PPG Repeats as PACE Winner for Auto Coatings Innovation

    DEARBORN, Mich.--March 6, 2001--PPG Industries received a prestigious PACE awards Monday night for significant automotive coatings innovation.
    A year ago PPG became the first coatings maker honored in the annual PACE competition.
    Sponsored by Automotive News magazine and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, 12 awards for automotive industry supplier process and product innovation and management excellence were announced at the Henry Ford Museum. Recipients were selected from among 36 finalists after a comprehensive evaluation by an independent panel representing industry and academia.
    Pittsburgh-based PPG was honored for Audioguard sound- and vibration-dampening coating. PPG was also a finalist for Bonazinc weldable primer and Enviro-Prime 2000 lead-free electrodeposition primer.
    "We're proud of PPG's reputation for strategic innovations that solve problems and improve efficiency for our customers," said Richard Zahren, vice president of automotive coatings. "We are also grateful to the customers who partnered with us to introduce these products nominated for 2001 PACE Awards.
    "It was a great accomplishment for three PPG technologies to achieve PACE finalist status. To receive a second award in two years is an outstanding confirmation of our coatings innovation leadership in the auto industry," he added.
    Zahren said the robotically applied Audioguard acoustic coating dampens sound and vibration more efficiently, with less weight and cost, than commonly used manually installed pads.
    He said the Bonazinc weldable primer is applied before galvanized steel vehicle bodies and their components are stamped and assembled, achieving enhanced resistance to corrosion.
    PPG's Enviro-Prime 2000 e-coat primer is even more corrosion resistant than conventional e-coats with lead, and requires no process modification, according to Zahren. Application emissions and energy consumption are reduced with more efficient coverage.
    A year ago PPG won a PACE Award for the Enviracryl powder clear coat used on BMW autos built in Germany, and also was a finalist for its two-bath Power-Prime electrocoat process.