Axalta Coating Systems supports STEM initiatives through collaboration with Academic Motorsports Association of Zurich (AMZ)

Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, is collaborating closely with the racing team of Academic Motorsports Association of Zurich (AMZ) in Switzerland.

AMZ was founded in 2006 by students of ETH Zurich, the city’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) university and one of the top ten universities in the world.

Since it was established, AMZ Racing has produced a prototype every year to compete in Formula Student competitions throughout Europe.

Formula Student is an internationally recognised motorsports competition specifically developed for students from universities around the world.

In 2010, AMZ, the first Swiss team in Formula Student, moved to the eRacing series, which focuses on electric-powered racing cars.

The 2018 AMZ eRacing car, called eiger after the infamous Swiss mountain, was prepared by the students at Axalta’s Training Centre in Pratteln, Switzerland, and painted by Axalta technicians.

The carbon fibre reinforced plastic chassis is coated with products from Cromax®, one of Axalta’s three premium global refinish brands.

The eiger sports Axalta’s 2018 Automotive Color of the Year StarLite – a white pearl colour – and also a special red pearl effect colour, to match the impressive impact delivered by StarLite.

The eiger is also ensuring its reliability thanks to a wire enamel from Axalta’s Energy Solutions business that is essential for electrical insulation in electrical motors, generators and transformers.

Wire enamels are generally applied to copper and aluminium wires in up to 30 layers, cured by heat, which provides electrical insulation and helps the windings from short-circuiting.

The wire enamel is being supplied to the team via the Elektrisola Group, a worldwide leading producer of fine and ultrafine enamelled copper wire – winding wire – that supplies customers all over the world from factories in Europe, American and Asia.

Nirushan Arumugam, CEO of AMZ Racing and an engineering student, says, "AMZ offers us the opportunity to put our theoretical knowledge into practice in a highly-complex engineering environment.

"During this process we gather experience in the fields of leadership, innovation, and most importantly, teamwork.

"We also had a lot of fun and enjoyed the very positive and encouraging atmosphere the Axalta technicians generated.”

Linda Van Calster, Corporate Affairs Manager for Axalta in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says, "Supporting the AMZ Racing team, which is made up of 65 students, is part of a worldwide effort by Axalta to help students who seek to innovate and to apply their skills in developing new technical, scientific and engineering solutions.

"It is just one of the many ways Axalta promotes the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

"STEM is vital to everything Axalta does because we are a technology-based organisation that creates durable and beautiful coatings for our customers.”

The eiger was unveiled on 14 May 2018 in Dietikon, Switzerland, and will enter various Formula Student races through the season, which runs from July 2018.