A Perth-based coating manufacturer was facing increasing customer complaints about their exterior waterproof coating — the product was peeling off within 2–4 weeks, particularly after exposure to heavy rain. This was damaging their reputation, causing product returns, and threatening business relationships with distributors.

The in-house R&D suspected incompatibility between raw materials or a formulation error, but lacked the technical resources to identify the root cause or design an effective fix.

Labsure was engaged to conduct a comprehensive formulation diagnostic  and problem-solving investigation.

We began by performing an Advanced Compositional Analysis  of the coating product, identifying a high content of brittle fillers and a poor ratio of binder to pigment. Further adhesion and film flexibility tests confirmed the product failed to meet basic standards for elongation and cross-hatch adhesion under wet conditions.

Our chemists optimized the formulation by:

• Rebalancing the binder and pigment ratio

• Replacing brittle extenders with flexible filler alternatives

• Upgrading to a higher-performance acrylic polymer

• Providing a new step-by-step production procedure

We also worked with the client to test real samples under simulated outdoor conditions, ensuring improved water resistance, surface adhesion, and shelf life. As a result, the client relaunched the improved product within six weeks, with excellent customer feedback and reduced failure rates to near zero.