One of the automotive industry’s first hydrogen-powered spray booths has been installed at a new training centre in Belgium.
Located near Brussels, the groundbreaking facility is part of a multi-million euro program to expand and upgrade the company’s network of more than 40 Automotive Training Centers (ATCs), which are located across the globe.
Designed to go beyond local and legislative requirements, the new spray booth highlights how embracing the latest technologies can contribute to more sustainable operations.
The site is 30 per cent larger than the one it’s replacing and has been constructed to be BREEAM certified. This demonstrates AkzoNobel’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the full value chain by 2030.
Director of the AkzoNobel’s Automotive and Specialty Coatings business, Patrick Bourguignon outlined how the future of the industry requires painters to have the latest technologies and techniques.
“By increasing the size of our Belgian facility by almost a third, we can accommodate more technology – such as the new spray booth – and train more people,” Bourguignon says.
“We’ll be able to show bodyshop personnel how the latest technologies can reduce carbon emissions, lower drying times and consume less energy, helping to drive the industry in a more sustainable direction.”
The spray booth
The hydrogen-powered combi spray booth is fully equipped for traditional repairs and includes an all-in-one repairs workstation. It also has a special air filtration system which uses “active carbon” to filter any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated during the painting process. An extra HEPA air filtration produces clean air (up to 99 per cent), which is filtered back out into the atmosphere.
A wide range of training programs is offered by the ATCs, including application training, product and system training, and training in new digital colour processes. There’s a particular emphasis on quality improvement, process improvement and repairs to radar capable vehicles, as well as the new generation of electric vehicles.
“By further upskilling painters, bodyshop managers and OEM engineers on a new generation of coatings and technologies, we can help them improve operational efficiency and reduce their own carbon emissions,” Bourguignon says.
“The investments we’re making in our ATCs will therefore address a growing global skills shortage, while also helping us set a new benchmark for sustainable practices in our industry.”