AkzoNobel Automotive and Aerospace Coatings has expanded its advanced Sikkens vehicle refinishes system with the addition of Autoclear 2.0, a new clearcoat that takes advantage of  patented binder technology to deliver an exceptional finish, outstanding drying performance and superior hardening.

Sikkens Autoclear 2.0 is designed to bring greater efficiency and flexibility to bodyshop processes by factoring in workload, job size and different workstreams. It reduces process time with better through hardening, allowing immediate handling, polishing, and reassembly after drying. With Autoclear 2.0, bodyshop operators also have additional scheduling flexibility and the possibility to save on energy costs, because it can be dried at either 40˚C or 60˚C, and drying speed can be further adjusted by choosing either Reducer Slow or Reducer Fast, with no need to adjust the hardeners.

Bodyshops will benefit from these features on all types of repairs from spot repairs to total resprays. Sikkens says Autoclear 2.0 application is fast and easy, with no compromise on results and  with its excellent flow and levelling characteristics, painters can be confident that even at lower baking temperatures they can achieve outstanding appearance and gloss.

Autoclear 2.0 is also one of the most environmentally friendly clearcoats on the market. Its fast, low-temperature drying characteristics reduce energy consumption and the overall carbon footprint. It has also been formulated with 13.5 percent renewable ingredients, and with a potlife of 1.5 to 2 hours, there’s less mixing and less waste.

“Our continuous improvement program is paying off with tremendous performance and tremendous value for our customers,” says AkzoNobel  Vehicle Refinishes Director Simon Parker. “We understand that different bodyshops may have different requirements, and that even in a single bodyshop, the requirements may vary from job to job and day to day. So we’ve built enormous flexibility into Sikkens Autoclear 2.0. Whether it’s speed or flow, 40°C or 60°C, with Autoclear 2.0, you can be certain you’ll get the job done and deliver brilliant results to your customer.”

To mark the launch of Sikkens Autoclear 2.0 in Europe, Sikkens is putting a new twist on “VIP” promotions with a competition that will award the winner with two grandstand tickets to a Formula One race. In this case, “VIP” means “Very Important Painter”. Autoclear 2.0 users are invited to share their experiences online, telling the Sikkens community why they like the new clearcoat, and to upload their pictures to sikkensvr.com. The best submission will be selected for the grand prize, and the first two hundred participants in the competition will win a t-shirt bearing their product experience along with a photo of the AkzoNobel sponsored McLaren’s 2014 F1 car.

For more information about Autoclear 2.0 and to find out what The Painters have to say about the performance of the newest member of the Sikkens VR system, please visit sikkensvr.com.