A major capacity expansion has been completed at AkzoNobel’s powder coatings site in Como, Italy, which will help secure supply to customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Four new manufacturing lines are now operational following the €21 million project, two of them dedicated to automotive primers and two to architectural coatings. AkzoNobel said new bonding equipment lines have also been added, ensuring products “meet and exceed industry standards”.
“Increasing our capabilities in Como is a significant milestone, which supports our ambition to create safety of supply for our customers,” said Sanal Limoncuoglu, Commercial Director of AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings business in South and East Europe (S&EE) and Middle East / Africa (MEA). “We’re now well equipped to serve all our customers in the EMEA region with highly efficient lines that are state-of-the-art in terms of consistency and quality.”
According to AkzoNobel, the extra capacity in Como was installed in a renovated building where powder coatings were originally made – a sustainable reuse of an existing part of the site, which was established in 1992.
The new lines also use recycled energy and are focused on meeting the “highest standards” in sustainable production, which the company said supports its ambition to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.
AkzoNobel’s Como site is the company’s largest plant for producing powder coatings. It supplies products for seven main market segments: automotive, home appliances, architecture, agriculture and construction machinery, trade coaters, furniture, and general industry.