Develops and manufactures coating and paint systems for automotive, industrial and electrical insulation applications.
Axalta Coating Systems Germany GmbH & Co. KG
Wuppertal (DE) · Basel (CH) · Philadelphia (US)New on Amplifa
About Axalta
Axalta Coating Systems is a global coatings company originating from the German company Herberts GmbH, founded in 1866, which initially painted carriages. Today, Axalta develops and manufactures paints and coating systems for three main segments: Refinish (automotive repair painting), Mobility (basecoats, clearcoats, primers, electrocoat and powder coatings for light- and commercial-vehicle OEMs) and Industrial (liquid, electrocoat and powder coatings for industrial components, oil and gas pipelines, agricultural and construction machinery, rail vehicles, structural steel, wood and sporting goods). The portfolio includes brands such as Standox, Spies Hecker, Cromax, Nap-Gard and Voltatex; from the 1960s onwards, the company introduced the industry's first water-based electrical steel coating. Axalta Coating Systems Germany GmbH & Co. KG in Wuppertal is responsible for E-Repair refinishing in EMEA; the EMEA region is based in Basel, and the corporate headquarters with the Global Innovation Center are in Philadelphia. The company employs around 13,000 people worldwide, operates in 130 countries and will merge with AkzoNobel in 2025 under the name Axanzo.
- Site
- Wuppertal
- Processes
- Refinish painting (Refinish) – surface preparation, undercoats, basecoats, clearcoats,, Basecoat and clearcoat coating for light- and commercial-vehicle OEM, Primer/electrocoat coating (Electrocoat), Powder coating, Liquid paint coating for industrial applications (industrial plant components,, Electrical insulation coating (Voltatex) for electric motors, Fast Cure Low Energy drying technology (low energy consumption during drying, up to 50 %, SRS – Structure Repair System (caravan/structural repair)
- Materials
- Electrical steel (waterborne electrical steel coating), Standox automotive paint, Cromax water-based paint, Nap-Gard powder coating for oil & gas pipelines, Voltatex electrical insulation varnish, Automotive refinish paints (Standox, Spies Hecker, Cromax), Vehicle OEM coatings, Powder coating for oil & gas pipelines
- Founded
- 1866
- Employees
- ~13,000 (worldwide)
- Industries
- Automotive refinish painting (Refinish), Automotive OEM (Light & Commercial Vehicle), Oil and gas (pipelines), Agricultural and construction machinery, Rail vehicles, Structural steel construction
- 01
Development of paint and coating chemistry (R&D)
- 02
Manufacture of liquid paints, powder coatings and electrocoat systems
- 03
Digital color management (Irus Scan, Irus Mix)
- 04
Sales and technical support via the brand portfolio
- 05
Training, education and business consulting
Products & Technologies
Automotive refinish paints (Standox, Spies Hecker, Cromax)
Systems from surface preparation through undercoats and basecoats to clearcoat with digital color formulation.
Vehicle OEM coatings
Basecoats and clearcoats for color and appearance as well as primers, electrocoat and powder applications for surface protection.
Powder coating for oil & gas pipelines
Protective coating for oil and gas industry pipelines.
Electrical insulation varnish
Insulation coating for electric motors and electrical steel, including e-mobility applications.
Fast Cure Low Energy technology
Patented drying technology that reduces energy consumption and shortens process times by up to 50 %.
Locations
Wuppertal
DEGerman branch (Refinish EMEA)
- Materials
- Refinish paints
Basel
CHEMEA Region Headquarters
Philadelphia
USCorporate Headquarters / Global Innovation Center (R&D)
Products & Applications
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refinish painting (Refinish) – surface preparation, undercoats, basecoats, clearcoats,Surface | – | – | – | – | Automotive paints |
| Basecoat and clearcoat coating for light- and commercial-vehicle OEMSurface | – | – | – | – | Vehicle paints |
| Primer/electrocoat coating (Electrocoat)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Powder coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Liquid paint coating for industrial applications (industrial plant components,Surface | – | – | – | – | Electrical steel (waterborne electrical steel coating), Oil and gas pipelines (Nap-Gard powder coating), Structural steel |
| Electrical insulation coating (Voltatex) for electric motorsSurface | – | – | – | – | Electrical steel, Insulating materials |
| Fast Cure Low Energy drying technology (low energy consumption during drying, up to 50 %Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| SRS – Structure Repair System (caravan/structural repair)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Color management / color formulation (Color Matching, digital color determination)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color scan device | Axalta Irus Scan | – | – | – | – |
| Color mixing system (digital) | Axalta Irus Mix | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1866
Origin as the German company Herberts GmbH, which painted carriages
- 1920
Development of a fast-drying, multi-color paint line for automotive painting
- 1953
Predecessor DuPont publishes the first annual Color Popularity Report
- 1955
Introduction of the automotive brand Standox under Kurt Herberts
- 1999
Merger of Herberts with DuPont Automotive Finishes to form DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC)
- 2013
Acquisition of DPC by The Carlyle Group; founding/rebranding as Axalta Coating Systems
- 2014
IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: AXTA) in November
- 2015
Berkshire Hathaway invests USD 560 million; partnership with Shanghai Kinlita Chemical in China
- 2017
AkzoNobel approaches for a possible merger; takeover attempt by Nippon Paint fails
- 2018
Opening of the Global Innovation Center at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (largest paint R&D center in the world)
- 2021
Acquisition of U-POL (fillers, coatings, aerosols) from Graphite Capital
- 2025
Announcement of the merger with AkzoNobel; joint name 'Axanzo'