BASF, Renault, Dürr Honored for OFLA Jetting Technology

Inkjet has proven to be a successful way to precisely deposit materials. As an additional process, it eliminates waste of materials, while its ability to customize products is unmatched. Its applications can be found in fields ranging from 3D printing to graphic arts and so much more.

We are starting to see some interesting opportunities in the paint and coatings space, particularly in the automotive refinish segment. Axalta recently won the 2025 Automotive News PACE Pilot Innovation to Watch award for its NextJet system.

Not to be outdone, BASF Coatings, in partnership with Renault Group and Dürr, has just earned the Trophée de l’Industrie s’engage 2025 in the Innovative Process category at L’industrie s’engage par l’Usine Nouvelle in June 2025. The three companies were honored for the Overspray-Free Application (OFLA) process, or Jetprint, at Renault. It is particularly ideal for two-tone applications.

BASF Coatings specifically developed decor coat paint technology for the OFLA process, while Dürr’s EcoPaintJet Pro jet applicator, robotic automation, sensors and software provide highly precise paint application with no overspray.

What is OFLA

The Overspray-Free Application (OFLA) is an innovative, robot-based digital paint application process developed by Dürr that enables precise and mask-free two-tone color design. It allows decorative coatings to be applied with high accuracy, eliminating the need for conventional masking processes and thereby significantly reducing material waste, energy consumption, and CO₂ emissions.

The technology is particularly well-suited for complex component geometries and offers new opportunities for customized designs in automotive serial production.

BASF Coatings has been working closely with Renault and Dürr for several years on diverse development processes.

“From BASF Coatings’ perspective, OFLA is a milestone in combining sustainability with industrial performance. It represents value-driven efficiency that supports our customers’ sustainability targets and economic goals,” says Rachel Choo, VP, global marketing Automotive OEM Coatings at BASF.

“The serial application of OFLA at Renault is in its early stages,” Steffen Rohlmann, project lead in the Global Development Basecoat Team at BASF Coatings, reports. “This specific collaboration involves a new model, the Renault 4, for which there were no two-tone predecessors. The integration of the paint system was tailored specifically to meet Renault’s technical specifications, with close coordination across all partners throughout the development phase.”

Rohlmann notes that OFLA is particularly suited for two-tone vehicle painting, possible for areas with rather complex geometries such as roofs, A- and C-pillars, and hoods.

“The technology supports both horizontal and vertical applications, thanks to high- and low-viscosity paint systems developed for different surface inclinations,” he said. “It is ideal for OEMs looking to implement more efficient, sustainable, and individualized paint solutions in high-throughput environments.”

Key Advantages of Digital Technologies for Painting

Digital technologies have numerous advantages, most notably those listed above. There is also the ability to produce parts as ordered, eliminating inventory and storage. Daniel Thygs, global product management basecoat & primer at BASF Coatings, notes some of the other key benefits.

“Digital technologies enhance precision and accuracy, leading to more consistent and flawless finishes,” he says. “They improve speed and efficiency through automation, shorten production cycles, and ensure consistent color matching and durable finishes through digital monitoring and quality control. Additionally, digital tools optimize material usage, reducing waste and environmental impact while promoting sustainability and cost-effectiveness in the painting process.”

There were some initial challenges to overcome, which BASF was able to navigate successfully.

“The needs and therefore potential challenges of our customers can vary greatly,” says Rohlmann. “Our approach is based on addressing these in a collaborative and solution-oriented manner – with each of our global customers.

“The coating used at Renault was specifically developed for application over a solventborne basecoat,” he adds. “The very wet application, with a typical wet film thickness of about 140 µm, required the development of a special OFLA decorative coating to prevent defects caused by strong re-dissolving behavior with the substrate.

“Through targeted fine-tuning of the solvent components, very good compatibility with various basecoat substrates was achieved. Technologically, the coating is of course optimized for a flashed-off, solventborne basecoat and thus meets our customer’s usual specifications.”

Initially, vertical surfaces were considered challenging, as the coating must exhibit both high sag resistance and good flow, especially in the overlap areas of two adjacent stripes.

“However, this can now be coated without issue, as we use a high-viscosity coating system combined with a special surface additive concept that enables a streak-free and uniform surface even at a 90° angle,” Rohlmann notes. “For horizontal surfaces, on the other hand, we use a low-viscosity coating that can be applied without visible overlap up to an inclination angle of 30°.”

OFLA in Serial Production

The OFLA process was just recently introduced into serial production for Renault. While direct customer feedback is still in its early stages, initial internal evaluations show strong potential.

“Compared to conventional spray applications with masking-based methods, this technology delivers measurable environmental and economic benefits: 100% paint transfer efficiency. Process costs can be reduced by up to 70%, while waste has been cut by 1.6 kg per vehicle through the elimination of masking materials. Energy consumption has decreased by up to 80%, and CO₂ equivalent emissions have been lowered by around 80%”, adds Rohlmann.

“The technology is perceived as a major step toward greater efficiency and sustainability in automotive painting,” says Rohlmann. “The new paint line at the Maubeuge site should allow for a reduction in the annual energy consumption by 1.7GWh, the CO₂ emission by 300 tons, and 300 grams of plastic waste for each vehicle. Besides this, this application process allows greater design freedom and customization options in automotive coatings.”

The demand for customized coatings continues to grow. Daniel Thygs notes there is growing interest from OEMs, especially in Europe, where it is currently entering series production in the first plants.

“We are also in discussions with several Asian OEMs and are working on concrete development projects, particularly with Japanese manufacturers,” he adds. “In China and India, we currently see a rather cautious demand. There is some interest – but it is not yet a focus of production strategies. Given the increasing demand for customization and sustainability globally, the OFLA technology is well positioned.

“The OFLA process is not only a technological breakthrough but also a fully industrialized and automized solution that fulfills the automotive industry’s demands for efficiency, sustainability, and individuality,” Thygs concludes. “BASF continues to work on other process variants, aiming to offer solutions that integrate seamlessly into diverse OEM production setups.”