Current color trends and new painting concepts for the paint line and bodyshops: 120 plant paint line and process engineering responsibles of the Volkswagen Group with its VW, Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands came together at the Spies Hecker Center.
 
In mid-September, all eyes at the Spies Hecker Center were focused on painting at the Volkswagen Group. Focus of the 7^th VW World Meeting was on cost-effective paint line processes, innovative, pigmented clear coat systems, global color trends and the use of renewable resources in paint production. The experts and technicians also discussed the use of new refinish systems such as UV-technology for the repair of minor damage.
“We maintain a lively exchange of information with the automotive industry on current technical trends in OEM finishes,” stresses Spies Hecker Brand Manager Thomas Melzer. “This dialogue enables us to further develop Spies Hecker product systems for car refinishing. We can thus offer our customers advanced repair solutions geared to current trends on the production line.” In doing so, the Cologne paint manufacturer also engages in close cooperation with its parent company DuPont, one of the world’s leading producers of automotive series paints. “We know today what will be repaired tomorrow and how,” Thomas Melzer adds.
 
Color trends for the bodyshop
An important aspect of the VW conference was future trends in automotive colors. Last year, silver (20 per cent) was replaced by black. 26 per cent of all vehicles on Europe’s roads today are painted in a variety of black effects. And the trend continues. Grey at 18 per cent is also strongly represented in the leading group. Colors like blue, white and red have been increasingly popular with motorists in the last few years. New effects and iridescent colors are gaining growing prominence.
“This trend towards more effects shows that the precise matching of color shades is all-important in refinishing today,” Thomas Melzer explains. “We shall therefore rely to an ever greater extent in future on digital color analysis including efficient effect-tools and support bodyshops with current color information on new OEM finishes.”
The Volkswagen World Meeting at the Spies Hecker Center in Cologne clearly shows that, when it comes to color trends and technologies, series production paintwork will continue to set the mark for the refinishing sector.