AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings is launching its digital colour-retrieval system, Mixit, to the aerospace sector. The company says the system will provide MROs, airline paint facilities and distributors with a faster way to retrieve and mix approved aerospace coating colours on site, to support shorter aircraft downtimes.
Mixit for aerospace customers builds on the company’s established Mixit application, which has been used in automotive refinishing for the past 10 years.
The cloud-based application retrieves colour formulas from a digital database accessed via a desktop, tablet or mobile device. If the colour formula isn’t known, then a spectrophotometer can be connected to measure a surface and identify the closest available formula.
The customer can then use the correct formula with a colour mixing wall, precision scale to prepare the coating on site using the right tints and associated components, including hardeners and thinners. The workflow is designed for repair situations where aircraft availability and response time are critical. AkzoNobel said Mixit speeds up the process by bringing more of the colour retrieval and preparation process into the paint facility.
The launch took place at MRO Europe, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on 28-29 October 2026. At the AkzoNobel display, visitors saw the workflow in action with a spectrophotometer to scan actual panels, linked to a touchscreen, and a real-time video demonstrating the speed at which a colour can be retrieved from Mixit and used to prepare the coating.
The system is being introduced in phases. In the initial phase Mixit will provide access to more than 2,700 formulas – the most frequently requested tints for AkzoNobel’s Topcoat FR2-55 for cabin interiors.
Exterior formulas will be added to the Mixit database in 2027. Additional digital tools are under consideration for 2027, including stock management, e-commerce, reporting and the ability for customers to store their own generated formulas.
“From unscheduled maintenance on an interior panel to damage to a nacelle, aircraft-on-ground situations demand a fast, practical response,” said Graham Lambourne, aerospace colour manager at AkzoNobel. “Mixit has been designed to help approved paint facilities, or their distributors, retrieve the required colour and prepare the coating on site, giving them greater speed and more control during the repair process. It allows them to make the coating repair immediately rather than having to make temporary fixes until repairs can be scheduled.”
