PPG Expands Radiation-Curable Coatings Testing Capabilities at Marly, France

PPG announced the installation of an advanced testing line for radiation-curable coatings at its R&D Center of Excellence in Marly, France. The new testing line is designed to evaluate multiple curing technologies, including infrared (IR), ultraviolet (LED, excimer, and arc lamps), and electron beam (EB). This investment enables the company to closely replicate customer production environments, thereby accelerating development cycles and reducing the number of required customer trials.

Compared to conventional thermal curing, radiation-curable coatings require significantly less energy, as they operate at or near ambient temperatures. This reduced energy consumption can lower carbon emissions by up to 65%, with additional reductions possible when renewable energy sources are used. Furthermore, UV- and EB-curable systems typically utilize 100% solids formulations without solvents, helping to minimize or eliminate volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

In addition to sustainability benefits, UV- and EB-based technologies also offer notable productivity advantages. These systems cure within seconds, allowing coated components to be handled immediately for storage, packaging, and shipping, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

“Our deep expertise and broad capabilities in radiation curing set PPG apart and strengthen our position as a leader in energy-efficient finishing solutions,” said Mark Poland, PPG regional technical director, EMEA, Industrial Coatings. “This investment enables us to tailor finishing technologies to our customers’ specific lines, processes and curing conditions, delivering measurable gains in performance and efficiency.”

PPG’s facility in Marly serves as a key R&D hub within the company’s global innovation network, supporting product development and technical services for customers across automotive, general industrial, coil, extrusion, and specialty product segments. In addition to Marly, the company conducts research on radiation-curable technologies at its Coatings Innovation Center near Pittsburgh, as well as at several regional laboratories across the United States, Europe, Australia, and China. These facilities are equipped with stand-alone UV and EB curing units or fully integrated UV/EB production lines, enabling customers to develop, test, and validate energy-curable coatings that reduce energy consumption and improve production efficiency.

Further highlighting its commitment to advancing alternative curing technologies, PPG recently installed a laser-curing pilot finishing line at its powder manufacturing and technical facility in Strongsville, along with a laboratory-scale system at the Coatings Innovation Center for feasibility research. This investment aims to accelerate the large-scale commercialization of laser-curing technology for powder coating applications.

Source: PPG