Axalta Coating Systems has announced it will invest in its powder coatings manufacturing facility in Montbrison, France, to improve manufacturing capabilities substantially.

Significant improvements will be achieved throughout the site, including the use of smart automation and upgraded production technology on the bonded metallics lines. As part of the enhancement, the workflow in the facility will undergo a transformation designed to improve efficiency, productivity and overall quality.

“The heart of the investment to innovate our industrial business is creating a better experience for our customers,” stated Michael Cash, President of Industrial Coatings at Axalta. “With lean automation and upgraded production technology in Montbrison, we will be able to provide customers with improved lead times and greater flexibility. The upgrades on the bonded metallics production lines will contribute to higher quality powders, and will at least double our production capacity in this growing segment.”

The Montbrison site is one the largest facilities for the production of Alesta®, one of Axalta’s powder coating brands. Alesta serves a variety of industrial applications, ranging from anti-graffiti to metallic, and they are all designed to meet stringent performance requirements, offer superior corrosion protection and maintain the vibrant aesthetics of significant products of our industrial customers, from crop harvesting machinery and bulldozers to furniture and building cladding.

The investment in Montbrison is one of a series of commitments that Axalta has made over the past 24 months to expand capacity and continually improve the manufacture of its coatings around the world in order to meet customer needs. Work at Montbrison will begin in April 2016 and is scheduled for completion in 2017.