Gloss Magazine Issue 16

Issue 16 | July 2015

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GLASURIT – EDITOR'S LETTER | 03

EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to this issue of GLOSS magazine (Issue 16).

Welcome to the 16th issue of GLOSS magazine, where we have taken a little time to celebrate some very important milestones.

BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, celebrates its 150th birthday in 2015 and BASF is using the 150th anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on our past achievements but also to create something new and exciting that extends to the future. As BASF’s world-class refinishing system, Glasurit is proud to be under the wing of BASF. Speaking of wings, Ara, Glasurit’s Macaw, is celebrating her 90th year as Glasurit’s bright and colourful trademark. After the fine job Ara has done, this issue pays tribute to Ara’s ‘family photo album.’

As ever, GLOSS has its eye on progressive bodyshops and bold stories in the industry.

In this issue you can read about the fantastic impact women are making in bodyshops and the role gender diversity has to play in taking the industry forward.

The story of Edwards Spray North’s relocation is a tremendous testament to the thorough planning and preparation of our Glasurit team and the bodyshop’s staff.

And just as importantly, ensuring sustainable bottom-line success for a business’s long-term future.

The world’s most dangerous roads story highlights some incredible feats of fearless and sometimes ridiculous road architecture all over the world.

There’s plenty more to discover in this issue of GLOSS, including the rise of intelligent cars and evolving body shell safety technology.

We hope you enjoy this issue of GLOSS and don’t forget, if you have any story suggestions for our next issue, please let us know.

Kind regards

CONTENTS FEATURES 04 B ASF TURNS 150 Chemicals giant celebrates a century-and-a-half of innovation.

06 A PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFETY Glasurit and Subaru join forces to highlight evolving body shell technology.

08 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARA Glasurit’s trademark macaw celebrates 90 years.

10 I NTELLIGENT CARS From KITT to Google, the rise of self-driving machines.

12 GIVE A GIRL A SPRAY GUN Gender diversity in the automotive refinish industry.

14 WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS Road safety can mean something very different in other corners of the world.

16 MOVING WITH THE TIMES Why Edwards Spray North decided to pack up 30 years of panel shop and relocate.

18 S AY GOODBYE TO SANDPAPER Glasurit’s innovative ‘wet on wet’ concept will save you time and money.

19 GLASURIT NEWS News, views and industry updates.

TONY WIGGINS Head of Coatings BASF Australia Ltd

04 | GLASURIT – BASF TURNS 150

BASF CELEBRATES BASF turns 150 in 2015. In addition to celebrations and a historical retrospective, BASF has prepared a global co-creation program with partners on the topics of energy, food and urban living. As part of this program, called Creator SpaceTM, BASF is taking a new approach in accordance with its ‘We create chemistry’ strategy.

“We want to initiate something new with our anniversary and try out new ways of working together over the next year – both within BASF and with people outside the company.

We see the Creator Space program as a great opportunity to bring BASF closer to our target groups,” said Dr. Kurt Bock, Chairman of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors.

sent a manager to China with the aim of seeking opportunities for the company.

“At the time, China was a new market on a largely unknown continent. There was real pioneer work to be done. Today, we are the largest foreign chemical investor in China,” said Dr. Martin Brudermueller, Vice-Chairman of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors.

BASF’s official anniversary event with invited guests took place on 23 April 2015 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. A special highlight was the premiere of an anniversary musical composition, Sounds for 150, for which employees worldwide recorded more than 1,200 typical BASF sounds. The composer was Michael Nyman.

BASF sites around the world are celebrating the 150th anniversary, each in a different way, according to their respective size and culture.

From Ludwigshafen into the world BASF’s history started in 1865 with dyes.

Ammonia production followed a few years later in order to make fertiliser. Then, plastics came along. Since then the company’s portfolio has continuously developed and today it ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection to oil and gas. BASF supplies customers in nearly every industry with products

BASF’s history in China has been compiled for its anniversary in a book titled Breaking New Ground. The book was written by Michael Grabicki, the longtime head of BASF’s media relations team, and has been published in English, German and Chinese.

Above: BASF founder Friedrich Engelhorn.

and solutions and supports them with research and innovations.

“Being successful for so many years speaks for the creativity and determination of BASF’s employees – past and present,” Dr Bock said.

BASF has operated internationally since its beginnings. Shortly after it was founded, BASF was selling its dyes worldwide. In 1885, BASF

Creator SpaceTM program is a key element of the anniversary In 2050, the world’s population will reach nine billion, and 70% of the people will live in cities.

A company that works on a global scale has to look at issues from the perspectives of different markets and understand local requirements. What will the cities of the future look like? Where will the energy that is needed come from? How can there be enough healthy food for everyone? The answers to these questions will be quite different from region to region.

GLASURIT – BASF TURNS 150 | 05

Above: Humble beginnings – BASF's first factory in Ludwigshafen, 1866.

The Creator Space™ program unlocks numerous opportunities to think about challenges related to the focus topics energy, food and urban living and to work towards solutions, both virtually and in person.

“We are convinced that when we add the expertise from chemistry and other industries to these ideas, we will be closer to finding answers for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

For society, these are solutions. For BASF, these are business opportunities. The better we understand market needs, the better our innovations will be – regardless of whether we’re talking about products, entire systems or new business models,” Dr Bock said.

The website Creator Space™ online went live in September 2014. More than 9,000 participants are exchanging ideas in real-time on the three anniversary topics: urban living, energy, and food. The ideas and solutions from Creator Space™ online are fed into other anniversary activities such as the Creator Space™ tour.

Dr Brudermueller said: “The tour is about personal exchange in an environment that motivates creativity and an urge to design the future. Employees, customers, scientists, politicians and NGO representatives all have the opportunity to get involved with the anniversary topics.”

The 2015 tour stops for one week in each of six cities. So far, it has been in Mumbai, Shanghai and New York, and will continue in São Paulo, Barcelona and Ludwigshafen. It provides space for workshops, conferences, idea competitions and cultural events. Each stop concentrates on one challenge that is particularly important for that city or country.

As part of the Creator Space™ program, BASF is hosting three high-level science symposia – in Ludwigshafen, Chicago and Shanghai.

Renowned scientists from various disciplines will meet at each event. Among them are Nobel Prize winners, including the physicist and energy

“We are convinced that when we add the expertise from chemistry and other industries to these ideas, we will be closer to finding answers for the challenges of today and tomorrow. “ politician Steven Chu, the chemist Jean-Marie Lehn, and Frances Arnold, the pioneer of evolution in a test tube. In total, discussions with more than 1,500 guests from science, politics and industry will take place.

A documentary film spanning the entire anniversary year is being produced to capture some of the most fascinating moments.

The prize-winning director, Thomas Grube, will accompany the anniversary activities. The film will be available in April 2016. Before that, clips can be viewed on www.creator-space.basf.com.

Celebrating 150 in Australia BASF is using the 150th anniversary as an opportunity to not only look at past achievements but to create something new and exciting that extends into the future.

Who better to engage in dialogue about the future than young innovators, entrepreneurs and doers who care passionately about the world they live in and dream up ideas to make it better.

For this reason, BASF Australia partnered with the Foundation of Young Australians (FYA) on a recent campaign, Innovation Nation.

The two-month campaign, which ended on 27 March, used social media to call on Australia’s brightest entrepreneurs to share their ideas for a better Australia.

Six young entrepreneurs with the most innovative solutions to global challenges related to urban living, food and smart energy have been selected to participate in an intense learning and mentoring program to help them turn their aspirations into reality.

Their journey will culminate at BASF’s Creator Space™ event in Sydney on 6 August, where the young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their bright ideas.

An app that enables restaurants to sell unused food, a campaign to make drinking straws biodegradable and an online lending platform for solar power are just some of the six ideas picked by BASF. A panel of expert judges and a live audience will vote for their favourite idea and the winner will take home $10,000 in seed funding to help them turn their dream into reality and contribute to a brighter future.

To find out more about how BASF is celebrating ‘150’ in Australia, visit Creator Space™ online.

06 | GLASURIT – SUBARU WRX SHELL REFINISH

A PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFETY Glasurit and Subaru join forces to highlight evolving body shell technology Subaru Australia is committed to educating the collision repair industry on best practices, and who better to partner with than Glasurit® to produce a display for the Collision Repair Expo showcasing the body construction of the latest Subaru WRX. “Through our strong relationship with Subaru and our combined commitment to educate the industry on best practices, this was an opportunity for both Glasurit and Subaru to deliver a clear and strong message about the technical advancements in construction and safety impact of vehicles today”, said Ian

Johnson, Technical Sales Support Manager, BASF Australia Ltd. The WRX shell is specifically designed by the Subaru Training Academy and painted in Glasurit Automotive Refinish. It was showcased at the National Collision Repair Expo to make the industry aware of the materials used in the manufacturing of vehicles and the need to ensure the correct repair methods and processes are used during vehicle body repairs. Body construction is the most important aspect of passive safety. The ring shape reinforcement frames have increased safety performance by improving collision protection from all directions.

In this structure, the centre pillars, roof and floor are all connected to form a ring shape for increased rigidity and the effective dispersal of energy in an impact. To clearly highlight the different high strength steels and their locations, the shell was painted in three separate colours.

Peter Jones, National Head Trainer, and James Green, Glasurit Trainer, were in charge of the refinish of this project. With the assistance of Subaru Academy’s National Training Manager, Gary Pearce, and Subaru’s Collision Category Manager, Andrew Minns, they had a clear understanding of the different materials used and where they were located within the shell.

From there a plan was mapped out to approach where the multiple colours were situated. Peter and James overlaid each colour and masked each section as required and delivered the premium quality refinish that Glasurit is renowned for.

“We were very excited to assist Subaru on this project”, Ian Johnson said. “Our common goal is to educate the industry using best practice and benefit those within it to advance our sustainability.”

“Our common goal is to educate the industry using best practice and benefit those within it to advance our sustainability”

Below: Glasurit National Head Trainer Peter Jones and Glasurit Trainer James Green preparing the WRX shell.

GLASURIT – SUBARU WRX SHELL REFINISH | 07

980 MPa

270-440 MPa

590 MPa

590 MPa

270-440 MPa

270-440 MPa

590 MPa

980 MPa

980 MPa

COURTESY OF SUBARU AUSTRALIA

Above: Subaru’s Impreza WRX STi combines performance with a five-star ANCAP rating.

WRX STEEL CONTENT Body construction is the most important aspect of passive safety. Subaru holds a five-star safety rating on all new models from ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program).

Subaru’s philosophy is to provide the highest level of real-world occupant protection from impact from any direction.

Ring shape reinforcement frames have increased safety performance by improving collision protection from all directions. In this structure, the centre pillars, roof and floor are connected to form a ring shape for increased rigidity and effective dispersal of an impact.

980 MPa

590 MPa

270-440 MPa

Front and rear doors feature high tensile strength side intrusion beams to effectively transmit impact energy to the body pillars and the rear floor through high tensile strength door reinforcement panels.

uses two steel plates that are laser welded together prior to stamping. The double thickness plate is only used in the specific area where additional strength is required and therefore this method retains the high strength of a single one piece stamping at a much reduced weight.

Twin intrusion bars are used in the rear doors.

The lower bar locks into the door opening part of the body shell to prevent the door opening during a side impact.

The structure of the centre ‘B’ pillar also uses a high strength lightweight construction method called ‘tailored blanked welding’. This method

Above/below: Glasurit painted the shell in three separate colours to clearly highlight the different high strength steels and their location.

270-440 MPa

590 MPa

980 MPa

08 | GLASURIT – ARA TURNS 90

GLASURIT PARROT TURNS 90

90

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARA!

YEARS

Although the Glasurit parrot reached the proud old age of 90 this year, it is just as bright and colourful as it was on the first day. The parrot has been part of the Glasurit trademark since 1925. Reason enough to flip through the ‘family photo album’.

In 1888, Max Winkelmann established a trading company for paints and lacquers in Hamburg.

Five years later, he launched the first product of his own on the market, “Kristall-Weiss” (crystal white) paint. With this, he offered a real innovation to painters, the first paint that could be applied by brush. The pigments and binders it contained were ground to a brushable consistency, which not only made work easier at the time, but also substantially increased the shelf life of the coatings.

To illustrate the high quality of the paint at first glance, the label of crystal white paint bore the lettering ‘Chinese paint’ and a drawing of the head of a Chinese. Max Winkelmann therefore likened his product to the ancient craftmanship of the Chinese, who developed the technique of painting thousands of years ago.

In 1898, the name Glasurit was registered as a brand name for the many paint products elaborated in the meantime. The name stands for ‘hard, glaze-like coating’ and is a pledge of quality, just like the ‘head of the Chinese’ on the label.

THE PARROT AS THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE GLASURIT BRAND About 25 years later, the era of sprayable nitrocellulose paints began in Germany.

These were manufactured in the new ‘Glasso’ paint factory in Munster-Hiltrup from 1927/28.

A new symbol for Glasurit had to be found to match the new times. It was to be more modern, colourful and cheerful. That marked the advent of the Glasurit parrot.

From 1925, a colourful Ara parrot graced the Glasurit paint cans. But the switchover from one trademark to the other was gradual. After all, users had to be able to recognise the brand they trusted. So for a transitional period, both the Glasurit parrot and the head of a Chinese figured on the paint cans. Up to the mid-1930s, both trademarks represented Glasurit. Only later on did the Ara become the brand’s sole ambassador.

SAY YES TO COLOUR The Glasurit parrot is a clear ‘yes’ to colour and has remained Glasurit’s trademark to the present day. The aura of luxury that surrounds the exotic bird in Germany refers to the high quality of the products that bear the name Glasurit.

In the following decades, the Glasurit trademark was repeatedly tweaked and adjusted to the taste of the times. But the essential elements remain: the Ara and the Glasurit lettering.

The message behind them is: we continuously develop our paint products and adapt them to the needs of our users and the market. One thing always stays the same – the excellent quality that has made the traditional brand from Germany a successful global player.

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10 | GLASURIT – INTELLIGENT CARS

INTELLIGENT CARS Remember Knight Rider? In the 1980s TV series David Hasselhoff held conversations with “K.I.T.T.”, his intelligent car. The wonder-car with the computer brain had any number of technical tricks up its sleeve – and on occasions it led its own capricious life…

Increasingly, the visions of earlier decades are becoming reality. Cars can talk to us (“You have reached your destination…”) and can also understand what we say through a voice control system. More and more processes inside the vehicle are now being controlled electronically rather than mechanically. But this is just the start. Inspired inventors are working on the features of tomorrow’s SmartCar. JET FIGHTER TECHNOLOGY AND STREET ART The designers at the McLaren Formula 1 racing stable intend to abolish old-fashioned windscreen wipers. To replace them, the developers have adapted the technology used in jetfighters. Ultrasonics cause the front windscreens of supersonic aircraft to vibrate, and this deflects raindrops, dirt and insects

from the screen. But there are a few unresolved problems. First, the high frequency tones are disturbing to mammals, and second, windscreen wipers are a compulsory specification imposed by the vehicle registration authorities.

Besides – where would parking inspectors put their tickets?

“Look at the road!” On-board computers and satellite navigation devices sometimes present the problem that the driver’s attention is drawn to the centre console instead of what is happening on the road.

So-called ‘head-up displays’ are already providing the remedy. But the next generation of practical display units at eye height go a long step further. They simply turn the entire windscreen into a display unit, projecting information directly into the driver’s eyeline.

For example, a distance marker between the

car and the one ahead will show up clearly on the road. Reality and animation are merging.

The system should be ready for series production as early as 2016 or 2017.

According to researchers, soon it will not just be cars and their drivers communicating with one another, but cars will also be talking to other cars. In the USA, road tests are being carried out to see how interaction between vehicles, independent of the driver, can optimise traffic flow and avoid collisions.

Vehicles would connect automatically with one another via wifi and issue warnings to each other of impending collision, for example when changing lanes.

The three major players – Apple, Microsoft and Google – are working on intelligent autopilots.

However, as opposed to robot cars, such systems do not remove the task of driving from

GLASURIT – INTELLIGENT CARS | 11

the driver, but rather they assist the driver with information. With such a system vehicles could automatically maintain a safe distance, or with greater vehicle separation close up the gap to the next vehicle.

CELL PHONE ON THE STEERING WHEEL It’s not only the street picture that is going digital – the ignition key is too. What is already reality in building technology is awaiting drivers. The mobile phone becomes a digital key. A smartphone app registers ‘new’ drivers, stores individual access data and authorises the person to start the car. A service of this kind is particularly practical for car rental firms and car pools, because there’s no need to hand over

physical keys. Never again will private users need to look for their keys.

Apple has developed software that uses sensors on the iPhone to determine whether the driver is sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle and whether the car is moving. If both are true, the smartphone blocks the messaging function so that the driver will not be distracted.

FACEBOOK FRIENDS ON THE ENGINE HOOD The most ambitious project is Toyota’s SmartCar – almost a moving screen, an iPad on wheels.

The outside and inside surfaces are interactive displays where you can activate apps, use social media and even watch videos! And of course

drivers can adapt the bodywork design to suit their mood. Just now this might simply be a crazy game, but a real application could be, for example, that the vehicle automatically adjusts to the ambient light.

Let’s get back to the beginning! Where early voice control systems only understood clearly defined commands, innovative voice recognition services understand entire sentences, spoken colloquially. Soon drivers will be able to keep on chatting – just like David Hasselhoff used to with his futuristic wonder-car.

By the way: the Knight Rider car even had a built-in ATM! But drivers may have to wait a bit longer for that to become reality.

12 | GLASURIT – GENDER DIVERSITY IN AUTOMOTIVE REFINISH

GIVE A GIRL A SPRAY GUN It’s a changing world – today, in 2015, there are more women than ever before working in the trades, including spray painting.

This shouldn’t be surprising according to Fiona Shewring, a researcher, TAFE lecturer, tradeswoman and founder of SALT (Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen), because the idea that a particular job is a man’s job or a woman’s job is history.

That’s not to say they’re taking over by any stretch of the imagination, but they are making an impression, as we found out when we looked around the spray painting industry. Women are taking their place in Glasurit’s colour matching lab, on the road as trainers and in the panel shops where they’re working in the booths.

“Jobs don’t have a gender.

Eighty years ago women were expected to stay at home and have babies. Now women have to work, and more women are going into non-traditional areas,” she said.

“Women aren’t better than men at any particular trade. The idea that a woman is more patient or has an eye for detail is nonsense – people who do well at trade are hands on, they’re good at doing their work.

Australia has around 5,000 tradeswomen, which represents approximately 2% of the country’s total trade workforce. With 98% of qualifying apprentices male, it can be hard for women to find a job.

“In the past, the trades have tended to be a fall back position for boys who didn’t do well at school – people haven’t thought of a trade as a career. In fact a good tradie is very hands on, focused on quality work, and has high intelligence… They pick up on things very quickly, can transfer skills from one situation to another and they enjoy working in a very physical way.”

The physical nature of spray painting was what attracted Tara Savage to the trade.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIMMER IMAGES

Having grown up in a regional area – half way between the famous tourist sites of Bath and Stonehenge in the United Kingdom – she was travelling when she fell into the business.

“I’d spent two years doing a sports diploma then I’d gone travelling because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I went to Africa then back to England before heading to Australia.

“I’d always felt as if I’d been born into the wrong country but as soon as I arrived I knew Australia was for me. I found a job at BMW Sydney washing cars to earn some money and realised I really liked doing the physical stuff.”

Soon after Tara found herself a role at Paddington Prestige Repairs, where owner Peter Robinson offered Tara her first taste of panel repairing.

“Once they’ve got the systems in place, they can see the difference it makes to their work. ”

“I did detailing for a year, and then I got more involved in the workshop, repairing bumper bars; I learnt to polish cars and then Peter offered me an apprenticeship in vehicle painting.”

Tara learnt her trade in the UK, but now calls Australia home.

Being from the UK, Tara wasn’t able to study painting locally so she made the decision to return home to the UK to learn her trade.

“To be allowed to come back to Australia to work meant I had to complete the course to the highest standard, and I did – I qualified with a triple distinction grade,” she said. That was five years ago and Tara is now in her fifth year as a qualified painter, still working with Paddington Prestige Repairs, and waiting for her permanent residency to come through.

Working to the highest standards Tara said the job was everything she’d hoped it would be.

“I am not interested in cars at all but I’ve always been very hands on, I like getting dirty, I like to get home feeling physically exhausted.”

She said she thrived on the pressure of working in a prestige paint shop, where you had to go the extra distance to satisfy your customer.

“I like to be fussy, I like the high standards here, and painting is very therapeutic – when you put the paint on and it looks nice and even, when it’s shining, it’s an art, it’s nice to do.

“I have written a car off so I know what the car owners have been through when they bring their vehicle in to us… the trauma of the accident, the paperwork… there is nothing more satisfying than looking through the booth and seeing a customer picking up their car smiling, driving off… and I always hope they come back.”

Glasurit’s Adelaide-based Technical Sales Representative, Samantha Mohring, said she too faced a few challenges when she first started in the industry.

“I was one of the first females to qualify in spray painting – I started when I was 15, and I had qualified in my apprenticeship by the time I was 19.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN HEMMINGS

GLASURIT – GENDER DIVERSITY IN AUTOMOTIVE REFINISH | 13

Samantha Mohring worked as a spray painter for 12 years before joining BASF Australia as a Technical Sales Representative.

“At first it was hard to get respect, even after I finished my trade – to get males to understand I had as much knowledge as they had.

“It’s hard physical work – especially on hot days when your booth is 40 degrees – so it’s strenuous on your body… but your body builds up to the job.”

She said spray painting was something she’d wanted to do since she was a kid.

“My family is very car oriented – my brother is a mechanic and I’d always liked the artistic side – airbrushing – and creating special effects with colours. My dad encouraged me to get involved.”

Eye For colour Samantha’s artistic eye proved useful when as an apprentice she did the World Skills Australia contest for colour matching and was awarded a silver medal. She worked as a spray painter for 12 years before joining BASF Australia as a Technical Sales Representative. Now 27, she says she loves her work, which keeps her involved in the trade.

Brooke Mepham went from apprentice to BASF Colour Lab Technician

“I like going in and teaching all the skills I’ve learnt over the years, teaching everything that BASF has taught me. I like helping to make other painters more efficient and making sure they are happy with the Glasurit paint system,” she said.

“The most challenging part of my job is trying to get painters to do their work in the most efficient way – to mimic what we do as trainers.

Of course compared to our Glasurit Refinish Competence Centre, they’re working in a different environment, they’re in a fast-paced environment, so changing their approach to spraypainting can be challenging.

“Once they’ve got the systems in place though, they can see the difference it makes to their work.

That’s especially true when it comes to colour matching – we have the Glasurit PROFI system that matches the colours for you – a lot of people are reluctant to start using it because they’re so set in their ways of mixing colours on the machine then spraying it out to test. The Glasurit PROFI system uses swatches to colour match – it makes life much quicker and easier for the painters.”

Which is where Brooke Mepham comes into the picture. Brooke is one of BASF Australia’s colour lab technicians, a job she took on having qualified in her trade as a spray painter (in the process winning the Illawarra competition for World Skills) and worked as a qualified spray painter for three years. “I love it – when you get sent a metal cutting from a vehicle and it’s a colour that there’s no formula for, you just have to make it up from scratch, using the microscope to see the effects – whether it’s a metallic or a pearl for example – and when you get a match, that’s really rewarding.

“I’ve always had a good eye for colour and I’d done some colour matching through my apprenticeship but I’m really learning on the job here. There are four of us in the colour lab, matching colours for bodyshops around the country.”

14 | GLASURIT – WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS

WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS Sometimes we forget how lucky we are in Australia with our concern for road safety. It is an area we are forever addressing and improving, and per capita our road fatality rate is one of the lowest in the world. When we hop in the car and go for a drive it is hardly a matter of life and death. When you steer onto any of these booby traps, a matter of life and death is exactly what it is.

THE DEATH ROAD, BOLIVIA It is estimated that 300 people a year die attempting to traverse this terrifying beauty.

The Death Road, formally known as The North Yungas Road, is a winding 60-kilometre twist of fate. Some 35,000 thrill-seekers annually travel to this dirt road hemmed in by Amazonian cliff face. It is considered to be the most dangerous road in the world.

But for locals, the North Yungas Road is a vital transport artery, extending from La Paz (Bolivia’s capital) to the thriving market region of Coroico.

The incredible views of the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes Mountains will take your breath away.

Sometimes, the Death Road doesn’t give it back.

RUTA 5, CHILE Chile Highway 5, known colloquially as Ruta 5, runs from the Peruvian border to Puerto Montt.

It is the stretch from Arica to Iquique that is notorious for treacherous valleys and hypnotic vistas. One could describe the coiling peaks and troughs as a dreamscape, and every now and then you will be roused by a vehicle travelling at such speed you can’t be sure it was real in the first place.

The mediation is a dangerous state of mind.

SIBERIAN ROAD TO YAKUTSK , RUSSIA Russia’s roads aren’t exactly the world standard.

In fact, Russia even has a national song about how bad they are. Take the Russian Federal Highway, for example. What sounds like a flagship national roadway is liable to turn into a swamp at any moment. The road connects Moscow to Yakutsk, where the coldest temperature ever outside Antarctica was recorded.

The road cannot be paved due to the permafrost that occurs, and when summer rains roll in the road turns into an inescapable mud pit. Poor road quality and inclement conditions aren’t the only dangers. Looting, beating and kidnapping by Siberian mud pirates are a few more reasons not to get stuck in the mud.

SICHUAN-TIBET HIGHWAY, CHINA China and road safety aren’t exactly synonymous. In the past decade the death toll from car accidents has skyrocketed. 90,000 people die per year on the roads, which is nearly 250 per day. Only stroke and coronary heart disease top road accidents as a cause of death in China. An astonishing figure.

The Sichuan-Tibet highway has everything you don’t want in a journey: high elevation, landslides, rock avalanches, slippery surfaces, narrow trails and steep fall-aways. The views aren’t bad though.

JAMES DALTON HIGHWAY, ALASKA This roadway is an isolated and hellish 666km expanse of gravel, pushing into the northernmost reaches of Alaska. The road is shoddily crude in places, and all those embarking on a journey to the end of the earth via the James Dalton Highway are urged to bring survival gear.

If you find a car rental company that will permit you to drive its cars on the highway, then watch out for rocky projectiles from the surrounding oil mines. As it is still the main supply route for the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, also try and avoid the large tractor-trailers relentlessly coming your way. Don’t relax! the danger hasn’t passed yet. These behemoth trucks

will agitate dust clouds that bring your visibility to near zero. You may as well cover your eyes.

TROLLSTIGEN, NORWAY Translated to English, Trollstigen means The Troll Ladder. The ominous visual is offset by views of the Stigfossen waterfall, a beautiful cascade that plunges 320 metres down the mountainside.

With a super steep incline of 9%, acute bends and narrow passages, Trollstigen is a precarious proposition for any traveller.

SKIPPERS CANYON ROAD, NEW ZEALAND Skippers Canyon Road was built by miners during the gold rush 140 years ago, giving access to the richest gold-bearing river in the world. For many, the trade-off between safety and gold wasn’t worth it. Featuring just about all the terrifying road tropes already listed, Skippers Canyon is incredibly narrow. If you encounter another car coming the other way, one of you will have to reverse for up to three kilometres along winding, narrow, crumbly rock to find a spot wide enough to pass.

Skippers Canyon Road connects Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world, to the wondrous Shotover River, where all the thrillseeking occurs. Many people come back saying that Skippers Canyon was the scariest part.

GLASURIT – WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS | 15

IMAGE ERNST VIKNE

ROAD IRREGULARITIES Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway (above) It looks like a roller-coaster, but that isn’t the biggest thrill. When the Atlantic Ocean Road meets the Storseisundet Bridge you might get wet. Really wet.

The Magic Roundabout, Swindon, England The Death Star of all roundabouts. Five small roundabouts on the periphery direct traffic clockwise while cars travel counter clockwise around the inner circle in a bizarre vehicular whirlpool.

Anti Gravity Hill , Straws Lane, Victoria, Australia Due to a loophole in gravity and the space-time continuum, if you tip water onto Straws Lane it runs uphill not downhill. Drop a ball on the road and the same thing happens. If you are in a car, stop at the bottom of a hill, shift into neutral and it will slowly roll up the hill. When you return you will also be 10 years younger.

Ebenezer Place, Wick, Scotland Ebenezer Place stretches, winds and coils for a seemingly interminable 2.06 metres. Stand up straight, put your hands up and you’ll most likely be longer than Ebenezer Place.

Avenida 9 De Julio, Argentina (below) The widest stretches of this Argentinian roadway are eight lanes across each way and near on 140 metres in girth. To put that in perspective, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of Australia’s widest ovals, is 148 metres wide.

IMAGE JOSÉ MARÍA PÉREZ NUÑEZ

ENTER AND WIN MAIN IMAGE 'The Troll Ladder' or Trollstigen in Norway is not for the faint hearted, or beginner drivers for that matter.

16 | GLASURIT – EDWARDS SPRAY NORTH RELOCATES

Above: Managers Leo, Edward and Lucy are delighted with their new digs.

MOVING WITH THE TIMES Last year Lucy, Leo and Edward of Edwards Spray North decided to pack up 30 years of panel shop and relocate. The move was driven by the realisation that overheads were not viable for sustainability and business success.

“Running a smash repair small business is extremely difficult these days. We are very lucky because we have great support,” said Lucy Warrener, Business Manager of Edwards Spray North.

“We have the support of Glasurit, our paint company, which is fantastic, and we’ve got really good clientele and some steady work providers. I also use the Boss scheduling system.

Boss Australia gives us fantastic support and I know they work in conjunction with Glasurit to look after Glasurit’s clients.”

The business has seized the opportunity to make upgrades across the new panel shop to ensure the relocation is a winner. Two such improvements are a new purpose-built booth by Masterbooth as well as a new and larger prep-bay area.

“Glasurit has contributed significantly to that set up, and also all our signage on the new building. We’ve installed energy efficient LED lighting throughout, minimising costs where possible, and we’ve applied for a rebate from the ACT government with regards to that. Knowing that we can go forward and be supported the whole way with scheduling, equipment and training is of great value,” said Lucy.

Embarking on this project was a daunting task, and Lucy, Leo and Edward were rapt with the support along the way. Particularly reassuring was the support provided by Glasurit and Auto Paint Supplies even while their business was experiencing such upheaval.

“I rang Tony Wiggins from Glasurit and he just jumped right behind us and showed immediate support,” said Lucy. “And Auto Paint Supplies, our

supplier here in Canberra, has always looked after us really well. They are a traditional small business where they actually give that lovely personal service and understanding into small business and that’s really valued by me.”

The hard toil of running a small business is cushioned by strong support systems, and the relationship between Edwards Spray North and Auto Paint Supplies has fortified the business during the tough times and helped throughout the current changes to the business.

“We’ve been approached over the last couple of years by more than one paint company to swap out,” Lucy said. “Auto Paint Supplies led by Pat and Karen are actually the main reason why you choose to stay with them. On the weekend of our move Pat was there for nearly the whole of the Saturday helping set up the booths and the prep-bays, so he was actually on-site on a day off.”

Partners that go the extra mile and are genuinely mindful for a business can be the difference between struggle and success.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM PHAM

GLASURIT – EDWARDS SPRAY NORTH RELOCATES | 17

Lucy believes that “you need those business partners. That supplier that you know will be forgiving of you in tough times. And you do need somebody else who’s going to say ‘Hey what are you doing? Here’s an injection of something else for you to think about,’ because otherwise you get stale, which is dangerous in your small business.”

Relocating Edwards Spray North simply came down to ensuring a bright future for the business.

“I would have a lot to say to somebody who was going to plan to do the same thing. I would have a lot of pointers on whether or not it’s worthwhile. In the long term it will be very beneficial for our business, right now we’re still dealing with the cost of the move and resettling into a new place, but overall absolutely I believe we’ve made the right decision.

I believe we were stagnant where we were, and now I see a future and that is really important,” said Lucy.

The approach to business improvement was holistic, covered by upgrades to the technical proficiency of staff and systems on top of upgrades to equipment and location.

Clockwise from above: New facilities deliver more efficiency and technical proficiency for painter Dan (above left) and panel beater Troy (top right), as well as better environmental credentials for the business.

“I rang Tony Wiggins from Glasurit and he just jumped right behind us and showed immediate support.”

“We’ve moved, we’ve upped our equipment, we will up our proficiency so that we’re doing everything a little bit smarter than what we were doing before,” said Lucy. “We’ve introduced energy efficiency where we can and I believe that a year down the track we’ll be a much better business for it. And I would recommend other businesses to go ahead and do it if they feel they can improve, but make sure that they know what they’re gaining before they know what they lose.

The overall gain has to be more than what you will lose staying where you are.”

Ultimately, Lucy believes the benefits won’t just be material. There is a huge sense of renewal that comes with breathing fresh life into a business and the people around it.

“It’s just a vast improvement on where we were and it’s actually given an injection of life back into the business we were running. And the staff are bouncing off it as well. The staff are really good and everyone seems calm about the whole thing, so it’s nice,” Lucy said.

“We know we’re good at what we do. We know we care about customer service. We know we look after people. But in small business you have to be savvy about the dollar at the end of the day. If you’re not there to be a successful business then you will have no business.”

18 | GLASURIT – PRODUCT NEWS

PRODUCT NEWS

SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR SANDING PAPER Save an entire application step with Glasurit’s ‘wet-on-wet’ concept.

Glasurit’s wet-on-wet filler concept has revolutionised how we achieve perfect results more quickly and economically at your bodyshop.

With this concept, you can now even dispense with sanding new e-coated parts. Leave the sanding paper in the supply cupboard and also save valuable labour time – up to 15% per part!

The wet-on-wet filler concept ensures the same

In addition, the filler concept constitutes an entire package for nearly all substrates – even

plastics. The 522-10 Plastic Additive ensures that the wet-on-wet filler also adheres to plastic parts. This means that you no longer need to use adhesion promoters and other special products at your bodyshop. Even better, you will also cut labour time by up to 25%. Simply use the plastic additive instead of using reducer. It’s as easy as that! The entire package consists of Glasurit Non-Sanding Fillers 285-31 grey, 285-38 white and 285-49 black, as well as 522-10 Plastic Additive.

WET-ON-WET APPLICATION OF NEW E-COATED PARTS

WET-ON-WET APPLICATION OF PLASTIC PARTS

TIME AND MATERIAL SAVINGS, MORE FLEXIBILITY

With this refinishing process, application of new e-coated parts is quick and efficient. With the wet-on-wet filler concept, bodyshops no longer need to sand new e-coated parts, which saves sandpaper and valuable working time. The parts can be flexibly processed for up to five days, allowing bodyshops to coat several parts in advance. This optimises spray booth utilisation, boosts capacity and cuts energy costs.

With 522-10 Plastic Additive, wet-on-wet fillers also adhere to plastics. This is particularly efficient because bodyshops can dispense with the application of adhesion promoters. And it’s as simple as this: all bodyshops have to do is replace the thinner with the plastic additive.

Even the mixing ratio remains the same.

ADVANTAGES:

ADVANTAGES: • Additional time savings of up to 15% (~10 min) per job • Can be overcoated without sanding • After 15 minutes up to five days • Optimum spraybooth utilisation • Several new parts can be coated in advance to be overcoated later • Shorter spraybooth occupation times and lower energy costs • Creation of additional capacities

ADVANTAGES: • No need for an adhesion promoter • No need for separate products (934-0 / -10 / -70 VOC) anymore • Time savings of up to 25% • Complete grey shade concept is available = basecoat savings of up to 40%

perfect results as the former one, but saves substantially more material and labour time. In this way, Glasurit is continually providing products that help you stay ahead of the game. It goes without saying that the wet-on-wet fillers also function as a grey shade concept. A grey shade coordinated with the colour of the basecoat allows you to save up to 40% basecoat!

• Time savings of up to 30% compared to the application of a sanding filler • No sanding and no drying times • High-quality result

GLASURIT – NEWS | 19

GLOSS MAGAZINE

BASF STAFF MEMBER QUESTIONNAIRE: Zac Evans Your name: Zac Evans.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Turn everything into gold.

Nickname: Zaccy.

Position: Technical Sales Representative.

Location: Wetherill Park.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week (famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional) with whom would it be?

Dave Grohl.

Best part of your job: The opportunity of being in different businesses with different personalities almost every day.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Quentin Tarantino.

Favourite movie: Anchorman.

How do you relax outside of work?

Beach or poolside, music events.

Favourite karaoke song: I’m not a karaoke fan.

Is there a funny story you can share with us while you’ve been involved in your job?

Not really.

What would be your ultimate meal?

A nice big rib-eye on the bone with chips and salad. With a few nice bottles of red.

What three people would you choose to share it with?

My wife and a couple of friends.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Paramedic or a musician.

And why did you decide this industry?

It just kind of happened.

I M PR I N T Editor

Tony Wiggins – Head of Coatings Australia & New Zealand BASF Australia Ltd 231–233 Newton Road Wetherill Park NSW 2164 Australia E: contact-australia@basf.com Phone: 02 8787 0100 Fax: 02 8787 0133

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Glasurit® is a brand of BASF. www.glasurit.com.au www.basf.com.au Advertising Trudi Raymant – OMG! Creative Level 3, 180 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Phone: 03 9654 0532 E: trudi@omgcreative.com.au Editorial Contributing Editor Steve Vivian – OMG! Creative Level 3, 180 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Art Direction, Design & Production OMG! Creative Level 3, 180 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Phone: 03 9654 0532 www.omgcreative.com.au Photography Kim Pham John Hemmings Steve Pohlner Raelene Johnson © BASF Australia Ltd 2015. No responsibility is accepted by BASF for the accuracy of any statement of advice contained in the text or advertisements.

All material appearing in GLOSS magazine is copyright.

BASC0297

OPEN FOR BUSINESS. GLASURIT REFINISH COMPETENCE CENTRE - THINK YOU KNOW IT ALL? THINK AGAIN. The Refinish Competence Centre at Wetherill Park sets the benchmark in collision repair education, delivering commercially oriented programs for every level of industry professional. The 2015 education dates are now online including Technology Transfer, Colour & Blending Solutions, Process Application and Fast Repair.

Go to glasurit.com.au/training for info and to book.

ProFit with Glasurit.

Glasurit Automotive Refinish. A division of BASF Australia Ltd, 231-233 Newton Road, Wetherill Park NSW 2164, Tel: +61 2 8787 0100, Fax: +61 2 8787 0133, www.glasurit.com.au