International. BASF's coatings division has won the iF Design Award in the "Automobiles/Vehicles" category, for its functional paint technology for passive temperature management. The iF Design Award jury honoured the specific properties of the paint system and its design potential for the mobility of the future: a successful combination of functionality and design. The award was presented during the iF Design Awards Night at "BMW Welt" in Munich.
The functionality of paints is playing an increasingly important role in the field of OEM coatings for automobiles. Due to a special formulation, BASF's new temperature management system not only provides protection and creates a high-level finish for vehicles, but also ensures additional comfort and increased efficiency.
The paint system uses a base layer, which is transparent to high-energy near-infrared (NIR) radiation and a NIR reflective charge. In this combination, the paint reduces the surface temperature of the vehicle by up to 20 ° C on hot summer days, which has a positive effect on the temperature inside the vehicle. This means that the air conditioning system is used less to control the temperature in the car. "Factors such as A/C regulation have a huge impact on a vehicle's range, particularly in the field of electromobility. Our technology reduces energy consumption and thus optimises vehicle efficiency," explained Stephan Schwarte, Head of Innovative Pigments, Dispersions and Colours EMEA at BASF.
In addition to functionality, the jury of the iF Design Award also earned the design potential of the painting technology. "The colours and special effects offer car manufacturers the opportunity to accentuate the shape of the vehicle and give the model its unique character. Our temperature management system covers a wide spectrum of colours incorporating light and dark colours, without compromising product quality," said Mark Gutjahr, Head of Automotive Color Design EMEA at BASF.
