AERO Sustainable Material Technology announced that the FUSE automotive colouring system has won a Grand Prize at the 2021 Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards.
AERO Sustainable Material Technology has announced that the FUSE automotive colouring system, known as the Ultra-Wide TOM Machine, has won the first prize at the 2021 Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards from the leading Asian magazine Nikkei Asia on February 2, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan.
The Ultra-Wide TOM Machine is a highly innovative and efficient system for coating automotive body panels and other exterior components by applying AERO's environmentally friendly film-based coatings.
The Ultra-Wide TOM Machine incorporates the new Neo-TOM Thermoforming technology, developed by Fu-se Vacuum Forming Co. Ltd. (FVF). It is an innovative and recently developed process that solves the problems of traditional compressed air thermoforming in which hollow parts (such as the hood of a car) cannot withstand the air pressure, with consequent deformation. Using Neo-TOM, the film is heated and softened under vacuum and positioned close to the component to allow the introduction of air in the front part of the film, hence the difference in air pressure between the inside and the outside of the film makes it adhere to the component without deforming.
“This world’s largest Ultra-Wide TOM Machine using AERO’s environmentally sustainable film-based coating technology, has the ability to uniformly coat large parts and therefore entire automotive vehicle bodies. The amount of electricity used can be reduced to one-third or less compared to the conventional method of painting and drying repeatedly”, said Jim McGuire, CEO of AERO Sustainable Material Technology, Inc.
“Incorporating the Ultra-Wide TOM Machine with AERO Sustainable Material Technology for coating vehicles will revolutionize the automotive industry with cost savings, energy savings and numerous environmental benefits”, continued McGuire.
AERO finishes are environmentally friendly
The environmental impact of the AERO product life cycle is less harmful than traditional paint as the production and application of traditional paints requires significant energy and resources, generating pollutants, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and VOCs. In addition, traditional assembly lines use large volumes of water, particularly during exterior decoration. AERO finishes, on the other hand, produce zero CO2, are free of VOCs, PVC and solvents, while requiring zero water during production, application and use.