Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the introduction of its unique Aqua-tech Paint System at Changan Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. (CMA), the company's vehicle production facility in Jiangsu, China. The technology was first introduced at the Ujina Plant No. 1 in Japan, where installation of the system was completed in 2012. CMA becomes the company's second plant and first overseas facility to feature the innovative low-impact paint technology.
Reducing volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from vehicle body paint shops is a long-standing issue for the automobile industry, which has traditionally favored VOC-heavy oil-based paints and thinners.
Automakers moved toward water-based paints in an effort to reduce VOC emissions, but the energy-intensive evaporative drying process required for these paints resulted in increased CO2 emissions. Mazda's unique Aqua-tech Paint System overcomes this trade-off by simultaneously reducing emissions of VOC and CO2, and makes far more efficient use of energy and paint materials than traditional paint systems.
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