They look good yet withstand very harsh environments
BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Helmets are vital in Formula OneTM. The regulations require
them to be designed to withstand high stresses and temperatures of up to
900°C (1652°F). But ensuring that they also look great is the job of the
driver and their helmet designer. Jens Munser works with the MERCEDES
AMG PETRONAS Formula One driver Nico Rosberg to design his helmet and
uses the Hi-TEC Performance System from Spies Hecker®, one of
the global refinish brands of Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a
leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings.
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Jens Munser works with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One(TM) driver Nico Rosberg to design his helmet using the Spies Hecker® Hi-TEC Performance System from Axalta Coating Systems. (Photo: Axalta)
Helmets offer protection, but also share the limelight with the Formula
One race car drivers. Helmets are one of the most visible parts of
drivers’ gear when they are in the cockpit of their race cars, and the
only real estate the drivers can personalize with their own designs.
Munser has been in this business for 27 years, and today he and his team
are among the most well-respected Formula One helmet designers.
“The paint process is very different from that of cars,” Munser says
when describing the challenging job of painting helmets. “We first
produce graphic elements on the computer and transfer these to
templates. Then, before the actual paint, we also apply a fire-proof
primer.”
Munser uses the Spies Hecker Permahyd® Hi-TEC Base Coat 480,
with special effects achieved thanks to gold leaf, glitter flakes or
transfer printing. Munser then uses Spies Hecker fast-drying Permasolid®
Speed Clear Coat 8800 or the efficient Permasolid Clear Coat 8035. The
multiple paint layers, which must not exceed 500 grams in total, are
used to create the unique helmet design in a process that takes anywhere
between eight and 20 hours of work.
Whether it is in Monte Carlo, Baku or Silverstone, Rosberg races around
the tracks during the Formula One season at over 300km/h wearing his
custom-designed helmet, sporting Munser’s design and Spies Hecker paint.
For more information on Axalta, please visit www.axaltacoatingsystems.com.
For further information on Spies Hecker – official team supplier of the
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One team – visit www.spieshecker.com/F1speed
or www.facebook.com/spieshecker.
About Axalta Coating Systems – Celebrating 150 Years in the Coatings
Industry
Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and
providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable
solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish
applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings
are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the
materials we coat to last longer. With 150 years of experience in the
coatings industry, the 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to
better serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries every day
with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more
information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com
and follow us @Axalta on Twitter
and on LinkedIn.
About Spies Hecker
Spies Hecker, one of the global refinish coating brands from Axalta
Coating Systems, develops optimum and practical paint system solutions
that can make bodyshop work easier and more efficient. With more than
130 years of success behind it, Spies Hecker’s high-quality product
systems, customised service and targeted training demonstrate its
partnership with the refinish industry. Based in Cologne, Germany, it is
one of the world’s leading vehicle refinish brands, and is available in
over 76 countries worldwide.
Spies Hecker – simply closer!
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161110006662/en/
Source: Axalta Coating Systems