BASF Spain opens new technology center for automotive coatings
The Technology Competence Center (Guadalajara) was officially opened at BASF Spain's Marchamalo site on June 14, 2023. The facility, which cost around 14 million euros, will be used to research and replicate painting processes used by all vehicle manufacturers.
At BASF's new technology center in Spain, the coating processes of all vehicle manufacturers are researched and replicated. The different individual factors of each production line are taken into account, such as temperature, humidity or coating technology, which have a significant influence on the application process at the end customer. In line with Industrie 4.0, the plants are digitally connected to internal process management and control systems and share digital networks with other BASF Group sites worldwide. This Technology Competence Center provides services to more than 100 automotive plants in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as manufacturers of plastic add-on parts for vehicles. The construction of these facilities has acted as a catalyst for the relocation of solventborne basecoat production to Marchamalo. This was supported by the BASF Group's decision to officially declare the Marchamalo site a European strategic center for this technology. In addition, it was a challenge to build and install the new spray booths, while maintaining operations in the old booths without compromising the quality or capacity of the process in ongoing service to the end customer.
BASF has invested approximately 14 million euros in this facility. The equipment installed in this technology center includes state-of-the-art equipment, placing it among the world leaders in technology for coating processes for vehicles. Innovation and commitment to the customer were the fundamental basis for the construction of this center. With a clear focus on sustainability and environmental compatibility, BASF is building facilities with the highest energy efficiency and an optimal level of emission reduction. The production site in Marchamalo is of strategic importance for the Coatings division in Spain. It has belonged to BASF since 1982, with origins dating back to 1867. With an area of 310,000 m2 and approximately 550 employees, the site has three modern production facilities. Coatings are produced in two of these plants and resins in one. The facilities also include a training center for customer workshops in automotive refinishing and testing and development laboratories for high-tech products for the automotive industry.