The latest evolution in COLORSTEEL: game-changing technology with enhanced corrosion resistance

Renowned for its durability and performance, for over 40 years COLORSTEEL has been producing high-quality roofing and cladding solutions in New Zealand. Driven by a desire to create better, stronger, and more beautiful products, COLORSTEEL has continuously been at the forefront of innovation with product launches such as COLORSTEEL Matte and COLORSTEEL DRIDEX. Its latest product launch, COLORSTEEL MAXAM introduces a new single product solution suitable for most New Zealand environments, delivering enhanced corrosion resistance 

Here, we speak to COLORSTEEL’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Suzanne McKandry, to hear more about the evolution of COLORSTEEL and what this latest innovation means for steel roofing and cladding construction in New Zealand.  

The evolution of COLORSTEEL

Established in the early 1980s, COLORSTEEL quickly became a trusted name in New Zealand, known for producing high-quality pre-painted long-run steel, traditionally referred to as roofing iron or corrugated iron. Designed to withstand our country's diverse and often harsh weather conditions, COLORSTEEL’s commitment to quality has built the brand a strong reputation for exceptional reliability and performance. 

“We’re constantly building on our foundation of practical knowledge, experience and understanding to think differently and deliver intelligent solutions for real applications,” says McKandry.

One of COLORSTEEL’s original products, ENDURA, was specifically designed for New Zealand’s moderate to severe environmental conditions and in many cases, can still be seen on the roofs of buildings from its very first applications. Its robust multi-layer coating system provided exceptional protection against corrosion and UV rays, a versatile solution suitable for both residential and commercial projects. 

For severe to very severed coastal environments, COLORSTEEL developed MAXX, a specially formulated coating system that offered great protection when used in environments with unique challenges such as sea salt and geothermal conditions.

Both ENDURA and MAXX have been well trusted within the industry for their durability and overall product performance, as well as the wide range of colours available. The next generation of COLORSTEEL, MAXAM, builds on the knowledge and technology used to create its predecessors, and was specifically designed using high performance and patented ACTIVATE technology to deliver enhanced corrosion resistance, bringing with it improved product warranties of up to 50 years.

“COLORSTEEL MAXAM is a new single product solution, replacing both COLORSTEEL ENDURA and MAXX, and  is suitable for most of New Zealand’s environmental conditions, with improved warranties and a wide range of colours to suit your design choices,” explains Suzanne.  While for extremely severe environments, COLORSTEEL Altimate combines a marine grade aluminium substrate with the proven paint technology of COLORSTEEL”.

What is Activate™ technology?

COLORSTEEL has historically been made from a steel substrate with an Aluminium Zinc (AZ) metallic alloy coating, before the paint system is applied. The high performance and patented ACTIVATE technology was developed to further enhance corrosion resistance using an Aluminium, Zinc & Magnesium (AM) metallic coating. Unlike traditional AZ coatings, which offer robust protection, the addition of the magnesium compounds in the AM coating significantly assists in slowing down corrosion, extending the lifespan of the steel. 

“Although AM metallic alloy coatings have been available internationally for a while now, it’s important to note that not all AM coatings are made the same way. The magic in our ACTIVATE technology is around the strategic positioning of the magnesium compounds within the coating, to deliver enhanced corrosion resistance, enabling a sizeable step change in the warranties offered, now up to 50 years,” says McKandry.

Sustainability at its Core

New Zealand Steel’s commitment to sustainability is evident in the recent substantial investment to install an Electric Arc Furnace, commissioning towards the end of 2025, which will drastically reduce carbon emissions, the country’s biggest decarbonisation effort to date. COLORSTEEL MAXAM further builds the brand’s sustainability credentials through its enhanced corrosion performance allowing a sizable step change in the corrosion and perforation warranty of up to 50 years, greatly improving the design life of COLORSTEEL roofing and cladding in a buildings design life.

Disclaimer: COLORSTEEL®, ACTIVATE™, DRIDEX®, ENDURA®, Altimate® and MAXX® and MAXAM™ are registered trademarks of COLORSTEEL®.