from Nippon,” the insider added.
“There is definitely a possibility of international players affecting our business,” said Ashok Saini, vice president, special projects, Kansai Nerolac. “However, it
would be premature to measure the impact now.”
Despite global players cashing in on the impending boom in
the auto sector, paint companies in India are upbeat that they
will be able to increase volume growth.
A constant influx of investments in the Asian automotive
industry has benefited related industries such as automotive
paints.
According to Frost & Sullivan, the auto OEM coatings market in Asia has reported rapid growth in the last five years
aided byt the favorable economic growth, globalization of the
automotive industry and consolidation in the paint industry.
Analysts said the automotive coatings market and regulatory standards are playing a pivotal role in the growth of the
market. Current growth levels are expected to continue with
German paint maker selects
DuPont EcoConcept
Bollig & Kemper, a German manufacturer of coatings for
the European auto industry, has signed a license agreement for DuPont EcoConcept, a patented coatings technology that enables auto manufacturers to realize reductions
in energy use, environmental emissions and capital costs.
Under the license agreement, the Cologne-based paint
maker will manufacture and sell water-based basecoats
for use in the EcoConcept process at automotive manufacturing plants in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
DuPont EcoConcept is a patented finishing system that
allows automotive manufacturers to eliminate an entire
coat in the painting process. EcoConcept technology was
recognized in 2007 when the auto industry publication
Automotive News presented DuPont with a PACE Award,
the highest honor in a competition staged annually by
the publication.
“The global automotive industry has never been as competitive as it is today, so every cost advantage is vital,”
said Marty McQuade, vice president and general manager,
DuPont Automotive Systems. “This technology offers multiple benefits, providing auto manufacturers with a competitive advantage by delivering identifiable, measurable
and meaningful cost and environmental savings.”
EcoConcept eliminates one complete coating layer, the
primer-surfacer, and combines it into a single environmentally compliant water-based basecoat. As a result, a
spray booth and curing oven are eliminated from the auto
production line.
China driving the majority of the market’s growth.
“Globalization of the automotive industry has led to consolidation in the coatings industry, as Western manufacturers
have formed alliances with the Asian manufacturers to serve
their customers better,” said D. Ashwin Kumar, senior
research analyst of chemicals, materials and food at Frost &
Sullivan. “This consolidation has led to rapid advancements in
coating technologies and has created a solid platform for
growth in the automotive industry.”
Kumar said sustained growth in the Chinese, Indian and
Thai automotive industry is expected to augur well for the
coatings market. Manufacturers who invest in environmentally friendly coating products are expected to emerge as winners.
“It’s more important for established OEM’s to compete ‘in’
emerging markets rather than ‘with’ emerging markets,”
said Fischer. “The current focus and capacity in emerging
markets is geared towards servicing local markets. It will be
many years before emerging market producers export and
Specifically, the technology reduces energy consumption and solvent emissions related to the painting process
by approximately 25%. Carbon dioxide emissions are
reduced by 45-50 kilograms per vehicle built. The combination of two coats into one reduces production time and
saves on the cost of equipment needed for the conventional three-coat process.
DuPont EcoConcept technology currently is used at two
Volkswagen plants in Mexico and Spain. Some 200,000
cars have been produced using the process.
DuPont EcoConcept is a patented finishing system that
allows automotive manufacturers to eliminate an entire coat
in the painting process. EcoConcept reduces greenhouse
gas emissions and saves energy and time.
