Coated in Interpon Textura® Headland

There’s no doubt Australian’s love the outdoors, with the climate often hailed as one of our country’s best features. However, as always the good must come with the bad; with the sunny summer days and mild winter months coming hand in hand with some of the most extreme weather events in the world.

Not that that scares us off from taking full advantage of the great outdoors. For a long time, our backyard enjoyment has been synonymous with a barbie and some weathered furniture, visibly having served their rites of passage more than once over.

Coated in Interpon Textura® White

Maybe this doesn’t need to be the case anymore. Maybe we’ve grown up, having learned a few lessons about design along the way and bettered the infamous Australian Ugliness that Robin Boyd called our attention to over 50 years ago.

“Refined luxury, alluring forms and sensory detail” are characteristics not always associated with outdoor furniture, or an ability to withstand some of the harshest weather conditions at all. And yet Tait’s range, and particularly their latest collaboration with Sydney designer Adam Goodrum, ‘Trace’, has produced exactly that – even picking up the prestigious Best Product Award at this year’s Denfair.

Coated in Interpon Textura® Black

“[Adam’s] style is very tactile; the whole range had to be very tactile and warm and friendly,” said Susan Tait, Creative Director at Tait, a premium and contemporary Australian outdoor furniture designer and manufacturer.

“The process was very much a collaboration,” Susan acknowledged, with numerous breakfast phone calls with Adam and plenty of trips between Melbourne and Sydney, where Adam is based, along with visits to suppliers and manufacturers in order to find the ideal materials that would hold up to the Australian climate and look good doing it.

“The technology behind Trace is amazing. It’s because the materials available today are at such a high standard now that we can even consider making a product like this.

Coated in Interpon Textura® Deep Ocean

“When it came to the powder coat, we were trying to find a textured powder coat [to fit that need for tactility] and it was really great timing. [Interpon] launched Textura® around that time and my factory manager came up and told me. “Oh, we’ve just got these samples in!” I nearly fell over.

“The colors were just perfect. We used three of the standard colors and had Interpon make up a custom color, which was fantastic. And because of its properties – scuffing resistance and all these sorts of things that you normally have trouble with when powder coating, [Textura®] really completed the range.”

Interpon Textura® is a robust new range of powder coating solutions from Interpon Powder Coatings. Textura® was designed specifically for outdoor applications, imbued with an ‘anti-mar’ finish to protect the surface from abrasions. The exterior grade coating is made here in Australia and is ideal for all manner of surfaces wherever performance and protection are required, such as outdoor furniture, window frames, and fencing, among others. All of the Interpon Textura® range is VOC and lead-free.

 Download Interpon Textura® Brochure

 Download Interpon Textura® Technical Data Sheet

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Due to the scope of architectural components on a building that is typically powder coated, we have undertaken an independent testing assessment in accordance with AS/NZS 1530.3 – 1999 Part 3. This determines the fire ratings and suitability of specific coating systems for aluminium coated cladding, extrusions, fixings, and components.
 
Based on the independent test results, Interpon D2015 and D3020 powder coat finishes are suitable for use on internal and external architectural cladding, extrusions, fixings, and components.
 
Download below datasheets for results. For a copy of the detailed test results, please email marketing@interpon.com.au. 

 Download Interpon_D3020 Fire Testing Results

Download Interpon D2015 Fire Testing Results 

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Get ready to dig out your blue jeans because our color experts have selected a shade of blue called Denim Drift as the Color of the Year for 2017.

Announced during the launch of the 14th annual ColourFutures™ trends forecast, Denim Drift is the foundation for an inspirational palette of colors centered on the expected global social and design trends that will shape how we live our lives in the upcoming year.

The overall theme for 2017 is ‘life in a new light’ which encourages us to take a fresh look at the everyday elements of life. Depending on how it’s used, the color Denim Drift leaves a different impression; combined with lighter shades of paint in the palette, it has a crisp and airy feel. With darker colors, it’s more dramatic and moody.

We’re already ahead of the curve looking at everyday life in a different light, because our very purpose at AkzoNobel is to create the everyday essentials that make people’s lives more liveable and inspiring.

Our resident color visionary, Heleen van Gent who is the Head of the Global Aesthetics Center says, “We understand how essential color is to everyday life. As well as being practical, paint and color can have such a transforming and uplifting effect on people and the places they spend their time, whether at home, work or leisure.”

Color Futures is a demonstration of our leadership in color expertise and all around innovation. We can all be proud of the work that has been done to date to build our long-standing reputation as thought leaders in color, interior design and global trends.

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Due to popular demand, Interpon D2015 Sablé® CoreTen® (YX350A) is now available as a stock item.

Exclusive to Interpon Powder Coatings, the tactile finish of Sablé CoreTen mimics the textured, rustic and distinctive appearance of corten steel.

Performance warranty available when applied by Interpon Approved Applicators

• 20 year film integrity
• 15 year color retention

 Download Interpon Sablé® CoreTen® Product Brochure

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The complete removal of plastic from the world’s oceans has moved a step closer after AkzoNobel joined forces with The Ocean Cleanup to help turn the tide on marine pollution.

The partnership involves AkzoNobel providing advanced, biocide-free coatings technology for all the devices and equipment used by The Ocean Cleanup for the next five years.

It represents a major contribution to the organization’s landmark efforts to clear plastic from our oceans. The cleaning is due to begin in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the next 12 months.

“Ocean pollution is a serious global issue impacting our society and our planet’s future,” said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner. “As a world leader in the marine coatings industry, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to overcoming the problem by taking action and supporting the fantastic work being done by The Ocean Cleanup.”

The most high profile use of the company’s coatings will be on the specially designed floating clean-up system which will collect the waste plastic. These biocide-free Intersleek products are already being used to help make the shipping industry more sustainable by reducing fuel consumption, cutting emissions and lowering the costs of operation.

“It is wonderful to add another big name to our growing list of supporters,” said Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of The Ocean Cleanup. “Working together with a true global force in sustainable coatings technology will ensure that our systems remain protected, even under the most extreme conditions. Another benefit of the partnership is team AkzoNobel’s involvement in the Volvo Ocean Race, which will help increase global awareness of the urgent need to remove plastic from our aquatic ecosystems.”

A perfect fit with AkzoNobel’s Planet Possible sustainability strategy, the collaboration follows on from the recent announcement that the company will also be an official sustainability partner of the next Volvo Ocean Race. This will include organizing a series of Ocean Summits focused on bringing science, politics, government, and sport together in an effort to act positively on the issue of marine litter.

Founded in 2013, The Ocean Cleanup aims to remove half the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the space of just five years. It employs U-shaped screens to channel floating plastic to a central point. The concentrated plastic can then be extracted and shipped to shore for recycling into durable products.

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16_90144 © Thierry Martinez / team AkzoNobel / AkzoNobel SCHEVENINGEN – THE NETHERLANDS . 28 November 2016.

AkzoNobel has been confirmed as the official Boatyard supplier for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. All the boats competing in the next edition will be coated with the company’s International® and Awlgrip range of products.

The competing yachts – including team AkzoNobel’s brand new Volvo Ocean 65 – have already been through an extensive refit process and have been coated with Awlgrip products, while the keel on each boat is protected with International coatings.

AkzoNobel has also developed unique custom colors for every team in the race, which will showcase its expertise to a huge global audience. Once the race starts in October, the company will supply all the coatings required for repairs and maintenance at each of the stopovers.

16_76044 © Thierry Martinez / team AkzoNobel / AkzoNobel LISBON – PORTUGAL . 2 November 2016.

“As the world’s leading supplier of marine and yacht coatings, we’re delighted to be partnering with the Volvo Ocean Race as official Boatyard supplier,” said Alberto Slikta, Managing Director of AkzoNobel’s Specialty Coatings business. “The race is the ultimate test of performance and, given our long association with the sea, it’s the perfect showcase for the company’s market-leading products.”
AkzoNobel’s International yacht business will also provide technical expertise and, when required, will supervise the application process during pit stops between races.

16_73482 © Thierry Martinez / team AkzoNobel / AkzoNobel LISBON – PORTUGAL . 2 November 2016.

Extensive preparations for the race have been taking place for several months at the permanent Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in Lisbon, Portugal. When the race begins later this year, a massive logistical operation will see the Boatyard travel to all stopovers around the world.

Regarded as the pinnacle of professional, fully-crewed ocean racing, the route for the 2017-18 race will visit some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of the world’s oceans. The boats will have to deal with extreme weather conditions, from freezing cold and raging gales to sweltering heat, so the coatings need to be as tough and durable as the sailors.

October 24, 2014. Onboard Team Vestas Wind. Approaching Fernando De Naronha on Day 13

“We’re excited to be part of such a thrilling and captivating sporting event,” continued Slikta. “It’s the kind of extreme test of high performance that our products are made for.”

Due to start in Alicante, Spain, on October 22, the race is scheduled to finish in The Hague, the Netherlands, in June 2018.

For more information, check out www.teamakzonobel.com.

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We are delighted to launch the free AkzoNobel Design app for iPad, created especially for professionals who want the latest information about colors and properties of coatings, predominantly in the Building and Construction sector.

AkzoNobel’s Design app allows you to better understand the use of powder and liquid coatings applied to metal in built environments. It is aimed at those involved in the design and specification process, enabling architects, designers and specifiers to create technical specification documents based on internationally recognized standards.

Key features of AkzoNobel Design app

• Product Finder: Choose from a comprehensive range of colors and finishes including metallic
• Technical Information: Access to technical information and reports 
• Color Picker: Find a match to the color you want – just use your camera or photos
• Personalized Colour Card: Create custom colour cards for your bespoke projects
• Specification Builder: Generates a coatings specification, based on the project location
• International Standards: AAMA, Qualicoat and more
• Track Records: Find examples of worldwide construction projects

The AkzoNobel Design app for iPad is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Europe and China. 

Download our free AkzoNobel Design App on your iPad today!

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While liquid paint is still the most widely implemented architectural finish in Australia, there is another that has enjoyed steady progression in popularity since its introduction in the late 1950s.

There are a number of factors leading to the increasing uptake of powder coating for architectural elements, but this can be mostly attributed to the growing awareness within the industry of the performance and cost benefits it can offer projects, given the right circumstances.

Below are the four key differences between powder coating and liquid paint.

1. Production Methods

Generally speaking, thinning agents or solvents are used to “thin” liquid paint prior to application. This process provides a consistent and even finish. However, wet paints can take a long time to fully cure due to curing additives and the use of solvents. The curing time for wet paints is also largely dependent on atmospheric conditions, reducing drying time consistency from one project to the next, particularly with external elements.

Comparatively, powder coating is a dry paint system. The coating is applied as a dry powder and then chemically fused to a component at high temperatures: a process known as curing. When coated components are cooled following the curing process, they are ready to be packed and shipped.

Powder coating is applied electrostatically to components. In doing so, powder that has not adhered to the component, known as overspray, can be reclaimed and reused. This makes powder coating a cost effective and environmentally friendly coating solution.

The preparation, application and curing processes for powder coating are carried out in a controlled factory environment and in a shorter time frame compared to wet paint. However, not all products can be powder coated. The decision of whether powder coating or liquid paint is more suitable is dependent on the size, weight and even location of components.

2. Cost

Expenses can be reduced in several areas by using powder coatings. For example, the application process is easier to automate, reducing labour costs.[1] Operational costs are also minimised through the lack of waste produced by powder coating.

3. No Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Additionally, while traditional liquid paint and protective coating systems are based on solvents that contain VOCs, powder coating is a “dry” finish. This means that powder coatings contain no solvents and release a negligible amount of VOCs, offering up environmental benefits additional to minimising waste.[2]

4. Durability

Powder coatings can offer a higher level of durability to external stressors such as UV degradation and environmental chemical exposure. This is particularly relevant for components such as windows and door framing, exterior cladding, fences, and balustrades, which are in constant use and exposed to harsh environments.[3]

 According to Gareth Connell, Regional Specification Manager at AkzoNobel, while there are pros and cons for both coating systems, the key is to use the right combination of both powder coating and liquid paints on a project. With the right combination, the project can enjoy the long-term performance benefits of powder coatings and reduced maintenance costs, such as onsite refurbishing or component replacement.

Powder coated architectural elements can have exterior performance life expectancies of up to 50 years with minimal care and maintenance. This makes powder coating an economic choice in reducing long-term asset management costs.

Interpon

Interpon Powder Coatings, a business unit of global AkzoNobel, manufactures and develops technologies for global requirements on a local scale.

With Interpon, specifiers can colour match and custom order their desired colour and finish, while benefitting from powder-coating’s batch-to-batch consistency.

Requiring very little long-term maintenance, reducing replacement and refurbishment requirements, and offering a VOC-free alternative with warranty performance, Connell sees powder coating as the way forward for the building industry. “It ticks all the boxes.”

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In April 2017, the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) will open its doors to the public. Large-scale healthcare projects like SCUH bring forth a whole host of challenges for building professionals, from budget constraints to facilitating developments in the health care sector.

In projects like SCUH, it is vital that the product specified meets warranty requirements. While warranties are important in all developments, they are particularly so in a health care facility where the building needs to perform at a high level for as long as possible. Often clients want to compromise the performance level of a product to achieve a certain colour or aesthetic. As Interpon has the ability to develop custom, commercial warranty-grade colours, they were able to provide the contractors at SCUH with their preferred colours – including Eastern Gold Satin and Surfmist Satin.

Interpon provided powder coatings for the sunhoods, aluminium extrusions and brackets of SCUH. Gareth Connell, Regional Specification Manager at Interpon, shares his experience of the more challenging aspects of working on hospitals and other government projects: ‘More often than not, building professionals are looking for long-term durability and aesthetic performance. The biggest challenge is balancing the product performance requirements and ensuring the specifications aren’t downgraded for lesser grade products.’

This challenge is reflective of widespread misconceptions associated with durability and the ensuing misspecification of powder coating in the building industry. According to Connell: ‘Finish performance has been assumed rather than properly understood and products have often been specified based on colour rather than understanding the preparation, application and performance qualities of an architectural grade powder coat system.’

These assumptions aren’t helped by the Australian Standard for Metal Finishing (AS3715) which is still perceived to be the performance benchmark for architectural metal finishing when really it isn’t applicable for a lot of projects.

AS3715 is not suitable for commercial applications and it is not always sufficient for harsh conditions. It is advisable, therefore, to play by the rules of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) which are much more comprehensive. This is because they are based on exterior exposure in South Florida (USA) as well as Allunga (Australia), which means the products are tested and proven under harsh Australian conditions.

A healthcare building, SCUH is considered a Class 9a building by the BCA. For this reason, Interpon provided D2105 Ultriva™, which has been designed to provide long-term performance warranties for all projects in all building classes and all locations. It offers a film integrity warranty of 20 years and a colour retention warranty of 15 years.

In order to ensure that products meet the warranty requirements for projects like SCUH, it is essential that they be applied by Interpon Approved Applicators. If elements like grades of substrate and coating specifications are not tightly controlled, and process parameters are not recorded, it increases the element of risk for all involved.

‘All Interpon Approved Applicators must meet stringent quality control and record keeping procedures as stipulated by Interpon Powder Coatings Australia,’ explains Connell. ‘Every project that is coated in Interpon warranty grade products is given a unique project identity and can trace the project, fabricator, products specified and even batch numbers of the powders used so complete transparency in the system processing needs to be adhered to.

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There’s a wide knowledge gap in the Australian architecture and construction industry surrounding powder coating warranties and this has been detrimental to all stakeholders.

A clear understanding of what is and isn’t covered by powder coating product warranties is vital to selecting the correct product for the job at hand.

Download this free whitepaper to understand how to correctly match a product to a project and ensure it is covered by warranty.

For more information:

Gareth Connell
Specifications Consultant
Interpon Powder Coatings
E: Gareth.Connell@akzonobel.com 
M: +61 418 196 205

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Monash University’s Clayton campus was recently awarded three major architecture awards by the Australian Institute of Architects for the second year running.

The precinct consists of four new residential buildings with associated retail and informal learning spaces, with each of the buildings having its own individual architectural style.

The project includes designs from four different architects including Hayball, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects (JCB), Richard Middleton Architects and McBride Charles Ryan, with master planning from MGS Architects and partners.

Central to the design are the powder coated aluminium elements featured across each of the buildings, ranging from sharp blacks and silvers on one building through to bright and exuberant colours on another, driving home the individuality of each designer.

Among the award-winning designs, the Logan Hall residency, designed by McBride Charles Ryan was recognised by the judges for its excellence in architectural skill and merit of design. Interpon Précis™ Black Ink was used for the shading devices and window frames, with Interpon Eternal Silver Satin specified for the weather panels above the ground floor retail.

“As we were conscious of long-term maintenance as well as creating an ongoing pleasing presence, the products used on the project were chosen for their intrinsic beauty and longevity,” says Debbie Ryan of McBride Charles Ryan.

“The pattern is intentionally complex. We have used honest and time-proven Interpon products which have all come together in a really joyful way through composition.”

Having previously worked on the colourful The Icon apartment complex in St Kilda designed by JCB, Interpon’s Specification Expert Gareth Connell understands the importance of tailored palette when vibrancy and colour are central to a project.

“We knew the design brief called for an exuberant range of colours for a wide range of building elements and performance of this aesthetic. We knew we’d have a proven high-performance finishing solution that would maintain the performance requirements for such a high profile project, which is why Interpon D2015 Ultra Durable polyester powder coat was specified.”

In contrast to the more ‘simple’ colour scheme used for Logan Hall, the Turner Hall building, designed by JCB, is defined by its bright colours, using a rainbow of ten different colours from the Interpon colour palette to create a vibrant and refreshing appearance that has revitalised the University as a whole, traditionally known for its dull brown buildings.

A coloured ‘hood’ at the window of each sole occupant studio glows at night, enhancing the colour spectrum. Custom colours from the Interpon Ultriva™ collection were used for aluminium elements including extrusions, sheets, flashings, cladding, trims and fins.

The complexities of the ambitious project required careful consideration and planning between the architects and powder coating supplier. The vibrant design brief lent itself to Interpon’s unique small batching facilities in Sunshine, Melbourne, that cater for such striking colour schemes in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Throughout the project, specialists from Interpon Powder Coatings worked closely with the multiple architectural teams involved in the project to ensure the perfect colour palette was developed for the best results both in individual building design and the project as a whole.

In specifying the Interpon D2015 Ultriva™ series, the designers were ensured significantly higher gloss retention and resistance to colour change along with maximum film integrity guaranteeing long-term cosmetic and functional protection. Interpon D2015 offers 20-year film integrity and gloss retention with 15-year colour retention and chalking resistance.

The Interpon D2015 range exceeds American Architectural Manufacturers Association Standards for High-Performance Organic Coatings on Aluminium Extrusions and Panels as well as exceeding the performance criteria of AS 3715 Metal finishing – Thermoset powder coating for architectural applications of aluminium.

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