Basel, Switzerland, September 20, 2016: The flames have been extinguished on the Olympic and Paralympic torches but the coating on them still remains vibrant. Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, manufactures the Alesta® AP Polyester Architectural coating that was applied to this year’s Olympic and Paralympic torches by Pinturas Boronat S.L., a family-owned company founded in 1982 in Barcelona, Spain, which is renowned for its focus on quality, service and innovation. The company hosts four production lines, split between powder and liquid applications, covering 4200 square metres of production space.

The torches are visually stunning. The iconic structures are made with recycled aluminium that was coated using Alesta AE30109207221 white pearl powder. This coating selection from the Alesta “Star Collection” provided the performance and film properties needed to protect the 69 centimetre high torches against environmental elements such as humidity, abrasion, weathering and, most importantly, the famous Olympic flame. This year’s flame was designed to be able to withstand gusts of wind up to 120 km/h. When lit, the torches extended an additional 70 centimetres and displayed the colours of the Brazilian flag. Wavy lines were incorporated into the torch design to represent the earth, the sea and the mountains. In addition to coating the torches, Axalta’s Alesta EP Silver Delight II powder coating was used to coat 19,620 units of metal beds for the Rio Olympics Village.

“Having Axalta products play such a prominent role in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic games in Rio is a testament to the colour, creativity and durability that thousands of our customers experience every day. And the rest of the world got to see that this summer,” says Eduardo Nardinelli, President of Axalta in Brazil. “To be able to have our products used on such celebrated and well-recognised icons of the Olympic and Paralympic games has been a great source of pride for out Axalta organisation in Brazil.”

To learn more about Alesta or any other Axalta industrial products, visit www.powder.axaltacs.com

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, colourful, 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 on Twitter @axalta and on LinkedIn