Top Trends Shaping the Paint Finishing Industry in 2026
The paint finishing industry is starting 2026 with new solutions and rapid transformation. Driving this transformation are several key initiatives including sustainability, rising labor challenges, and new technology advances in digital manufacturing. Paint finishing is a strategic part of the manufacturing process that improves performance, cost control, and differentiates your product from the competition. Here are some trends that will influence the industry in 2026:
The Importance of Sustainability
Sustainability is evolving from a compliance or operations goal into a guideline that is built into the design of paint finishing systems and operations. In 2026, manufacturers are looking for more holistic and environmentally optimized finishing systems instead of just basic compliance measures.
Key initiatives include:
- Adoption of water-based and powder coatings to reduce emissions and hazardous waste
- Low-temperature and fast-curing coatings to significantly reduce energy consumption
- Improved paint and powder recovery systems to minimize material waste
- Coatings that focus on durability and reduction of repainting
Customers and manufacturers are taking time to evaluate suppliers based on their environmental performance, which will make sustainable paint finishing a competitive attribute.
Automation and Robotics Focus
There are many factors pushing automation and robotics into essential components of a finishing system. From labor shortages to complex part geometries, there is a need to adopt more automation across paint finishing operations. In 2026, automation will no longer be limited to high-volume production but will become a key component for low-volume environments as well.
Some new automation trends to consider:
- Robotic paint application systems that deliver consistent coating and reduce overspray
- Robots that adapt to a variety of parts and complex geometries
- Collaborative robots to support small part coating and touch-ups
- Integrated automation across phases of finishing like part preparation, coating or curing
Automation improves production, reduces rework, and enhances safety while helping manufacturers maintain throughput with less staff.
What Do These Trends Mean for Manufacturers?
All of these trends drive the finishing industry to more sustainable and energy-efficient processes and more automation to assist with labor shortages. Manufacturers will be able to control costs, ensure regulatory demands are met, and produce high-quality finishes. Rohner designs and builds finishing systems across industries to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and increase production. Talk to our team today about integrating new components into your existing finishing system or designing a new finishing system to scale your business in 2026.
Have questions? Please contact the Rohner team: info@rohner-usa.com
