BASF and Sheen Group have worked together to paint 260 fabricated panels for 26 Australian agent sites of European OEM INEOS Automotive. Completed using BASF’s premium refinish brand Glasurit, the panels were refinished in the colours available for the INEOS Grenadier, which will allow customers to choose a colour for their vehicle.
INEOS approved Glasurit for the production of Grenadiers, so Glasurit 90 Line waterborne basecoat system was chosen as the paint line for the panels. The painting of the panels took place at the Kangan Institute of TAFE’s Automotive Centre of Excellence campus at Docklands, Victoria, where the BASF Australia training team conducted Glasurit programmes with the Sheen Group apprentice network over the last year.
Sheen apprentices Justin MacGill and Vasilia Kyriacopoulos were selected by Sheen to complete the task under the guidance of Graeme Dunn, a Technical Sales Representative from BASF Australia.
“Thanks to Kangan, BASF, and INEOS for this great opportunity,” said Tony Todaro, Sheen Apprenticeship Manager. “Justin and Vasilia did an awesome job and represented themselves and Sheen Group to a very high standard.”
A new manufacturer in the Australian market, INEOS Automotive builds the Grenadier off road vehicle in a state-of-the-art factory in Hambach, Europe. The production facility, the size of six football fields, features more than 250 fully automated robots, allowing a Grenadier body to be created every five minutes.
“It is very exciting to welcome a new OEM into the market,” said Madeleine Van, Strategic Accounts at BASF Australia. “BASF have a unique opportunity to partner and grow together with INEOS.”
Justin Hocevar, Head of Region – APAC at INEOS Automotive, said: “When developing the Grenadier, INEOS Automotive selected best-in-class suppliers, and BASF is no exception. Our customers need an accurate sample of our range of colours to confidently make their choice, so we are proud that Sheen, Kangan, and BASF could combine to supply our new agent network in time for their 2023 opening.”