At Automechanika Chicago, April 24-26, Axalta worked with show attendees and customers to showcase its 145-year history, but also its brand flexibility, said Laurie Kronenberg, strategic marketing director, North American Refinish with Axalta Coating Systems.
Axalta also launched of its Axalta Learning Campus, a place to sign up for virtual, eLearning and instructor-led training. Learn more here.
Axalta teamed up with Global Finishing Solutions on the show floor to offer three days of opportunity to spray the newest painting products, experience cutting edge booth capabilities and get hands-on training from leading industry instructors.
A Semi-Downdraft Ultra XD paint booth by GFS will feature 11 windows for visitors to watch two daily training presentations by Axalta instructors focused on waterborne and primer applications.
“Our stuff is so easy. What will stun attendees is the speed. What they need to get a grip on is what their throughput could look like if they are using a wet-on-wet system,” said Chris Edwards, application specialist with Axalta. “There is a different in application and a technique used when spraying wet on wet, but it pretty easy stuff to use.”
Attendees can then suit up and try spraying the paint lines themselves in GFS’ Ultra XD paint booth.
Standoblue paint in the Standox product line will be featured Friday, April 24; Saturday, April 25 will highlight Cromax Pro; and Sunday, April 26 Spies Hecker Hi Tec and Cromax Mosaic will be available to try.
Axalta instructors performed spot repairs and complete full panel paints on Ford F-150 aluminum fenders. Attendees suited up to try all the paint lines on mini hoods within the spray booth. Technicians also sampled UV primers and used a UV curing light.
3M provided sandpaper, masking tools and booth coverings for the demonstrations, while SATA and Anest Iwata have supplied spray guns.
Automechanika Chicago is produced jointly between Messe Frankfurt and UBM Advanstar Communications. The inaugural show will open its doors to more than 8,500 attendees and showcase a broad range of products from an expected 400+ exhibitors. In addition to the trade show, automotive technicians and shop owners will have the opportunity to attend the seminar program Automechanika Chicago presents Motor Age Training Live for in-depth management, service repair and collision repair education.
