New Sikkens Autowave Optima Offers 'One-Stop' Application

April 2, 2025

AkzoNobel's latest waterborne basecoat has been shown to provide as much as 50% faster processing times and 60% lower energy costs.

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AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel has launched Sikkens Autowave Optima in North America, according to a press release. The company promises it's a new one-stop application waterborne basecoat that improves body shops’ productivity and sustainability.

Development, testing, and refinement of the new basecoat included AkzoNobel’s researchers, scientists, technical and sales teams, and selected customers for the Sikkens brand.

Sikkens Autowave Optima can achieve up to 50% faster processing times compared to conventional basecoat application methods. With perfect coverage in just 1.5 layers due to its high pigmentation, it can save an average of about 15% of paint material.

Technicians don’t need to flash-off between layers; they can go into the spray booth once. The fast application times translate into 60% lower energy costs and a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 60% compared to a conventional basecoat along with 380 grams per liter of VOCs, which is 10% lower than the 420 grams per liter legislation. All performance data quoted is based on AkzoNobel’s benchmark testing.

Autowave Optima demonstrates the combination sustainability, productivity and profitability.

Its complete toner assortment covers a wide range of solid, metallic, pearl, candy, and special effect car colors in the market. In combination with AkzoNobel’s portfolio of fast-drying fillers and clearcoats, the new basecoat further increases system performance while meeting the highest OEM quality standards.

“This basecoat reflects the DNA of our company, and our commitment to addressing the key challenges of body shops — sustainability and efficiency — saving valuable time and energy through our advanced coating technology,” said John Griffin, director of AkzoNobel’s Automotive & Specialty Coatings business in North America.

The new generation basecoat delivers high color accuracy and a reliable color match through a seamless 100% digital color process with AkzoNobel’s Automatchic spectrophotometer and Mixit color retrieval software. Customers can use AkzoNobel’s Refinish+ digital platform to track KPIs and improve business performance. The Carbeat production workflow dashboard can also help to drive operational efficiency.