Chemetall Opens New Headquarters in Italy

BASF's Coatings division's Surface Treatment global business unit, operating under the Chemetall brand, celebrated the opening of a new Global Aluminium Competence Centre in Giussano, Italy. The state-of-the-art facility will strengthen Chemetall's position as a global supplier of surface treatment solutions for aluminium surfaces. Aluminium Competence Centre was established to consolidate Chemetall's comprehensive expertise in aluminium surface treatment in one location. Following intensive analysis of existing capacities, development priorities, and customer and market requirements, the existing Chemetall facility in Giussano was identified as the optimal choice. With the centralization of research and development activities for aluminium, Chemetall is positioned to develop surface treatment technologies faster and more efficiently.

"Enabling Us to Bring Surface Treatment Solutions to Market Faster"

Chemetall Senior Vice President Frank Naber stated: "The new global Aluminium Competence Centre will enable us to bring new surface treatment solutions to market faster. The centralization of our research and development activities for aluminium will result in leading technologies that solve the challenges of our global customers, provide solutions tailored to their needs, and most importantly, deliver long-term sustainable value." "A Strategically Important Step in Expanding Our Technological Leadership Further" Chemetall Global Technology Director and President Arjan Termaten said: "The Aluminium Competence Centre at our Giussano facility is a strategically important step in expanding our technological leadership further. Aluminium, a lightweight metal with high availability, plays an important role in architecture, aerospace and automotive manufacturing. Aluminium is normally used in alloy form because pure aluminium has different mechanical properties compared to materials like steel. Depending on the specific alloy, not only do mechanical properties change, but aluminium's chemical and corrosion properties also change. This creates chemical challenges for pre-treatment solutions. Our new technology centre will enable us to better manage the complexity of this material and will empower our team to set new standards in the industry."

Delivering Innovative Technologies for the Aluminium Market

Chemetall Italy General Manager Daniela Polzot stated: "We are proud to play a key role in research and development for our global aluminium business in Giussano. Our team, with great expertise in development and application technologies, has achieved significant successes in areas such as neutral cleaners and plastic recycling. Working closely with our global technology teams and through partnerships with universities and research communities, we will deliver new, innovative technologies for the aluminium market." Chemetall is a global surface treatment solutions provider with a comprehensive product range consisting of advanced pre-treatment solutions such as chromium-free thin-film Oxsilan® AL0510 and anodising technologies such as nickel-free mid-temperature sealing Gardoseal® 1999 for the aluminium industry. In Italy, more than 70 Chemetall employees, 15 of whom are technology specialists, contribute to providing surface treatment solutions to a broad range of industries in the market. The new Global Aluminium Competence Centre meets the rigid quality requirements of QUALICOAT, GSB and QUALANOD for the aluminium finishing industry. Source