French luxury goods design company Carrafont, is celebrating its partnership with refinish supplier Spies Hecker which has now seen Spies Hecker paints used for its prototypes and scale-models for 22 years.

Carrafont, based in Montreuil, near Paris, France, has been creating scale models for the biggest names in cosmetics and luxury goods industries as well as to perfumiers, jewellers, architects and designers for 30 years. The company gives shape to perfume bottles, make-up palettes and other luxury items for prestigious clients such as Armani, Dior, Guerlain, Hermès, Lancôme, Louis Vuitton, to name a few.

Denis Carré, Manager of Carrafont, says, “Our company has extremely high standards and the reason we have been loyal to Spies Hecker for over 20 years is because its products are not only of high quality and meet our needs perfectly, but also they are constantly evolving and getting more efficient and environmentally-responsible. What’s interesting is that because they are formulated for the automotive industry, the coatings are extremely durable. Initially, all we needed was to paint the scale-models made in our workshops. But today, our demands extend to the research and development of new colours, the creation of colour samples, applications on works of art and unique pieces of furniture, blind tests and more. Spies Hecker can deliver that all for us.”

Carrafont‘s reputation is built on professionalism, innovation, expertise and cutting-edge technology and it works predominantly with Plexiglas, brass, aluminium, glass, wood, as well as low- and high-density polyurethane foams. It has been using an array of Spies Hecker products for 22 years including, Raderal Spray Polyester 3508 and Permasolid HS Premium Surfacer 5310 and Permasolid HS Performance Surfacer 5320, in grey and white, which are chosen for their good coverage, fast curing and good sanding properties. Permahyd Waterborne Base Coat 280/285 is the choice for the quality of its colours and its good vertical stability, and Permafleet HS Topcoat 670/675, the commercial vehicle range known for its flexibility and robustness. Pieces are finished with Permasolid HS Optimum Plus Clear Coat 8650 high gloss and Permacron Matt Clear Coat 8085.

Arnaud Antremont, Head of Paint at Carrafont, says, “To make the most of these products and achieve the best results in our workshops, our painters have attended several advanced training courses with Spies Hecker. We use Spies Hecker products daily and create effects such as carbon, marble, stone, etc. Our big challenge is to create high-quality artistic effects and the possibilities the Spies Hecker products offer are endless. They give us stability in our work processes and speed of execution, but above all, they provide an outstanding and long-lasting finish. Surprisingly, it is a high-quality automotive paint brand that’s perfectly suited to the luxury segment."