Paint process automation is an automated process of painting and coating various products, components, and equipment in the automotive, construction, agriculture, aviation, and textile industries. AI-based robots and software are the main components of paint process automation to increase its reliability in painting and coating activities. Paint process automation eliminates human error due to several physical limitations in humans. It also reduces the waste of painting or coating material, enabling sustainability to meet sustainability objectives by reducing energy, water, and solvents. Thus, technology is essential to attain organizational goals to reduce the cost of production and material waste and increase productivity.
The paint process automation reduces the need to recruit workers and eliminate possible human errors to increase productivity, reduce waste, and reduce manufacturing costs. The process of recruiting and training new workers requires comparatively high resources, with a possibility of human error and inconsistent painting. Thus, businesses are looking for ways to lower their cost of production to increase profits and expand rapidly. Therefore, the adoption of paint process automation is growing due to its cost-saving factor in various manufacturing industries.
Beyond just accelerating digital transformation and enhancing operational effectiveness, paint process automation has other applications. It can also be used for good, specifically to increase sustainability. It is urgently necessary to develop a more sustainable painting process for today's service-oriented manufacturing industries, including the automotive sector. Scheduling plans for painting operations in the automotive sector typically only consider an enterprise's profits, ignoring the necessity of achieving sustainability goals. Paint process automation streamlines the painting and coating procedure while preventing material waste or overuse. Consequently, reducing solvent emissions saves on energy and water use.
Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global paint process automation market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period. The larger share is related to the presence of mass-production automotive facilities, which significantly impact the expansion of the regional paint process automation market. The presence of the automotive industry in the area results from the accessibility of raw materials, government incentives, and affordable transportation, energy, and labor. For instance, Dürr AG established a scalable paint shop for an electric vehicle manufacturer in China in March 2021. This facility can grow quickly in the future to meet the demand increase. Additionally, the Chinese government encourages using robots in manufacturing facilities to automate tasks and speed up production.
Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.8%, generating USD 1.76 billion during the forecast period. The region has important automakers, and it is less dependent on China for production, which has increased investment in Europe for rapid automation. Innovative software, like the self-programming "SelfPaint" created by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Sweden, has also been made possible by contributions from European businesses. Compared to conventional painting techniques, the software allows for the automated painting of small batches and even single pieces while using up to 20% less paint, 20% less solvent, 5% less time, and 15% less energy. The automated method performs more consistently than manual painting operations, another benefit. Manufacturers are expanding their production facilities with paint process automation, which is helping the region's market grow to compete with China in terms of mass production and to lessen reliance on them.
North America's growth in paint process automation is primarily due to the automotive industry. In order to meet the rising demand for American-made aircraft worldwide, the aviation industry is quickly implementing paint process automation. Major automotive and aviation manufacturers are installing paint process automation in the North American region to increase production efficiency, reduce labor costs, and ensure consistency in painting and coating. Market expansion in the region is anticipated to be fueled by the expanding use of paint process automation in North America's manufacturing and service sectors to satisfy complex consumer demands.
The global paint process automation market’s major key players are ABB, CMA Robotics, DURR AG, Epistolio Robot, FANUC America Corporation, Graco Inc., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, Staubli Internation AG, and Yaskawa Electric PTE Ltd.