Axalta demonstrated its new, fully automated hands-free mixing machine on the sidelines of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, ahead of the next stage of its global rollout – North America.
The company said the Irus Mix optimises body shop labour time by allowing refinishers to perform other key tasks while paint is mixed, such as painting or preparing another vehicle, or cleaning equipment. According to James Muse, Vice President Of Global Sales at Axalta Refinish, the Irus Mix can even be used to address the technician shortage.
Using Axalta’s bottle system, the Irus Mix also reduces paint wastage as it eliminates the need to manually refill or decant product – the machine automatically delivers the right amount of paint that is sized according to usage and fitted with precise dosing lids. In addition to delivering accurate colour, Muse said the system eliminates overpours and other mistakes that may result from manual mixing.
All of Axalta’s premium basecoat systems – Standox Standoblue, Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC, and Cromax Pro – are available in the new bottling system used with the Irus Mix.
“At Axalta, innovation is central to our business,” said Troy Weaver, Senior Vice President Global Refinish. “We constantly look for ways to help our customers to do business better, enabling them to work as efficiently as possible and to maximise their profitability.”
According to Axalta, a typical body shop completes five paint mixes per day, spending an average of 10 minutes per mix.
“That’s 208 hours a year, or three-plus weeks of time you’re not paid for,” said Muse. “Time is money – your painter should be painting, not mixing.”
In addition to saving labour time, Muse demonstrated a system mix that took around four minutes and 43 seconds to dispense into a cup, ready for use in the spray booth.
The Irus Mix was introduced in Europe halfway through this year. It will be made available to North American collision repairers in 2024, with other regions expected to follow.