In 2024, we painted drives and system components in a total of 44 different colors – a clear sign of how individual and diverse our customers’ requirements are. This variety of colors is not just a question of design, but also a tribute to the development of industrial coloring over the decades.
From reseda green to stone grey – colors through the ages
The color trends of industrial plants reflect not only technical developments, but also social preferences. When Norbert Moll began repairing motors after the Second World War, shades of green such as RAL 6011 reseda green dominated the paintwork on plant. Back then, green stood for safety and stability – qualities that were in demand during the years when industry was being rebuilt. In 2024, we also painted numerous shades of green, including RAL 6000 patina green, RAL 6003 olive green, RAL 6018 yellow green, RAL 6028 pine green, RAL 6032 signal green, RAL 6037 pure green and MTF 099 Kranzl green.
Under Gerald Moll, who ran the business from the 1970s onwards, blue became the trend color. RAL 5010 gentian blue was in demand for industrial equipment and electric motors, and dominated MOLL-MOTOR’s brand image for a long time. Blue symbolized progress and technology, in line with the innovation spurts of this era. Numerous shades of blue were also demanded in 2024, such as RAL 5005 signal blue, RAL 5008 gray blue, RAL 5011 steel blue, RAL 5012 light blue, RAL 5017 traffic blue, RAL 5018 turquoise blue, RAL 5021 water blue and RAL 5024 pastel blue.
During the subsequent generational handover to Gerulf Moll in the 2000s, grey was already on the rise as the dominant color in the industry. Motors in RAL 7030 stone grey became the new standard at MOLL-MOTOR, a color that, together with RAL 7016 anthracite grey, shaped the image of the machines and motors. Grey stands for neutrality, professionalism and timelessness – values that have become increasingly important in a globalized and increasingly automated world. Accordingly, many different shades of gray went through our painting line, including RAL 7011 iron gray, RAL 7012 basalt gray, RAL 7015 slate gray, RAL 7021 black gray, RAL 7024 graphite gray, RAL 7031 blue gray, RAL 7035 light gray, RAL 7042 traffic gray A and RAL 7045 telegray 1.
The importance of color for function and design
In addition to aesthetic considerations, functional aspects also play a decisive role. The right paint protects against corrosion and ensures a longer service life for the machines. It increases safety by highlighting engines in color or making harmful contaminants visible, with colors such as RAL3020 traffic red or RAL 1003 signal yellow. At MOLL-MOTOR, painting expertise is maintained in-house in order to quickly adapt stock items to the customer’s color requirements. Special paintwork is also part of our daily routine, including C3, C4 and C5 paint thicknesses or epoxy paintwork to adapt drives to the most adverse conditions.
A look into the future
Today, we at MOLL-MOTOR offer a wide range of colors. This allows us to support the modern designs of our customers in the mechanical engineering sector and enables the faithful restoration of systems from past eras. Paint manufacturers are trying their hand at forecasting and predicting design trends that combine light natural colors and dark red tones. We are also equipped for this, in 2024 we also painted RAL 1015 light ivory and RAL 3003 ruby red. Whatever colors shape the industrial plants of tomorrow, whatever new conventions emerge: We at MOLL-MOTOR are excited and look forward to helping shape these developments.
