Coatings Word Q&A with Terrafend

CW: Can you give us an overview of Terrafend's mission in the coatings industry?

Ward: The coatings industry faces unprecedented pressure. With narrower margins, stricter environmental regulations, and rising demands for safety and sustainability, industry leaders can no longer afford to ignore the costs of traditional practices.

And here is the reality: there is a hidden cost of traditional cleaning solvent use that silently drains efficiency and profitability, all while creating ongoing, unnecessary risks to both people and the planet.

The use of cleaning solvents negatively impacts the financial health of coatings businesses – reducing net profitability by as much as 15%* - and is fundamentally incompatible with the requirements of a modern, efficient, and sustainable operation.

At Terrafend, we’re committed to helping coatings manufacturers eliminate these hidden costs and transform their core cleaning operations. Our patented Ambimization® clean technology empowers industry leaders like Jotun and Sherwin-Williams to replace cleaning solvent use and achieve superior safety, productivity, and sustainability outcomes.

By enabling this critical transformation and removing these hidden costs, Terrafend helps coatings companies improve market competitiveness, financial resilience and growth.

*Calculated from customer analysis, cost savings per year Ambimization® versus incumbent process versus net profitability financial performance.

CW: What are the issues with solvent use in the equipment cleaning process and what are the associated hidden costs?

Ward: Solvent-based cleaning has been a long-standing practice in coatings manufacturing, but it carries significant drawbacks that are increasingly untenable:

1. Production Inefficiencies
Labor-intensive, manual cleaning creates production bottlenecks, slowing output and limiting revenue potential.
2. Rising Operational Costs
Compliance with ATEX zoning and safety protocols adds complexity and cost, reduces flexibility, and erodes profit margins.
3. Quality Control Challenges
Ineffective solvent cleaning increases "right-first-time" failures, leading to higher rework costs and reputational risks.
4. Worker Safety and Satisfaction
Solvent fumes create hazardous environments. With 40% of operator exposures linked to cleaning processes, mitigating risks to operators and managing rising workforce expectations are persistent challenges.
5. Environmental Impact
Solvents are a major source of VOC emissions and hazardous waste, driving up waste management costs and regulatory complexities.

In an era where efficiency, safety, and sustainability are non-negotiable, clinging to solvent-based processes jeopardizes competitiveness and profitability.

CW: How does Terrafend’s Ambimization® methodology solve these problems?

Ward: Driving meaningful change across the coatings industry demands a transformational approach.

Ambimization® is a patented, industry-proven methodology that revolutionizes cleaning by combining mechanical engineering and proprietary water-based chemistry. Its benefits include:

• Water-Based Fluids: Composed of 85% water, Ambimization® fluids are non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-carcinogenic, with significantly reduced VOC emissions. This eliminates the need for costly ATEX zoning.
• Flexible Fluid Deployment: State-of-the-art machinery, designed with versatile fluid application methods—including high-pressure and cavitation techniques—deliver fast and effective cleaning across various applications. No manual processes and higher right-first-time rates.
• Self-Cleaning Properties: Unlike solvents that dissolve contaminants, Ambimization® fluids alter surface tension to lift residues from the substrate, they then naturally separate in the fluid. This enables fluid reuse of up to 50 times, significantly reducing VOC emissions and waste.

Since transforming their core cleaning operations to the new industry best practices our customers have seen the following key results:

• VOC reductions: 98.7%
• Waste reductions: 80.4%
• Emission reductions: 93.9%
• Labor savings: 72.53%
• Operating cost reductions: 38.7%

Our customers are achieving substantial improvements in safety, productivity, and sustainability, while also driving positive financial outcomes for their businesses.

CW: Is it truly possible to eliminate cleaning solvents from the cleaning process without compromising quality?

Ward: Absolutely. Ambimization® delivers superior cleaning performance across even the toughest contaminants, including cured and uncured epoxies, polyurethanes, siloxanes, and UV-curable resins.
For example, Scott Bader replaced acetone with Ambimization®, achieving “reduced waste, fewer emissions, and the same high standard of cleaning,” according to Ricky Greenwood, Group Environmental and Sustainability Specialist.

This proves that solvent-free cleaning is not just an alternative—it’s the new benchmark for quality, safety, and efficiency.

CW: Terrafend recently won the UK’s National Sustainability Award for Clean Technology in partnership with Scott Bader. What does this achievement mean for your company and the coatings industry?

Ward: This recognition underscores the transformative potential of Ambimization®. Our collaboration with Scott Bader demonstrates the profound impact of challenging the status quo.

Together, we’ve achieved a 75% reduction in waste, a 93% drop in emissions, and a safer, healthier workplace for employees.

This award validates our vision and highlights the importance of industry collaboration in setting new benchmarks for sustainability, safety, and profitability.
CW:  How do you envision the future of cleaning processes for manufacturing equipment evolving in the coatings sector and Ambimization®’s role in that future?
Ward: The coatings sector is shifting toward solvent-free cleaning as the new industry standard. Ambimization® is leading this transformation, enabling faster, safer, and more sustainable cleaning processes.

By adopting Ambimization®, manufacturers are improving throughput, protecting workers, reducing waste, and enhancing profit margins—all while aligning with stringent environmental regulations and corporate sustainability goals.

This transformation positions early adopters as leaders in a safer, smarter, and more sustainable industry. Companies clinging to outdated practices risk being left behind, as solvent-free cleaning becomes not just a best practice but an operational necessity.

Learn more about Ambimization® at https://www.terrafend.com/coatingsworld