Lifestyle Luxury Goods Finished with Spies Hecker, a Global Refinish Brand of Axalta Coating Systems

When Carrafont, a French luxury goods design company, discovered that the products from Spies Hecker, one of the three global refinish brands of Axalta Coating Systems provided the best finish for its prototypes and scale-models 22 years ago, it was the beginning of a long and successful collaboration between two very diverse industries.

Carrafont, based near Paris, France, has been creating scale models for the biggest names in the cosmetics and luxury goods industries as well as to perfumiers, jewelers, architects and designers for 30 years. The company gives shape to perfume bottles, make-up palettes and other luxury items for prestigious clients such as Armani, Dior, Guerlain, Hermès, Lancôme, Louis Vuitton, to name a few.

“Our company has extremely high standards and the reason we have been loyal to Axalta for over 20 years is because its Spies Hecker products are not only of high quality and meet our needs perfectly, but they are also constantly evolving and getting more efficient and environmentally responsible,” says Denis Carré, Manager of Carrafont.

Carrafont‘s reputation is built on professionalism, innovation, expertise and cutting-edge technology and it works predominantly with plexiglass, brass, aluminum, glass, wood, as well as low- and high-density polyurethane foams. The company has been using an array of Spies Hecker products for 22 years available through the paint brand’s distributor SPORV, based outside Paris.

Carré adds, “What’s interesting is that because they are formulated for the automotive industry, Axalta coatings are extremely durable. Initially, all we needed was to paint the scale-models made in our workshops. But today, our demands extend to the research and development of new colors, the creation of color samples, applications on works of art and unique pieces of furniture, blind tests and more. Spies Hecker can deliver that all for us.”

Carrafont uses a variety of Spies Hecker products. Raderal Spray Polyester 3508 with Permasolid HS Premium Surfacer 5310 and Permasolid HS Performance Surfacer 5320, in grey and white, are chosen for their good coverage, fast curing and good sanding properties. Permahyd Waterborne Base Coat 280/285 is the choice for the quality of its colors and its good vertical stability, and Permafleet HS Topcoat 670/675, for its flexibility and robustness. Pieces are finished with Permasolid HS Optimum Plus Clear Coat 8650 high gloss and Permacron Matt Clear Coat 8085.