Vehicle Refinish (VR) coatings are used to re-paint damaged vehicles like cars.
They are widely used in Europe with about 80 000 spraying booths and an estimated workforce of 120 000 workers. VR coatings do comply with several EU legislation such as REACH, CLP, Occupational Health and the Solvent Emission Directive 2004/42/CE on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products.
2K primers and top/clear coatings are usually based on polyurethane chemistry which is based on di-isocyanates.
Hence we are engaged together with the basic manufacturers of isocyanates as well as other downstream formulating industries to ensure that the future REACH restriction, which will require a mandatory training for industrial and professional workers using diisocyanates , will be a success. Another area of current activity is linked to the obligation to respect the Product Directive. Indeed, we have noted a number of compliance-issues in certain EU member States. Only coatings fulfilling the maximum amount of allowed solvent content are supposed to be used in vehicle refinish activities.
Our sector complies with the Directive by placing on the market compliant products, but enforcement seems to be not adequate in some instances. This is partly due to unclear legislation and our group is trying to give further explanation to involved parties in the supply chain.
Our sector is committed to continue formulating and placing on the market safe and compliant products to serve our needs of vehicle repair