening of a new architectural paint and coatings colour automation laboratory in Milan, Italy. The US$2.1M (€2M) facility will significantly increase the speed of developing paint colour formulations.

The facility will provide up to 100,000 paint colour matches annually, providing master paint colour formulations for new colours and existing colours when they are reformulated. The laboratory’s automated system dispenses colorants and base paint samples, mixes them, applies them and measures them, without manual inputs.

"The new paint colour automation laboratory will further strengthen our leadership in colour and reflects our goal of providing innovative solutions to address our customers’ needs,” said Rita Di Leo, PPG Color Application Engineering Manager, Milan. "It allows an increased number of products, improved paint colour accuracy and faster time to market for new colour collections.”

The Milan facility is a European hub for PPG product development and a global centre of excellence for colour hosting laboratories for paints and coatings for the automotive refinish, architectural, packaging and industrial markets. This includes two colour matching automation lines for automotive refinish paints and coatings, and a new research and development facility for powder coatings that includes a design and colour showroom.

"The investment in our Milan facility demonstrates our long-term commitment to enhance our research capabilities to better serve our customers,” said Parag Akre, Global Color Director, Architectural Coatings. "It makes the site a true centre of excellence for paint colour and gives an increased opportunity for collaboration with our research colleagues at the Milan site as One PPG.”