Interstandoxt h e w o r l d o f v e h i c l e r e f i n i s h e s GB

New technology for greater success Standoblue sets the standard

Commitment to Formula One MERCEDES GP PETRONAS trusts in Standox

New effect colours exclusivelineXL for distinctive finishes

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The extraordinary colours of the Standox exclusivelineXL not only give cars that special something. They can also add style and a distinctive finish to items such as helmets, motorcycles, furniture and smartphones. Page 9

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t i t l e s t o r yStandoblue for greater business success . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Luxury coachbuilder CARAT paints with Standoblue . . . . . 6

j o u r n a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

w o r k s h o p m a n a g e m e n texclusivelineXL for distinctive finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Attracting new customers with Classic Color Partner . . . 10Viewing classic car colours on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 10

p r o d u c t sStandofleet Color Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11The clearcoat for fast-track processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

g a l l e r yMERCEDES GP PETRONAS trusts in Standox . . . . . . . . . . 12

i n t e r n a t i o n a lBlazing the trail: Heckendorn AG paints with Standoblue 14Alubeam: an exclusive paint finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

i m p r i n tInterstandoxThe world of vehicle refinishesInterstandox is intended solely for internal use. We would be glad to grant approval to requests for reproduction.Published by theInterstandox Editorial BoardStandox GmbH, 42285 Wuppertal, GermanyE-Mail: sandra.piwonski@deu.standox.comResponsible for content:Sandra PiwonskiConcept/copy editing:K1 Gesellschaft für Kommunikation mbH, Ulf Kartte, CologneGraphic design, image processing:230Volt, Axel Helmus, DüsseldorfImages:Title picture: Standox GmbH

Standox® is a registered trademark.

Standoblue is the new basecoat technology that unites past and

present. With many tens of thousands of colour formulations, the evolution

of colour identification takes on a new dimension. Page 4

As the official Team Supplier to the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS race team,

Standox is the exclusive source of colours for the Silver Arrows in the

2011 Formula One season. Page 12

e d i t o r i a l 3

Technologies and strategies for your successRepair shops are faced with ever tougher demands. On the one hand, there's the need for investment to sustain a high standard of service and repair in the face of spiralling costs. On the other hand, the constant changes in service and repair market means managers have to make the right investments now for a profitable future.

Some companies have made use of the last two years to consolidate their position, while others have focused on boosting sales and productivity. Together, these two strategies help create better performance today and more opportunities tomorrow. The two keys to success in this context are high capacity utilisation and a solid capital base. With Standoblue, Repanet and worldwide approvals from leading car manufacturers, we provide the innovative products and services that give our customers the support they need.

In addition to saving material, our new Standoblue basecoat technology is also a key source of time savings for professional refinishers. With suitable training and an adjustment of process times, bodyshops are able to expand their capacity with minimal investment and reduce repair times as a consequence. In this connection, our international Repanet repair network helps create the best capacity utilisation with such measures as “Color for Life”, a life-long paint warranty. Providing customised assistance to bodyshops, Standox Consulting delivers tailor-made strategies and services to help make workshop processes faster and more efficient.

Colour identification is one of the most important activities in any bodyshop. This is why we focus increasingly on highly advanced electronic aids like our Genius spectrophotometer and Standowin software. On top of this, we have developed Color Tools especially for Standoblue that help the refinisher to arrive at the right colour quickly and reliably. Often it’s little things that make a big difference.

Zvonimir Simunovic

Zvonimir Simunovic, Brand Manager Standox GmbH.

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Standoblue: A new technology for greater business success

Thanks to a new, superior basecoat technology, Standoblue always produces immaculate results, regardless of working conditions, climate and painting techniques. To make this possible, specially selected pigments have been integrated in a forward-looking basecoat technology with outstanding flow. For the finest metallic gradations, a new process has been specially developed. With its excellent product characteristics, the new system delivers exceptional and, more importantly, consistent colour accuracy, brilliant colours and an impeccable finish. Standoblue’s special pigments not only ensure cloud-free finishes, but also support tens of thousands of easily mixed colours and variants. Simple, flawless applicationStandoblue works well in a broad range of application conditions, is simple to apply and thus helps cut overall job times. The refinisher mixes the colour, adds Standoblue Viscosity Adjuster and applies the basecoat in one and a half coats. Thanks to the carefully designed orientation of the pigments, cloud-free finishes and with immaculate flow are now possible. The product’s special characteristics ensure flawless application. However, should a dust particle be trapped in the paint film, it can be swiftly removed with straightforward sanding and repainting.

For blending-in on small areas or into adjoining vehicle parts, ready-to-spray Standoblue Color Blend is employed – the results are always excellent and without visible boundary marks or colour differences. Interior and 3-stage finishes are easy

to achieve with the aid of Standoblue Hardener – without time-consuming flash-off. This also gives perfect film proper-ties and high resistance to mechanical damage.

The very latest Color Tools for rapid colour identificationStandox is responding to the growing importance of electronic aids in colour identification with a package of useful Color Tools. Genius, the electronic spectrophotometer, the Standowin colour search software and the Digital Color Display represent an excellent combination for paintwork with unrivalled colour accuracy. Standox has also developed Color Tools specifically for Standoblue:

• The Standoblue Color Box in which the possible variants of OEM car colours are neatly stored in swatches.

• Barcodes on the colour chips and a barcode reader so that colours can be read in and identified by Standowin even faster.

• The Effect Navigator with swatches in original Standoblue materials. Combined with Genius, this helps to correctly assess the light and effect gradations of a scanned metallic colour.

• The user-friendly computer scale with a touch-sensitive and high-resolution monitor for the best-possible colour rendition.

• The Colormix Poster that simplifies identification of the colour position in the colour space for each mixing base.

• Magnetic stickers for clear marking at the mixing bench.

Standox has been developing innovative and forward-looking paint systems for over 50 years. The Wuppertal-based paint manufacturer has now launched Standoblue, a basecoat system that sets new standards with its outstanding product properties. Standoblue has been successfully launched on the important European markets and many customers are already reaping the benefits of the new system.

5t i t l e s t o r y 5

Training for effortless use of StandoblueIt is Standox’s claim to always give its customers the best training available on the refinish market. And this applies particularly to a new paint system like Standoblue. To ensure that bodyshops worldwide are always trained to the same high quality standards, the international instructor team subjects technicians and instructors in various countries to in-depth and continuing training in the use of Standoblue. This means instructors are aware of, and can communicate, the system’s huge potential. Businesses that want to switch to Standoblue have the chance to try out the new materials and working methods at special Standoblue seminars in national Training Centers. There they can afford the luxury of making mistakes without the usual consequences in the workplace. In addition to this, Standox application specialists can also visit bodyshop premises during changeover. Since the launch of Standoblue, about 1,000 bodyshops overall have been introduced to the new technology.

“The results are always perfect” – What customers say about Standoblue

“With Standoblue, it simply doesn’t make a difference any more who does the painting – the results are always perfect.”Michael Schäfer, Lackier- und Karosserie-zentrum Schäfer (Germany)

“Colour accuracy with Standoblue is truly impressive.”Arne Hansen and Dennis Karlsen (right), Industrivejens Autolakering A/S (Denmark)

“Standoblue is easier to apply, and you only need a single sweep of the spray gun.”Raymond Dubbeldam, Autoschade Dubbeldam & van Noordenne (Netherlands)

“Overall, the entire painting process is faster and less susceptible to flaws.”Monika Tschallener and Johann Weiskopf, Auto Haid GmbH (Austria)

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Standoblue brings a shine to luxury vehiclesIf James Bond, the legendary British film hero, really existed, his car would probably come from luxury coachbuilders CARAT Duchatelet in Belgium. And it would certainly be finished in Standoblue.

At the coachbuilders in Liège, high-security, individually equipped limousines and off-road vehicles are built – by hand. The company’s customers include businesspeople, celebrities, politicians and heads of state from all over the world. Every single vehicle is fully dismantled here before being rebuilt, armoured, individually equipped and resprayed in the colour of choice. The 150 employees build about 50 custom vehicles this way each year.

The 40 employees in the paintshop know from their own experience that armoured vehicles place special demands on application and drying. At the same time, the special product properties of Standoblue have impressed senior painter Jean-Paul Delayer and his team. “On the vehicles we build, the

film thickness is necessarily thicker than on normal vehicles,” he explains. “There aren’t any flaws in the clearcoat despite the thicker film. It has excellent gloss and flow, dries well right through and is easy to polish.”

For the paintwork of an armoured luxury limousine, Delayer needs an average of ten to twelve litres of Standoblue Basecoat and about ten litres of Standocryl VOC 2K Clearcoat. Each armoured component is sprayed individually before being subsequently polished and reassembled. The fact that no transitions are visible at all on the fully assembled vehicle is attributable to innovative Standoblue technology, which ensures uniform pigment orientation in the paint. Clouding during application or colour changes during drying are thus excluded. And it is precisely this that makes the new Standox technology ideal for the challenging painting work at CARAT: “We owe it to our customers and our reputation to deliver this high quality. And that’s why we use Standoblue,” Purchasing Manager Patrick André explains.

The interior of an armoured vehicle

partitioned-off from the front part of

the vehicle. The rear door area has

been stretched by 30 cm.

You can’t tell at first glance that this noble

Rolls-Royce limousine is armoured. The front

and rear doors have also been lengthened and

the roof raised.

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Colour trends: Black and silver neck and neck

Global colour trends show that black and silver are jostling for the top slot in popularity. This is one of the results of the annual Standox analysis of current colour trend data. Grey and white are joint third at 16 per cent each. A comparison of the leading colours in different countries reveals changes of position, but the overall colour picture remains uniformly “achromatic”, i.e.

20 years of Standox in EstoniaBenefit AS has been the Standox distributor in Estonia and the leading supplier to the country’s bodyshops since 1990. The anniversary was celebrated by 100 guests – dealers, customers and business friends – at a conference centre near Tallinn. Many customers arrived in their immaculately restored classic cars to underline the high quality of Standox paint systems and Benefit’s classic car expertise.

the majority of vehicles are silver, black, grey and white. Next in line are red and blue, shades of beige and brown, as well as shades of green, gold and yellow. Standox’s experts don’t expect preferences to change radically in the coming years. However, the spectrum of colours will broaden. Even today, the various colour groups are invigorated by countless variants and nuances with new, unusual hues.

2011 car colour trends – worldwide

Relics of paint historyThe “Swinging” Sixties are currently being brought back to life at Standox’s headquarters in Wuppertal. This is where visitors can admire, among other things, the perfect miniature model of a Mercedes repair shop of the period. The model repair shop lovingly hand-crafted by Wuppertal artist Dirk Patschkowski (pictured) is just one of many exhibits enabling visitors to relive Standox company history.

“Be it old paint cans or colour charts – if seemingly trivial objects aren’t collected in time, they’ll one day be gone for good,” explains Andreas Keller, Head of Technical Service at Standox. He has been rummaging around in the company and among dealers and customers for old documents, photos, paint cans and tools. And the haul is impressive. His collection covers everything from paint cans from all stages of Standox history via price lists from the Sixties to a restored Goggomobil TS 250 built in 1967.

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Standox presents “The Art of Color”In a new image campaign, Standox is restating its claim to be the premium supplier of refinish paints. The campaign’s main theme “The Art of Color” takes up and re-interprets the brand slogan of “The Art of Refinishing”. The high-grade artistic images present seemingly accidental spills of paint reminiscent of Rorschach ink blots. A closer inspection, however, reveals their affinity to the familiar Standox philosophy. This is backed up by brief texts explaining the brand values and benefits to the customer and drawing attention to further information on the Internet. The images revolve around the spheres of expertise that underpin Standox’s position on the market: Colour expertise, high-grade product systems, and training skills. The first images of the international campaign entitled “Blue Woman”, “Shell” and “Two Men” are already in use. More will follow in the course of the year.

Virtual tour of the Standox CenterAt www.standox.de/virtuell, visitors and potential customers can now find out on the Internet how the Information Center in Wuppertal looks and where everything is located. Users simply navigate with the mouse. Clicking one of the red dots on the ground plan opens up a view of the desired room.

From there it is possible, with further clicks, to change the angle, zoom in and out and move about the building. What is particularly innovative is that the tour is also possible by using a smartphone.

Standoblue captures the imagination at “Auto & Korjaamo”Over 10,000 bodyshop professionals visited “Auto & Korjaamo”, the biggest international exhibition for vehicle workshops, parts and accessories in the Nordic countries. HL Group OY, Standox distributor in Finland, took part in the three-day fair in Helsinki with a 270 m² stand. The main attraction of the stand was Standoblue, the new Standox basecoat system. “The advantages are so obvious that

numerous customers that have so far been using Standohyd decided to switch during the exhibition,” explains Veikko Nieminen, Brand Manager Standox at the HL Group: “And plenty of users of other makes of paint couldn’t help being immediately impressed by Standoblue.”

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The new Standox App gives interested cus- tomers and professionals the chance to view the fascinating colours of the exclusive paint edition on mobile phones. The smartphone serves effectively as a digital panel.

When it is moved, the phone display shows how the colour shifts in changing light conditions. The App also includes sample objects painted with exclusivelineXL colours and thus supplies plenty of inspiration for personalised design finishes. Developed for Android smartphones, the App is free of charge and can be downloaded at www.standox.com.

Standox has launched its exclusivelineXL, a series of special effect colours that follows on from the Exclusive Line range, so popular with lovers of custom paintwork. The select colours not only give cars that special something, but they can also add style and a distinctive finish to items such as helmets, motorcycles, furniture and smartphones.

Two years of development work have gone into Magic Magenta, Atomic Orange, Shifting Carbon, Urban Bamboo, Explosive Gold and Python Green. The paints certainly live up to their names. They light up in the sun and, thanks

to their subtle play of colours that often call for a closer inspection, they really catch the eye. Further information on exclusivelineXL is available on the Internet at www.standox.com/XL. Here a photo gallery and information on the various colours can serve as inspiration for one’s own designs. Aided with folders of original paint charts, bodyshops can introduce interested customers to the special effect paints.

exclusivelineXL App

exclusivelineXL for distinctive finishes

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Attracting new customers with Classic Color Partner

The market for classic vehicles is growing rapidly. With a new marketing strategy, Standox is giving bodyshops the chance to bring their skills to the attention of owners of classic cars.

The vehicle registration statistics say it all. The number of motorists that own vehicles more than 20 years old or classic cars at over 30 years old is growing. In Germany, for instance, there are more than 1.6 million registered vehicles over 20 years old. Their owners often have an emotional attachment to their vehicles. The maintenance and care of such vehicles is elaborate and requires expert knowledge.

For professional repairs, Standox offers bodyshops advanced and cost-effective paint systems that are also particularly suitable for the painting of classic cars. The problem of identifying the colours of older

Viewing classic car colours on the Internet

With the Classic Color documentation, classic car fans can now find out all about the original colours of their favourite models. To this end, the Wuppertal paint manufacturer has digitised its historic colour documentation and posted it on the Internet. Organised by country, the total of eight volumes cover the colours of European car brands from Auto Union to Volvo, as supplied by vehicle

vehicles can be efficiently solved with Genius, the opto-electronic spectrophotometer from Standox.

By introducing Classic Color Partner, Standox is now going a step further. To appeal to owners of classic automobiles, the company has developed a series of attention-grabbing marketing tools. These include sample letters for personalised direct mailings, advertising copy for placement in the local media, the Classic Color Partner logo in various file formats. There are also a door name-plate, banner display and flag enabling businesses to draw attention to their special skills at the entrance to their premises. A repair video and a brochure graphically show the various steps of a professional repair process. Bodyshops that are interested can obtain further information from their Standox partner.

manufacturers at the time. The documen-tation gives a good impression of the colours available at the time and how classic vehicles may have looked in their original paintwork. The data can be downloaded at www.standox.com/classic.

p r o d u c t s 11

The clearcoat for fast-track processesStandocryl VOC Express Clearcoat is a high-grade 2K clear for spot repairs and partial and complete resprays. It is versatile in its application and hardens very quickly. High-performance, high-yield and easy to polish, it reliably produces impeccable results even in dif-ficult processing and drying conditions.

It is applied in a single pass and can be perfectly adapted to the particular application conditions with the appro-priate Standox VOC hardeners and thinners. There are certain specific combinations for different types of repair.

Thanks to its energy-saving features such as reduced drying time and tempe-rature plus its improved air-drying performance, it boosts bodyshop productivity and profitability. In only 15 to 30 minutes at 50 to 60 °C object temperature, it hardens sufficiently for body reassembly. Overnight air drying and extra-fast infrared drying are also possible.

Standofleet from Standox not only gives a high-grade mixing base system for painting commercial vehicles, but also the tools that bodyshops need to quickly and reliably find the right colour. Also the task of efficiently identifying colours has become more demanding in the commercial vehicle sector. Such tried-and-tested aids as the Standofleet Color Box with

Standofleet Color Tools for better commercial vehicle repairs

chromatically sorted colour swatches, matting swatches and the Colormix Poster are now being supplemented increasingly with electronic Color Tools. Hypermodern tools like the Genius spectrophotometer, Standowin colour software and convenient online colour searches make it possible to identify colours and convert them straight into the equivalent mixing formulations with the minimum of effort. Whether a colour is scanned by the refinisher with Genius and then read into Standowin or tinted and adjusted with the aid of the Standofleet colour poster makes no difference, because all the Standofleet Color Tools are mutually complementary and can be combined as desired.

Information on the available Standofleet aids can be found in two brochures. “Step by step to the right colour. Standofleet Color Tools” presents an overview of the various tools, while “The Color Poster for correct tinting. Standofleet” visually demonstrates how to tint colours with the aid of the Color Poster. Further information can be found atwww.standox.com/standofleet.

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MERCEDES GP PETRONAS trusts in Standox

Paint finishes in Formula One have to satisfy tough require-ments. The Standox paint system is renowned for its visual impact so that the race vehicles make the best possible impression on the media and spectators. Standox paints are also distinguished by their high strength and hard-wearing

properties in extreme conditions. The technicians at Standox have made special efforts to make the paint as light as possible in order to facilitate compliance with the strict weight limits. In addition to painting the race cars, all the show cars and trucks of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, cooperation with Standox also extends to technical training for the team. This enables them to carry out any necessary repairs to Formula One vehicles on the spot after the race.

As the official Team Supplier to the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS race team, Standox is the exclusive source of colours for the Silver Arrows in the 2011 Formula One season.

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“Looking forward to the cooperation and the opportunities arising from it: Nick Fry (CeO MeRCeDeS GP PeTRONAS), Anthony Cashel (Marketing Support Manager DPC Refinish Systems), Jodie Henly (Brand Marketing Specialist Standox UK), Zvonimir Simunovic (Brand Manager Standox GmbH) (from left to right).”

g a l l e r y 13

interstandox: How does the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS paint shop work compare to a normal bodyshop? Andrew Moody: It is very similar in many aspects, and we use very similar tools and products. The big difference is the way that we use them. Although carbon fibre is an inherently strong material, it can also be very fragile and it has to be treated with extreme care as some of the bodywork has a final skin thickness as little as 1mm. Therefore great care has to be taken whilst abrading these surfaces. This is even more important with “Class A” components such as wings where as the slightest piece of damage could compromise the safety of the car and our drivers.

interstandox: What special requirements have to be met by the paint of the Silver Arrows?Andrew Moody: Speed is the most critical requirement. We have very short turnaround and manufacturing lead times so it is vital that we use only products which can offer us minimum curing times. It is also essential that we can use the paint in an aero-friendly manner (e.g. no large edges on aero surfaces, so product choice is extremely important to us.

interstandox: How important is the paint of the Silver Arrows for the success of the racing team?Andrew Moody: Weight is everything in Formula One, so the paint that we use plays an important role in ensuring that weight is kept to a minimum. We have a written procedure for all of our processes. Part of this entails each component being weighed before and after the paint process followed by an inspection sign-off.

interstandox: Which and how many vehicles are painted in the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS livery?Andrew Moody: Our fleet of nine race trucks and six driver scooters are all painted in the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS livery. There is also an enormous amount of race team equipment that will be painted every winter before the new season begins. This includes the garage walls, overhead lighting systems, grid trolleys, hospitality panels, computer racks, water chillers – the list is endless!

interstandox: How exactly does the cooperation with Standox work? Andrew Moody: On the technical side, the cooperation between Standox and MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is a two-way street with constant feedback from both parties. On-site training with the Standox technical team and use of the Training Academy in Stevenage have been important parts of our training programme. It is essential that all painters continue to learn fresh techniques and have refresher courses. But it does not stop there: We are constantly working on new substrates which require different products and methods, so it is a constant learning process for both the Paint Shop and Standox.

interstandox: How does the on-site refinishing of the racing cars after the races work?Andrew Moody: After the cars have been stripped, repaired, scanned and inspected, they will return to the Paint Shop to be repainted if required. This means weighing the component and removing existing or damaged paintwork and starting again. This is normally carried out over a three to four day period and normally means extremely long working hours for the staff. The car is also constantly evolving with new bodywork and wing upgrades. We try to plan these to be ready for when the cars return from a race so that we can spend the turnaround time focusing on the chassis and other homologated parts. The one thing that we never worry about is running out work – there is always something to paint!

interstandox: What do the drivers think of the cars new design?Andrew Moody: The feedback from the drivers has been really good. Everyone seems to love the gloss effect which makes the cars really stand out on the track.

“Product choice is extremely important to us” Interview with Andrew Moody, Head of Paint and Graphics, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS

“Zvonimir Simunovic talking to Andrew Moody (right).”

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The basecoat is applied in one and a

half spray passes in a single work

process – without time-consuming

flash-off.

Clearly laid-out posters on

Standoblue application and

blending-in make the work

process easier.

With Standoblue and Genius,

perfect colour identification

becomes reality.

Blazing the trail: Heckendorn AG paints with StandoblueThe example of Carrosserie Heckendorn AG in Switzerland shows how cutting-edge paint technology can help to enhance efficiency and quality in the bodyshop.

Andreas Heckendorn, second-generation owner of the family business with ten employees in Oberwil near Basel, has always wanted to be technically state-of-the-art: “Blazing the trail is not the overriding reason, but we’re happy to pave the way,” he explains with a smile. In 1994, at a time when waterborne paints were hardly a big talking point, Heckendorn became the first bodyshop in Switzerland to introduce Standohyd, the Standox waterborne paint system.

Heckendorn was in fact perfectly happy with his Standohyd system when he heard from paint supplier André Koch AG, the Swiss general distributor for Standox, that Standox had launched a new, groundbreaking basecoat technology. A practical demonstration and detailed talks with Philipp Bernet, the André Koch marketing manager, then persuaded him and his four-strong refinishing team of the outstanding quality of the new, VOC-compliant Standoblue system. Application required only minor adjustments from the team at Heckendorn. The refinisher mixes the desired colour and adds Standoblue Viscosity Adjuster instead of the usual Demineralised Water. Then the basecoat is applied in one and a half spray passes in a single work process – without time-consuming flash-off.

The new system has also impressed the specialists at Heckendorn when it comes to what are often problematical blend-ins. “The results are outstanding,” says sprayer Patrick Billot, “and you can’t see any transitions or colour differences between the original paint surfaces and the blended-in patches.” At the same time, the paint dries extremely quickly and thus accelerates the work process. “With Standoblue we save valuable time in the booth,” says Billot. Electronic colour identification is very much on the advance at Heckendorn as well. The interplay between Standoblue and Genius, the Standox spectrophotometer, is particularly efficient. “With Genius, we can measure the colour right at the car body,” Andreas Heckendorn explains. “The results are highly dependable even where difficult colours are concerned.” Overall, the verdict at Heckendorn after changeover is thoroughly positive: “Thanks to its straightforward application, process security has been enhanced. And we have the assurance of always being able to offer the customer top quality.”

In the Color Box developed

specifically for Standoblue,

variants of standard colors

are neatly arranged on

swatches.

The refinishing team

at Heckendorn.

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interstandox: Can you tell us a bit about your career to date?Pasi Paananen: I’m 34 years old and have been running my own motorcycle design business, KELE Design, in Iisalmi, Finland, for about two years now. Before this I worked as a designer in Austria, at a company called KISKA. There I was part of the KTM motorcycle design team. I designed the KTM Stunt 690 concept bike and the KTM 990 SMT series- production bike.

interstandox: What exactly does your work entail?Pasi Paananen: I give motorcycles a customised design. This includes design proper as well as making parts and custom painting. About 50 per cent of my customers are ordinary bikers, while the others are company customers, i.e. motorcycle makers, race teams etc.

interstandox: We’re eager to know more, of course, whether you designed the “Brawl” for a specific customer?Pasi Paananen: I’m afraid I can’t say anything about it. The owner is a private customer and doesn’t want any publicity.

interstandox: What was your contribution to the project? And how long did it take you?Pasi Paananen (laughing): At any rate, too long. Seriously, though, it must have been about nine months. But we couldn’t always work on the project, so there were breaks along the way. My main tasks were design, production, painting and assembling the body. I also replaced the bike’s suspension, wheels, switches and electrics.

interstandox: How difficult was the paint finish with Alubeam?Pasi Paananen: It certainly was a challenge. The painting itself wasn’t the problem, as the paint is highly impermeable to light and covers well. The difficult thing was preparing the surface. Since I don’t use wet-on-wet systems, I had to give all the parts thorough preparation. The stopper was wet-sanded with 1500 grit paper.

interstandox: Where does the unusual name “Brawl” come from? Pasi Paananen: It comes from the film “Transformers”. “Brawl” is one of the brawling Autobots and it has shiny armour with an aluminium finish. The name aptly describes the powerful and aggressive nature of this motorcycle.

interstandox: You’ve realised a huge range of projects – which are the ones that really stand out?Pasi Paananen: There have been many truly challenging projects. If I had to pick one out, it would be the Stunt 690, which I designed for KTM. That really was something special.

Alubeam: an exclusive paint finishExtravagant design presents the Art of Refinishing at its best. The Finnish designer Pasi Paananen has finished an exhilarating motorcycle, the Brawl Bike, in Alubeam from Standox. Alubeam is a silver colour with an extreme metallic gleam that takes a lot of skill to apply.

Pasi Paananen,

owner of KeLe Design.

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www.keledesign.fi

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Professional vehicle refinishers know that identifying the right color is the be all and end all in this trade. Standox, the European leader in automotive repair technology, helps you find the perfect color match reliably and efficiently. Our advanced Color Tools include Color Search Software, an electronic Spectrophotometer as well as an Online Color Search. This way you always have access to the latest information, even when using a mobile. For the perfect color match, Standox delivers the best results. For more information visit www.standox.co.uk/colortool

IN LOVE WITH COLOR.