At PaintExpo from April 14 to 17, 2026, the international painting industry will meet in Karlsruhe to experience the latest solutions and world premieres at the trade fair. The variety of innovations ranges from sustainable coating systems and energy-efficient solutions to AI and automation-driven process optimizations. "PaintExpo is the heart of industrial coating technology - in Germany, Europe and worldwide. It brings together leading companies, innovative technologies and global decision-makers on one platform and sets standards for the future of the industry," explains Carmen Bender, Project Director with a view to the event in April.
Sustainable coating systems and material innovations
Resource conservation and sustainability characterize developments in coating technology. This is demonstrated, for example, by the following exhibitors with their new developments:
- Venjakob will be presenting robotics for delicate and complex shapes as well as a mobile coating system for columns weighing up to 2,000 tons.
- Gema Switzerland will be showing for the first time in Germany how perfect coating results can be achieved for the most complex application requirements and difficult part geometries.
- J. Wagner will once again be demonstrating solutions that make the work of coaters easier - through intuitive operation, resource-saving use of materials, optimized processes and more automation.
- Jürgen Emptmeyer will be focusing on the increasing requirements for product safety, verification and quality with CE-compliant hooks and racks.
Other sustainable innovations will also be on show. For example, Vulkan Inox will be presenting stainless steel blasting agents for corrosion protection, and Topo Powder Coating will be launching robust anti-graffiti powder coatings onto the market.
Automation, robotics and digital process intelligence
The digitalization of coating processes and the use of artificial intelligence are more in focus than ever before for numerous exhibitors. Some of the highlights include
- FerRobotics automates time-consuming masking before painting and paint defect repair on plastic parts.
- Walther Trowal will be presenting the Rotamat R 60 for the insulation coating of particularly small components for electronics and the new R 100 for large flat sealing elements in e-mobility for the first time.
- With the RoboTwin, Reiter GmbH & Co. KG enables painting robots to be taught intuitively so that even less experienced personnel can achieve precise results.
- Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik is presenting a trade fair premiere with the fully automated surface inspection of body shells.
In addition, innovations in robotics and automation from other leading suppliers will focus on the future of smart manufacturing: Surfin Technology with intuitive robot programming and Fraunhofer ITWM with measuring systems for simultaneous coating thickness and process analysis.
Process reliability and quality
Consistent quality and stable processes are crucial for economical production processes. At PaintExpo, companies from all over the world will be demonstrating how innovative systems increase process reliability. The following are examples of this:
- Dürr will be presenting overspray-free painting and a modular paint supply system including material recovery, fast color change and low rinsing agent consumption.
- Eisenmann will be presenting the new hybrid wheel gripper E-Gripper Wheel, which offers precise and gentle wheel handling as a flexible and energy-saving solution to increase and sustainably secure the efficiency of customers' production processes.
- Krautzberger will be presenting two new automatic spray guns to the public, which ensure greater efficiency with abrasive media and offer advantages in terms of performance, ease of maintenance and cost-effectiveness.
- Sherwin-Williams will showcase an innovative portfolio of coatings specifically designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of the world's energy infrastructure.
- Blastman is bringing a world first for sandblasting small parts in confined spaces.
Energy efficiency, resilience and resource conservation
Optimizing the use of energy and materials is a key issue for sustainable production. At the world's leading trade fair, exhibitors will be showing how efficiency gains can be implemented in practice:
- Feige Lackieranlagen has developed a new air technology system architecture for industrial paint booths, which for the first time combines high-grade heat recovery with almost complete separation of paint-contaminated particles.
- NoxorSokem from Italy will be presenting an automatic process for stripping paint from wheels without manual intervention and with consistent quality for the first time at a trade fair.
- Maston Oy is presenting the world premiere of one of the fastest and most efficient portable filling machines, which can fill up to six 400 ml aerosol cans per minute with its 5-liter paint cone.
- Alvarez Schaer will show a new compact anodizing line for aluminium processors aiming for high-quality anodizing with a reduced footprint and lower resource and operational requirements.
Global networking and business potential
PaintExpo will once again underscore its role as the most important platform for industrial surface technology and painting processes from April 14 to 17, 2026. The trade fair will present the entire range of international products and services in industrial painting technology along the entire value chain. This makes it the unique platform where manufacturers, suppliers and decision-makers from all over the world come together. The concentration of innovations, products and industry experts creates an environment that provides ideal conditions for intensive technical discussions, exchange of experience and new collaborations. Visitors to the trade fair can identify specific business opportunities, establish partnerships and prepare or conclude concrete orders. (OM-3/26)
► Find out more about PaintExpo in our PaintExpo 2026 trade fair special (topics, exhibitor news and further information)