In the future, we won’t just be selling paint in cans with a label, but rather adding a huge volume of data to every container: material, density, pigments, solids. This is what self-
programming robots will be working with in the coating plants. The data are so detailed that the first coat of paint will be just right. We’re homing in on a batch size of one.
Artificial intelligence will allow the robot to automatically identify the workpiece in front of it. The robot scans the part, determines which surfaces need coating, and coats it once virtually as a test before coating it for real and measuring the coating. If the coating thickness is correct, then the next part, which might be a completely different one, has its turn. To ensure all of this is possible, we’ve already started compiling databases. We are following all developments very closely and are also conducting fundamental research in this area.