Mazda Begins Rollout of Aqua-tech, World's Lowest-impact Water-based Paint System, to Overseas Plants
14 April 2016 - 1:32PM
JCN Newswire (English)
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the introduction of its
unique Aqua-tech Paint System at Changan Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd.
(CMA), the company's vehicle production facility in Jiangsu, China.
The technology was first introduced at the Ujina Plant No. 1 in
Japan, where installation of the system was completed in 2012. CMA
becomes the company's second plant and first overseas facility to
feature the innovative low-impact paint technology.
Reducing volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from vehicle
body paint shops is a long-standing issue for the automobile
industry, which has traditionally favored VOC-heavy oil-based
paints and thinners. Automakers moved toward water-based paints in
an effort to reduce VOC emissions, but the energy-intensive
evaporative drying process required for these paints resulted in
increased CO2 emissions. Mazda's unique Aqua-tech Paint System
overcomes this trade-off by simultaneously reducing emissions of
VOC and CO2, and makes far more efficient use of energy and paint
materials than traditional paint systems.
Even after completing installation of the Aqua-tech Paint System at
Ujina Plant No. 1 in 2012, Mazda continued to develop the
technology to enhance system performance and usability. The company
is aiming to achieve high-quality and efficient vehicle
manufacturing at its global production bases by developing
technologies such as Aqua-tech in Japan before rolling them out at
overseas facilities. Mazda worked with CMA to efficiently introduce
the Aqua-tech Paint System at Japanese standards, and minimized
installation work and paint development in China. The transition
was achieved quickly and without stopping the line or interrupting
production of vehicles using traditional oil-based paints. The
Aqua-tech Paint System at CMA is used for all body colors, and the
quality of the finish is as high as that of vehicles painted in
Japan, even for designer colors such as Soul Red.
"As an automaker, we have an obligation to not only make
high-quality cars, but also reduce our impact on the environment,"
said Kiyotaka Shobuda, Senior Managing Executive Officer. "Our
painting technologies, which have helped KODO design gain
recognition worldwide, represent Mazda's efforts to meet that
obligation. Moving forward, we'll continue to develop innovative
technologies at our parent factories in Japan before introducing
them at the same high standards overseas. In this way, we'll
provide customers around the world with high-quality cars and
contribute both to preserving the environment and enriching
society."
Mazda will continue its efforts to contribute to the realization of
a sustainable society through a variety of technological
innovations. The company aims to enrich people's lives and become a
brand that has a special bond with customers.
About Mazda
Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE:7261) started manufacturing tools in
1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial
use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car
models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in
Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's
leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and
Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit
www.mazda.com
Source: Mazda
Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp
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