Award for sustainable overspray-free two-tone paintwork

An innovation prize was awarded to BASF Coatings, Dürr and Renault for a process for two-tone vehicle painting. This allows two colors to be applied overspray-free in a single pass for series production.

BASF Coatings, together with the Renault Group and Dürr, has set a significant milestone for the future of automotive production: the Overspray-Free Application process (OFLA), also known as "Jetprint" at Renault. For this joint innovation, the project was awarded the "Trophée de l'Industrie s'engage 2025" in the "Innovative Process" category at the "L'industrie s'engage par l'Usine Nouvelle" event in June 2025. The process represents a technological revolution in sustainable paint application, significantly reduces process costs and throughput times for vehicle manufacturers - and at the same time reduces the environmental impact.

The OFLA process was successfully implemented at the Renault plant in Maubeuge. It enables a new type of integrated wet-on-wet application in which two color shades are applied in a single pass for series production. BASF Coatings supplied a specially developed basecoat technology for this, which is optimally matched to the requirements of the OFLA process in terms of performance, precision and automation - with consistently high quality. The "EcoPaintJet Pro" applicator and robot automation from Dürr ensure precise, absolutely overspray-free painting, supported by precise sensor technology and coordinated software.

In the conventional two-tone painting process, vehicles have to pass through the painting line twice. This requires time-consuming manual masking work and the use of large quantities of protective materials - a time-consuming and resource-intensive process with high levels of waste and energy consumption. OFLA is revolutionizing this process with a fog-free and overspray-free high-precision application method inspired by digital printing technology. It enables paints to be applied with pinpoint accuracy - for example as a contrast on roofs or A to C pillars - without any overspray. The process makes masking materials superfluous and opens up new capacities for car manufacturers for two-tone paintwork through fully automated processes.

"From BASF Coatings' point of view, OFLA is a milestone in the combination of sustainability and industrial performance. The process stands for value-oriented efficiency that supports both ecological objectives and economic requirements of our customers," explains Rachel Choo, Vice President Global Marketing Automotive OEM Coatings at BASF. "Compared to conventional spray applications with masking, OFLA offers measurable ecological and economic benefits: 100% paint transfer, up to 70% lower process costs, 1.6 kg less waste per vehicle due to the elimination of masking materials. Energy consumption is reduced by up to 80%, as are CO₂-equivalent emissions," adds Steffen Rohlmann, Project Manager in the Global Development Basecoat Team at BASF Coatings.

This award-winning collaboration between BASF Coatings and its partners is an impressive demonstration of how joint innovation can shape the paint shops of the future and drive the sustainable transformation of the automotive industry. It also underlines the pioneering role of European manufacturers in defining new standards in efficiency and environmental responsibility. OFLA not only offers more design freedom and greater production efficiency, but also sets new standards for sustainable production in the automotive industry. (OM-7/25)