Pioneering Sustainable Automotive Coatings: Nippon Paint Takes Center Stage at SURCAR

Summary: Nippon Paint launches dry film coating technology to address the needs of automotive industry customers for innovative and sustainable coatings.

SURCAR, the world class event for the Worldwide Car Body Finishing Community, recently took place at the Henry Ford Motor Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. The world-leading congress on automotive coatings brought together distinguished participants from top international car manufacturers and suppliers as well as recognised research institutions. Among the participants, Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings, a leading company in the automotive coatings industry, was honoured with an invitation to deliver the keynote speech entitled “Dry Film Coating: New Generation Coating Method in Automotive Manufacturing”. This enlightening presentation showcased the company's innovative and sustainable coating solutions, which ultimately earned Nippon Paint the prestigious Jury’s Award. Additionally, Nippon Paint actively participated in a panel discussion comprised of industry leaders to explore recent key technological developments, present interesting new results, and discuss improved and innovative techniques in terms of cost-saving, flexible processes, productivity, and sustainability.

One of the prominent themes in today's world, particularly within the automotive industry, is Carbon Neutrality. Virtually all major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have announced their goals towards achieving Carbon Neutrality, not only in the usage phase of their products but throughout the entire lifecycle, including manufacturing. Notably, data reveals that the paint shop stands out as one of the primary energy consumers and carbon emitters within the manufacturing process, accounting for approximately 70% of the total energy consumed. As a result, optimising energy usage in the painting process becomes a critical aspect towards enhancing energy efficiency and reducing emissions across the entire automotive manufacturing facility. This underscores the significant importance of innovative coating technologies in minimising energy consumption during the painting process.

Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings and Taikisha Group jointly delivered the presentation entitled “Dry Film Coating: New Generation Coating Method in Automotive Manufacturing” at SURCAR Detroit. Dr. Ayako Iwakoshi, Deputy Division Director of R&DI, Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings said, “We are proud to join forces with Taikisha Group, a facility construction company with the second largest global market share for automotive painting facilities. We are both committed to the principles of ‘customer first’ and ‘sustainable development’.

“By drawing upon our exceptional technical capabilities and expertise, we have successfully developed the dry coating method using film (‘dry film coating’) as a cutting-edge approach to industrialised panel coating. Compared with traditional spray coating systems, the innovative film coating technology allows us to effectively coat the major exterior panels of automotive parts while minimising the need for extensive body painting.

She added, "By employing a dry film coating production line, we can eliminate the need for large booths. As a result, floor space and plant area can be reduced by 80%, which in turn significantly decreases direct carbon emissions (Scopes 1 & 2) and energy consumption. In addition, considering the Scope 3 carbon footprint, recycling and process innovation are required, and the dry film coating method is a technology that can assist in these efforts. The coating film made by a paint manufacturer enables a wide variety of design expressions, and the film is designed to be highly stretchable, making it possible to apply it to complex 3D shapes. This is a new technology that reduces CO2 emissions by over 50% while fulfilling functions beyond those required of conventional coatings. The dry film coating technology offers incredible customisation options for customers as well as manufacturers or companies operating fleet operations.”

“We believe that collaboration among material producers, equipment suppliers, and OEMs is vital for advancing collective solutions. As one of the most prominent manufacturers in the global automotive coating industry, we are unwavering in our commitment to innovation as the driving force behind our endeavours,” stated Dr. Hong Jiang, Chief Technology Officer of NIPSEA Group and Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings. “Our focus remains on developing high-performance, high-quality, low carbon emission and environmentally friendly products. Through collaboration with industry partners, we are dedicated to enhancing industrial value and fulfilling our industry mission, thereby making substantial contributions to the global automotive coating industry.”

Organised for the first time in 1964, the International Automotive Coatings Symposium (SURCAR) has evolved into an important platform for fostering communication and collaboration among leading companies and industry experts in the automotive painting sector. This year, the symposium witnessed the participation of more than 200 decision-makers from renowned global automotive manufacturers and automotive coating companies, including BMW, GM, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Volkswagen, Axalta, BASF, Henkel, and Nippon Paint. Through a rigorous selection process that evaluated test results, data, applicability, and benefits, a high-level International Committee composed of major OEMs and suppliers identified 25 innovative industry solutions from a vast pool of participants. During the two-day congress, decision-makers and experts from over 25 countries within the automotive painting industry had the opportunity to present and share their latest research findings.