In 2011, Stephanie Arzt began working in ALTANA
Corporate Innovation as a participant in the so-called Cross
Divisional Development Program. She was involved in
numerous projects and became acquainted with different
ALTANA divisions. These experiences were advanta-
geous to Arzt, who holds a PhD in chemistry, when she
switched to Key Account Management two years
later. “I really enjoy collaborating closely with customers
and developing new solutions with them.” Dr. Arzt has
benefited in the Effect Pigments and Additives segments
not least of all from the coatings expertise of her colleagues
at ECKART and BYK, who also supply to AkzoNobel.
From Idea to Successful Product
BYK-Gardner wanted the new spectrophotometer
to be more precise and handier
than its predecessor, yet affordable
for smaller paint shops and compatible
with AkzoNobel’s color-matching software
Mixit. Research and development
employees of the two companies got
down to work. BYK-Gardner was respon
sible for the design concept and measurement
optics, and programmed the in-
terface
to the user software. AkzoNobel
developed the operating concept, the user
menu, and the touchscreen. In 2014,
AkzoNobel brought the Automatchic Vision
(AMV) onto the market. “We set
new standards with the device,” says Dr.
Stephanie Arzt, key account manager
at BYK-Gardner. “Due to the new technol-
ogies employed, we were able to achieve
even more precise measurement accuracy
and user friendliness.”
The AMV is the very first WiFi-capable
multiangle spectrophotometer. It is placed
right on the vehicle. The data recorded
can then be sent via WLAN to the repair-
shop computer. Subsequently, the software
determines the exact color formulation
in just a few seconds, even when it
comes to very sophisticated metallic colors.
From Supplier to Partner
Like most global companies, AkzoNobel
has significantly reduced the number
of its suppliers in recent years in order to
bundle its purchasing volume, to harmonize
processes, and to cut costs. In this
chain, ALTANA considers itself a partner
that supports AkzoNobel with knowhow
and innovative ability. The keyword is
cooperation.
“We are close to our custo-
mers, think along with them, and identify
and use optimization opportunities,” says
Dr. Stephanie Arzt, describing the cooperation.
Research and development are
particularly important: ALTANA invests
six percent of its sales in work on new
products and applications every year, far
above the industry
average. With an eye
to the future, the teams at AkzoNobel
and BYK-Gardner
are discussing new application
areas for the AMV outside the
automotive refinish sector. The objective:
to set new standards once again.
26 Sustainability Incorporated