Industrial Coatings
Market
Economic growth in emerging regions
and innovations in performance
are key factors for growth in the
industrial coatings market.
BY KERRY PIANOFORTE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Used to coat everything from exterior roofing to
roads and bridges, industrial coatings must be able
to protect the substrate from corrosion, abrasion
and UV damage. But increasingly, aesthetics and appearance retention are becoming important attributes as well.
“Protecting the substrate–whether metal, plastic or
wood–is the primary purpose of an industrial coating,” said
Shruti Singhal, industrial and construction market manager North America at Rohm and Haas. “However, gloss, gloss
retention and chalking are critical factors to consider, especially when the coated structure is visible to the public and
may be viewed as an eyesore.”
PPG Industrial Coatings is very successful in selling
both functional and decorative coatings to a number of
markets. “PPG has an extensive industrial coatings portfolio, covering a vast array of markets and technologies,” said
Reggie Horne, general manager of industrial coatings marketing at PPG. “Some of our primary application areas
include automotive decorative parts, consumer electronics,
appliances, coils and extrusions, wood coatings, general
metals and a full array of powder coatings.”
“With BASF Industrial Coatings, the functionality is there in
terms of durability, weatherability, excellent scratch-resistance
and best-in-class performance for initial and aged solar
reflectance and thermal emittance,” said Tom McKay, market
development manager, BASF Industrial Coatings Solutions.
“From an aesthetics perspective, new innovative products are
having a huge impact on the market.”
BASF offers VARI-Cool roof coating, which changes color
depending on the viewing angle, and offers architects, specifiers and building owners increased design flexibility and
the ability to offer visually stimulating options.
“With regard to metal roofing, one of the primary applications for industrial coatings, the market options for consumers are growing,” McKay continued. “In addition to
standing seam panels, customers now can choose metal
roofs that simulate nearly any alternate profile, such as
slate, tile and cedar shake. This is true primarily for resi-
While industrial coatings have been affected by the economic downturn and sluggish housing market, opportunities for
growth do exist in the residential sector. “Over the last few
years, the industrial coatings business has been severely
impacted by the downturn in the construction sector, primarily residential,” said McKay. “At the same time, however, significant growth is being seen in the areas of sustainable construction and green building.”
Another area for growth is in maintaining aging infrastructure. “Industrial maintenance is the fastest growing segment
for industrial coatings,” said Singhal. “As many of our nation’s
bridges, overpasses and storage tanks age, the need for maintenance and recoating becomes more important.
“There is a major drive in North America to improve our
infrastructure, such as bridges, to provide a safer and better
way for the public to travel,” continued Singhal. “Several manufacturing facilities need to repaint their storage tanks to prevent corrosion damage. The recent demand for corn for ethanol
has required an increase in rail cars for transportation, which
need coatings. While the hosing and construction market is in
a slump, the commercial market still continues to grow slightly, with a need for shopping malls and office centers.”
From a global perspective industrial coatings are enjoying
growth in a number of emerging areas. “Economic growth in
emerging markets, as well as emerging regions, are key drivers of growth for industrial coatings,” said Horne. “Product and
process innovations are other aspects that are crucial for continued growth. For PPG, consumer product coatings are the
current fastest growing segment for our industrial coatings
segments. These include everything from cell phone covers
and laptops to hairdryers and goggles.
“Asia and Eastern Europe in particular are showing growth
potential for industrial coatings,” continued Horne. “The
Eastern Europe economy is relatively healthy because of their
labor. While China is currently suffering, Asian countries such
as India and Vietnam have growth potential again because of
their attractive labor rates.”
