The Surface Treatment global business unit of BASF’s Coatings division, operating under the Chemetall brand, celebrated the opening of its new Global Aluminum Competence Center in Giussano, Italy. The state-of-the-art facility will strengthen Chemetall’s position as a global supplier of solutions for the surface treatment of aluminum substrates.
Chemetall established the Aluminum Competence Center to consolidate its comprehensive competencies in aluminum surface treatment in one location. After intensive analyses of existing capacities, development priorities, as well as customer and market requirements, Chemetall identified the existing site in Giussano as the optimal choice. By centralizing research and development activities for aluminum, Chemetall positions itself to develop technologies faster and more efficiently, leading to transformative innovations in the fields of anodizing and pretreatment of this special substrate.
“The new global Aluminum Competence Center will allow us to bring new surface treatment solutions to the market faster. The centralization of our research and development activities for aluminum will result in pioneering technologies that solve the challenges of our global customers, provide solutions for their needs and most of all deliver long-lasting sustainable value,” says Frank Naber, Senior Vice President of Chemetall.
“The Aluminum Competence Center at our Giussano site is a strategically important step towards further expanding our technological leadership. As a lightweight metal with high availability, aluminum plays an important role in architectural, aerospace, and automotive construction. Aluminum is normally used in alloys because pure aluminum has different mechanical properties compared to materials like steel. Depending on the specific alloy, not only do the mechanical properties change, but also the chemical and corrosion characteristics of aluminum. This presents chemical challenges for pretreatment solutions. Our new technology center will enable us to better manage the complexity of this material and empower our team to set new standards in the industry,” says Arjan Termaten, Director & Head of Global Technology at Chemetall.
“We are very proud to play a key role in the research and development for our global aluminum business in Giussano. Our team has great expertise in development and application technologies and has achieved remarkable success in areas such as neutral cleaners and plastic recycling. In close collaboration with our global technology teams and through partnerships with universities and research communities we will provide new, innovative technologies for the aluminum market,” explains Daniela Polzot, Managing Director of Chemetall Italy.
Chemetall is a global provider of surface treatment solutions with a comprehensive product range of advanced pretreatment solutions like the chrome-free thin-film Oxsilan® AL0510 and anodizing technologies like nickel-free medium temperature sealing Gardoseal® 1999 for the aluminum industry. In Italy, more than 70 Chemetall employees, including 15 technology experts, contribute to providing surface treatment solutions for a broad range of industries to the market. The new Global Aluminum Competence Center meets the strict quality requirements QUALICOAT, GSB and QUALANOD of the aluminum finishing industry.
Source: BASF