AkzoNobel takes a stake in Qlayers
Industrial and marine paint and coating heavyweight AkzoNobel has announced it is taking a stake in start-up Qlayers, alongside investment fund ECFG. The young Dutch company develops robotic solutions for the application of paints and surface treatments for industrial and marine environments. It had already been noticed by the multinational in 2019, during the Paint the Future competition, of which it was the winner. The amount of the investment has not been made public.
More economical and ecological paint application
Qlayers has developed 2 models of robots for paint application. Their main advantages according to their designers are economical and ecological. The absence of peripheral projection limits the particles in the air, making the process more respectful of the environment. The precision of the application and the use of the right amount of product allows substantial savings.
The 10Q and BL8 robots are used in tank processing and wind turbine blade painting. Qlayers is looking to expand into the marine sector. The partnership with AkzoNobel, well established in the sector with its brands of antifouling and marine paint International and Awlgrrip, should accelerate the dynamics. In return, AkzoNobel will have an easy way to test the compatibility of its products with robotic applications.
