Expansions: Milliken advances coating additives lab in US; BASF expands automotive coatings centre in India

Materials firm Milliken & Company says it has made a significant investment in the coating additives laboratory it acquired in 2020 as part of its purchase of Borchers Americas, in Westlake, Ohio.

The acquired business was founded in 1807 as a chemical company but has since grown into a global provider of performance additives for the coatings, inks, and adhesives markets.

With the Westlake lab investment, the company now has three coating additives labs globally, with the others located in Langenfeld, Germany and Shanghai, China (which was also upgraded following the acquisition).

The newly transformed lab has an open concept with an energising workspace and upgraded equipment. Designed specifically for coating additives lab work, the space is organised to increase efficiency and collaboration while also providing a safe and comfortable working environment. “We are thrilled with the improvements made in the lab,” said Loulou Rozek, who leads the global technical service team at the facility. “It’s exciting to see that Milliken is investing in both the business and associates by improving the workspace.”

A priority of the remodel was creating an ergonomic work environment that provides a positive, safe atmosphere.

The coating additives team is used to working with colourful paints and wanted a bright, energizing space, selecting vibrant purple, green and orange accent colours to promote creativity. In addition to workspace redesign, Milliken invested heavily in lab and test equipment along with expanding the team.

The team began working in the upgraded lab in March and is now welcoming customers to schedule tours, demonstrations, and trainings.

In the future, Milliken plans to further expand their coating additives labs into other regions such as India and Brazil.

In other news, German chemical firm BASF has expanded its Automotive Coatings Application Centre at the Coatings Technology Centre in Mangalore, India. As an integral part of BASF’s existing research and development (R&D) facilities for automotive coatings solutions, the automotive coatings application centre covers over 400 sq m of floor area and is equipped with equipment, such as high precision climate-controlled spray booth and electrostatic rotary bell applicators, and advanced quick connection system for electrostatic applications. The facility is meticulously designed to enable customer-oriented R&D activities coupled by accurate simulation of OEM paint shops.

“The expansion of the application centre is an important addition to serve the Indian market with high-quality coatings solutions. It symbolises our strong commitment to supporting the automotive industry’s long-term growth in India,” said Narayan Krishnamohan, Managing Director, BASF India Ltd. and Head, BASF Group Companies in India.

“This investment is a significant milestone in our effort to further strengthen our R&D footprint in Asia Pacific, as well as improve our proximity to customers in one of the fastest growing regions for our automotive coatings solutions,” said Patrick Zhao, Senior Vice President, BASF Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific. “With the expanded automotive coatings application centre, we aim to not only continue our investment in OEM coatings in India, but to also support long-term growth in the automotive market in the region going forward.”

BASF also operates Automotive Coatings Application Centres in Shanghai, China, Totsuka, Japan, and Bangpoo, Thailand, in Asia Pacific.

Subscribe to Get the Latest Updates from IMA  Please click here