Continuing Expansion for PaintExpo

More than seven months before the trade fair opens, the exhibitor list for PaintExpo 2014 already includes about 330 companies (as of August 15, 2013). With more than 10,400 square metre (112,000 square feet), overall net exhibition floor space has already exceeded the level achieved at the 2012 event. And the international trade fair for industrial coating technology from April 8-11, 2014 will experience additional growth due to further, foreseeable exhibitor bookings.

Thanks to its focus on industrial coating technology, PaintExpo makes it possible for exhibiting companies from the industry to approach expert visitors in a more targeted fashion at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre. At the moment, exhibitors from 19 countries have booked floor space and 22% come from countries other than Germany. Nearly all international market and technology leaders in the fields of liquid painting, powder coating and coil coating are included in the exhibitor list. "However, we’re not just pleased with the facts and figures, we’re excited about the trade fair presentations and product demonstrations announced by the exhibitors as well. These will make the upcoming PaintExpo even more interesting and attractive for expert visitors from all over the world”, reports Jürgen Haußmann, managing director of event promoter FairFair GmbH. After all, coating job-shops and companies with in-house painting operations around the globe are faced with the challenge of meeting more and more demanding quality requirements with more efficient use of materials and resources, greater flexibility and improved environmental compatibility – regardless of the industrial environment in which they paint or coat metals, plastics, glass, wood, wooden materials or other surfaces.

Solutions Ranging from Pre-Treatment to Final Inspection
Exhibitors from all sectors are offering new products and services, as well as further developments targeted at optimising processes. Where the pre-treatment of metals is concerned, for example, the trend towards so-called nano-ceramic systems is gaining momentum. These multi-metal compatible alternatives to conventional iron and zinc phosphating offer economic, ecological and process engineering advantages. The resulting corrosion protection is comparable to that provided by zinc phosphating, or may even surpass it. Furthermore, the products are free of heavy metals, which significantly reduces the costs required for wastewater treatment and disposal, as well as system cleaning and maintenance. In the meantime, products based on renewable raw materials have also been developed for the pre-treatment of components made of steel, iron and aluminium.
Ever smaller lot quantities and a continuously increasing variety of colour tones also represent significant challenges for operators of painting and coating systems. System concepts and optimisation solutions which are laid out consistently for flexibility and efficient use of materials are making a significant contribution to streamlined operation, and thus a sharp competitive edge, for companies with in-house painting facilities.
In the field of powder coating, low-temperature powdered enamel systems allow for energy savings, on the one hand because curing takes place at a lower temperature. On the other hand, if curing takes place at the ‘normal’ temperature, efficiency is improved by increasing throughput. Innovative controllers and systems for effective powder conveyance and application also contribute to improved quality and efficiency, as well as reduced energy consumption.
PaintExpo’s exhibition programme covers coating equipment, application systems and spray guns, liquid paints and powdered enamels, automation and conveyor technology, cleaning and pre-treatment, drying and curing, environmental technology, pneumatics, compressed air supply and exhaust purification, water treatment, recycling and disposal, accessories, measuring and test technology, quality assurance, paint stripping, job-shop coating, services and technical literature as well as identification, printing and packaging.