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Effects play a special role when it comes to automotive coating. Not only do they broaden the colour spectrum, they also provide the entire surface of the vehicle with an exclusive look. This was also recognised by the jury of experts at the Automotive Brand Contest, which was held for the fifth time by the German Design Council.
The effect paint XSpark by BASF’s Coatings division is the only automotive coating, which succeeded at the Automotive Brand Contest and was honoured with an award at the IAA 2015 held recently in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The competition reflects trends and developments in automotive design, where emotional design and consistent brand management are important factors of success.
The designers at BASF Coatings (pictured above) work closely with the lab to develop new formulations continually, thus challenging the viewing habits of the observer. This is how XSpark was developed, a special effect for automotive OEM coatings, which only unfolds its effect in direct sunlight. Tiny glass particles in the finish reflect the light with almost no scatter, in this way creating a distinctive sparkle. The uniform light refraction of the surface creates a visual effect of depth on the entire surface of the vehicle.
