PPG announced it has inaugurated a center of excellence at its Quattordio, Italy, site that will increase the efficiency of automotive color development and application. The $2.6 million (2.3 million euros) investment combines color development and application in a single process, reducing the lead time to bring new colors to market, optimizing costs and maximizing color performance, according to PPG.
The facility is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) tools that will be used in the color development and quality control processes. These include a statistical and machine learning tool that can reduce the number of color adjustment steps, reducing costs and overall cycle time during the development of basecoats and colored products, PPG says.
“With this new facility, PPG will elevate its color development to a new level, utilizing digital tools to simplify and modernize the processes,” said Federico Menta, PPG global director, decorative business, Automotive Coatings. “It is also a critical enabler to fulfill our customer expectations in terms of speed, accuracy and quality.”
Quattordio is a key production site and innovation hub for PPG’s Automotive Coatings in Europe. It also has a styling center, which is used to support the study and development of new automotive colors.
