PaintExpo on a record-breaking course

The exhibition spectrum of PaintExpo covers the process chains of wet painting, powder coating, and coil coating from pretreatment to quality control. (Image source: PaintExpo)

The small robot, equipped with state-of-the-art application technology tailored for the application process and ready for painting, was specifically developed for automated painting in general industry. (Image source: Dürr Systems AG)

When it comes to coating and finishing processes, contract coaters and in-house painting companies worldwide face the challenge of reducing costs while simultaneously improving quality, productivity, flexibility, and sustainability of the painting process. Solutions for this are presented at PaintExpo, where five months before the start of the trade fair, around 450 companies (as of November 10, 2017) are already listed as exhibitors. The exhibition spectrum of the world’s leading trade fair for industrial coating technology from April 17 to 20, 2018, at the Karlsruhe exhibition grounds ranges from pretreatment to quality control and packaging.

Whether industrial production or consumer goods manufacturing, industrial coating technology plays a crucial role as a cross-sectional technology. Depending on the product and task, a wide variety of functional and decorative requirements must be met. Regardless of whether metals, plastics, wood and wood-based materials, glass, or composite materials are to be coated, the demands for quality and individuality are continuously increasing worldwide. At the same time, cost pressure is rising. The competitiveness of coating companies largely depends on their ability to paint more high-quality while being resource-efficient, flexible, environmentally friendly, and economical. PaintExpo, taking place from April 17 to 20, 2018, at the Karlsruhe exhibition grounds, offers an unparalleled range of solutions worldwide. Already, around 450 companies have secured their booths, including all market and technology leaders. “For the upcoming PaintExpo, renowned companies that have not exhibited before have also registered. It is already clear that we will present visitors with the most current and comprehensive offerings in industrial coating technology and solutions to meet their challenges,” reports Jürgen Haußmann, Managing Director of the organizer FairFair GmbH.

Solutions from pretreatment to final inspection

Whether wet coating, powder coating, or coil coating, the exhibition spectrum of the world’s leading trade fair covers the entire process chain of industrial coating technology. In the pretreatment sector, developments are presented for wet chemical processes such as iron and zinc phosphating as well as nanoceramic systems, including treatments for multi-metal substrates. Dry pretreatment methods, such as CO2 snow blasting and plasma cleaning, are gaining increasing importance due to their space- and resource-saving operation and inline capability.

The trend toward ever smaller batch sizes, increasing color variety, and stronger individualization is addressed by manufacturers with system and optimization concepts that are consistently designed for flexibility and efficiency, ensuring optimal coating quality. Innovative masking solutions also enable cost savings. Specifically developed coating robots and automation solutions for industrial coating, as well as spray guns and high-rotation abrasives optimized for maximum efficiency, allow targeted application and reduction of waste and costs. Another approach to reducing material consumption and increasing flexibility is intelligent coating logistics with coating supply systems. When it comes to efficient overspray removal, dry separation systems are experiencing increasing demand. New and optimized drying technologies and conveyor systems also contribute to reduced energy consumption and lower unit costs. They are designed to minimize losses of conditioned air and heat.

In the field of liquid coatings, there is a continuing trend toward systems that enable a reduction in the number of coating steps required. Efforts to replace solvent-based paints with water-based systems are also ongoing. In powder coating, low-temperature, thin-layer, and so-called “powder-in-powder” coating systems enable energy and material savings as well as increased productivity.

Info Box

The 7th world-leading trade fair for industrial coating technology will be held from April 17 to 20, 2018, at the Karlsruhe exhibition grounds. The exhibition spectrum of PaintExpo includes systems for coating in wet, powder, UV, immersion, and coil processes, paints for all processes, application systems and spray guns, automation and conveyor technology, cleaning and pretreatment, drying and curing, environmental technology, compressed air technology, air supply and exhaust air cleaning, water treatment, recycling and disposal, accessories, masking, measurement and testing technology, quality assurance, labeling, paint removal, contract coating, services, and technical literature.