Environment-friendly and economical painting and coating technologies will play an important role in securing the future success of manufacturing companies competing on a national and international level, particularly in view of the increasingly stringent requirements and limits imposed by European environmental law.
The current focus is on the European Solvents Directive, which applies to such sectors as the automotive, agricultural machinery and aircraft industries as well as shipbuilding and the construction of wind turbines. All paint facilities in Germany must operate according to this directive. While large companies have sufficient experience in adapting to such regulations, the process poses a considerable challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, the problem of implementing these rules is frequently passed down from large companies to their suppliers, often small and medium-sized enterprises by requesting products that have already undergone full surface treatment.