Cologne Laboratory, Germany
Our coatings and construction laboratories offer you a reliable platform to support and accelerate your business ambitions in Germany and all over Europe.
The laboratory was opened in 2008 and is one of the first IMCD Coatings & Construction laboratories worldwide. Because of its extensive experience, it plays an important role in the international network of IMCD laboratories. The facility is one of the most universal laboratories in our network with extensive application know-how in the areas of decorative paints and industrial coatings.
Our laboratory is also a training center for our employees and customers, hosting the majority of our Coatings Academy trainings. Here our customers and sales teams can touch, apply, and test formulations.
How we can support you
At our laboratory in Cologne (Germany), we combine formulation & application knowledge with the necessary equipment to test and evaluate different coating and paint formulations.
Core competencies
- Advice and formulation development
- Laboratory support in all types of paints and coatings applications
Training center for employees and customers
Major Equipment
- Artificial weathering machine (QUV)
- Rheometer
- Drop shape and contact angle analyser
- Equipment to measure water vapour permeability and water uptake of facade coatings
Applications
- Interior deco paints
- Facade coatings
- Industrial wood, metal, and glass coatings
We have supported formulation needs
for the following:
Our Team
Our committed and passionate technical experts are there to support our partners in their product development, create formulations and find solutions.
Dr. Jörg Schmitz
Dr. Jörg Schmitz holds a PhD in Chemistry and Coatings Engineer from the University of Paderborn, Germany. At IMCD he started his career in 2012 as Technical Manager Coatings Germany and took over the role as Technical Director Coatings & Construction in 2016 and is now member of the IMCD Coatings & Construction management team.
In addition, he is a passionate lecturer and took over a lectureship for “Coatings Technology” at the University of Applied Science in Aachen within the Master-degrees course of “Applied Polymer Chemistry”.

Sandra Hackbarth
Laboratory Manager - Coatings Germany
Sandra Hackbarth started her career with an apprenticeship as a paint laboratory technican. Afterwards, she graduated as a chemical engineer and continued her education to become a technical business economist. Sandra joined IMCD Germany in 2014 and has over 15 years experience on waterborne industrial coatings. At IMCD, she is responsible for leading the coatings and construction laboratory, where she coordinates laboratory projects and trainings. Also she develops high performance formualions by collaborating with principal suppliers and customers.
Daniel Rumpf
Lab Technican - Coatings Germany
As a trained paint laboratory technician, he has been working for IMCD Germany since June 2010. In the Coatings and Construction laboratory, he is jointly responsible for the processing of customer, supplier and internal laboratory projects and their documentation. Furthermore, he supports the laboratory manager in the preparation of guide formulations with local raw materials, improved formulation proposals, in coatings trainings and the entrustment of working students.
Selma Flores
Laboratory Trainee - Coatings Germany
Selma Flores joined IMCD in 2020 as an Intern to develop the Master thesis “Development of Formulations for new Applications of Silane Modified Polymers in the area of Metal, Wood & Glass Coatings”. Afterwards she started as a Technical Trainee that has allowed her to work with the IMCD French and German team, both focused in coatings and with the Italian team to learn about construction. Right now, she is back in IMCD Germany to keep working on the development and characterization of different coatings formulations.
Discover how we achieve your formulation needs
Would you like to have a closer look at our facilities and meet our experts? We would be delighted to welcome you and have a talk!
Coatings & Construction Technical Centre
An der Hasenkaule 31
(c/o Alfred Talke)
50354 Hürth
Germany