From Low-Temperature Clear Coats and Waterborne Systems to AI-Assisted Robotic Painting — What the 2026 Show Tells Us About the Future of Body Shops

Automechanika Frankfurt 2026: 7 Trends Reshaping Automotive Refinishing

Automechanika Frankfurt 2026 has just concluded, and for the automotive aftermarket, the message was clear:

the future of refinishing is no longer only about better paint. It is about faster processes, lower energy use, digital color management, automation, sustainability and complete system efficiency.

Held from September 8–12, 2026, the show attracted more than 112,000 trade visitors from 173 countries and around 4,400 exhibitors from 80 countries. Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, alternative drive systems and workshop transformation were among the major themes across the exhibition. Automechanika Frankfurt

For those of us working specifically in automotive refinish materials, however, several developments stood out.

The most interesting changes were not simply new colors or new packaging. They showed a deeper shift in how manufacturers are thinking about the entire repair process.

Here are seven trends we believe are worth watching.

1. The Industry Is Moving from Individual Products to Complete Refinish Systems

For many years, automotive refinish products were mainly sold and evaluated one by one.

A body shop might ask:

• Which clear coat has the highest gloss?
• Which primer sands the easiest?
• Which basecoat covers fastest?

At Frankfurt 2026, a more integrated idea became increasingly visible:

the performance of the complete repair process matters more than the performance of one isolated product.

A good example was the Superior WOW Process presented by Surventis, formerly BASF Coatings.

The system coordinates undercoat, basecoat and clearcoat technologies as one workflow. According to the exhibitor, the process can reduce total process time by up to 30%, drying energy consumption by up to 40%, and the carbon footprint of the materials used by up to 60%. Wet-on-wet undercoat technology eliminates intermediate sanding, while low-temperature clearcoat curing helps reduce booth energy demand. Automechanika Frankfurt

This is important because it changes the purchasing question.

Instead of asking:

"How much does this clear coat cost per litre?"

professional body shops will increasingly ask:

"How much does the complete repair cost me in time, labour, energy and materials?"

That is a much more meaningful measure of value.

2. Fast-Drying and Low-Temperature Clear Coats Are Becoming More Important

Clear coat technology was one of the areas where productivity improvements were particularly visible.

Traditionally, a body shop often has to choose between:

• fast drying,
• good flow and appearance,
• long working time,
• and energy consumption.

Newer UHS and rapid-curing systems are trying to reduce those compromises.

For example, BESA presented URKIFLY, a 2K UHS express clearcoat designed for waterborne and solvent-based bi-coat systems. The company states that a vehicle can be ready approximately 40 minutes after application without heating the booth in certain conditions. It also lists drying options of approximately 10 minutes at 60°C or 20 minutes at 40°C, together with UV, scratch and chemical resistance. Automechanika Frankfurt

SINNEK also showed its CC/1700 UHS Clear Coat, highlighting high productivity, multiple drying options, surface hardness, abrasion resistance and UV resistance. Automechanika Frankfurt

The direction is clear:

clear coat performance is increasingly being measured not only by gloss, but by how quickly the vehicle can leave the booth.

Our view

For distributors, this creates an interesting segmentation opportunity.

In the future, clear coat ranges may increasingly be divided by repair economics, not only by MS / HS / UHS classification.

For example:

• economy clear coat for price-sensitive markets,
• high-gloss UV-resistant clear coat for long outdoor exposure,
• rapid-dry clear coat for high-volume collision centres,
• low-temperature clear coat for workshops focused on energy savings.

This is a much more useful product strategy than simply offering "good / better / best."

3. Waterborne Basecoat Is Becoming a Productivity Technology, Not Just an Environmental One

Waterborne automotive paint is often discussed mainly in terms of VOC regulations.

That remains important, but the 2026 show suggested a broader shift.

Manufacturers are increasingly positioning waterborne systems around:

• color accuracy,
• application consistency,
• workflow efficiency,
• and digital color integration.

Yatu, for example, presented its SHOWELL Waterborne Automotive Refinish system, combining waterborne basecoat technology with digital color retrieval systems including PerfeMatch and COLOR+. The system is designed to support solid, metallic and special-effect colors while improving color identification and repair efficiency. Automechanika Frankfurt

Yatu also displayed a low-VOC refinish system covering products from toners through clear coat. Automechanika Frankfurt

The important change is that waterborne paint is no longer simply:

"the environmentally friendly option."

It is increasingly becoming part of a digital, regulated and process-controlled refinish ecosystem.

Our view

Solvent-based systems will not disappear quickly, especially in markets where regulation, climate, infrastructure and painter habits are different.

However, suppliers that want to serve Europe and other mature markets should probably begin preparing for a future where customers expect both:

solvent-based solutions for flexibility and waterborne systems for regulation and productivity.

4. Digital Color Matching Is Moving Toward Automated Mixing

Digital color matching has been developing for years, but what is changing now is the level of integration.

The workflow is increasingly becoming:

Scan → Match → Formula → Mix → Spray

rather than relying on several disconnected tools.

Surventis presented the Refinity Digital Color Process, combining precise color scanning, digital matching and fully automated mixing into a connected workflow. Automechanika Frankfurt

Axalta also used the show to present an Irus automation innovation, continuing the development of connected color management and workflow productivity. Automechanika Frankfurt

For body shops, this could reduce:

• manual weighing errors,
• repeated spray-out cards,
• toner waste,
• color adjustment time,
• and dependence on one highly experienced mixer.

It does not remove the value of an experienced painter or color technician.

Instead, it changes where that experience is used.

The technician becomes less focused on repetitive weighing and more focused on:

• evaluating color,
• understanding variants,
• selecting the correct repair method,
• and solving unusual cases.

5. AI-Assisted Robotic Painting Is Moving Closer to the Independent Body Shop

One of the more eye-catching technologies at Frankfurt was robotic painting.

Robotic painting is not new in automotive manufacturing.

What is new is its movement toward collision repair, individual vehicles and small production runs.

SEHON demonstrated its AI-REVOLUTION painting systems, designed for AI-supported robotic painting in body shops and industrial applications, including individual parts and small series. Automechanika Frankfurt

The fair's official final report noted strong interest in AI-supported robotic painting workshops, which were fully booked. Automechanika Frankfurt

This matters for coatings suppliers as much as it matters for equipment manufacturers.

A robot requires repeatability.

That means future paint systems will benefit from increasingly consistent:

• viscosity,
• atomisation,
• flash-off behaviour,
• film build,
• drying speed,
• and batch-to-batch quality.

Our view

Automation may actually increase the importance of formulation consistency.

A very experienced painter can sometimes compensate for a difficult material.

A robot cannot.

This could make stable manufacturing quality an even stronger competitive advantage for coating manufacturers over the next decade.

6. UV-A Curing and Faster Spot Repair Are Emerging as Important Repair Technologies

Fast repair is becoming a major battlefield.

Axalta introduced Synergy UV-A, described at the show as a new UV-A repair technology designed to help body shops work faster and more efficiently. Automechanika Frankfurt

The broader direction is significant.

For small and medium repairs, heating an entire spray booth can be inefficient.

Technologies such as:

• UV curing,
• infrared drying,
• localized curing,
• fast-cure fillers,
• rapid primers,
• and express clear coats

can reduce the amount of energy and workshop space required for each repair.

This could create a much clearer distinction between:

full-panel repair systems
and
rapid spot-repair systems.

That is something both manufacturers and distributors should pay attention to.

7. Sustainability Is Becoming Closely Connected to Cost Reduction

One interesting change in the sustainability discussion is that environmental improvement is increasingly being linked directly with body shop economics.

For example, Surventis says its WOW process uses chemically recycled raw materials through a mass-balance approach, including feedstock derived from end-of-life tyres. At the same time, it targets shorter process times and reduced drying energy. Automechanika Frankfurt

Roberlo's Tempus Process similarly combines a fast light putty, UHS primer, waterborne color system and ultrafast UHS clear coat. The exhibitor claims energy savings above 50% and time savings above 70% for the process under its stated conditions. Automechanika Frankfurt

This is probably one of the most important shifts in how sustainability is being sold.

The message is moving from:

"Use greener products because it is environmentally responsible."

toward:

"Use a more efficient process because it consumes less energy, less material and less labour."

That argument is much easier for workshops to adopt.

What Automechanika Frankfurt 2026 Tells Us About the Future of Automotive Refinishing

After looking across these developments, we see one common theme.

The industry is becoming process-driven rather than product-driven.

The future body shop will probably combine:

better chemistry + better data + better equipment + better workflow control.

Paint itself will remain extremely important, but manufacturers will increasingly compete on what happens before and after the paint leaves the can.

We Believe the Next Competition Will Be About Cost Per Repair

For many emerging markets, automotive refinish materials are still sold mainly according to price per can or price per litre.

That will remain important.

But professional workshops increasingly care about a different calculation:

Total Repair Cost = Material + Labour + Booth Time + Energy + Rework Risk

A slightly more expensive clear coat that:

• requires fewer coats,
• dries 20 minutes faster,
• uses less booth energy,
• polishes sooner,
• and produces fewer reworks

may actually be cheaper for a busy workshop.

We expect this concept to become much more important in future product comparisons.

What Should Automotive Refinish Distributors Prepare for?

For distributors, we would suggest paying attention to five areas.

1. Don't Build a Portfolio Only Around Price

There will always be a market for economical products.

But distributors should increasingly offer clear product positioning:

economy / productivity / premium / climate-specific / regulatory-compliant.

Customers need to understand why one product costs more than another.

2. Start Collecting Real Application Data

Technical information will become increasingly important.

Instead of only publishing:

• high gloss,
• easy sanding,
• good adhesion,

suppliers should provide measurable information such as:

• mixing ratio,
• solids content,
• recommended film thickness,
• flash time,
• drying temperature,
• polish time,
• coverage,
• substrate compatibility,
• climate recommendations.

This helps painters, distributors, Google Search and AI systems understand the product far better.

3. Treat Color Technology as Part of the Product

A tinting system is no longer just a wall of toners.

The competitive system increasingly includes:

toners + formulas + spectrophotometer + software + mixing workflow + technical support.

The physical paint and the digital system are becoming inseparable.

4. Develop Products for Different Climate Conditions

A product that performs well in Northern Europe may behave differently in Southeast Asia, the Middle East or Latin America.

Temperature, humidity and UV exposure affect:

• reducer selection,
• curing,
• pot life,
• evaporation,
• gloss retention,
• and long-term weathering.

We believe climate-specific technical support will become increasingly valuable, particularly for international distributors.

5. Do Not Ignore Automation

Not every body shop needs a painting robot today.

But automation is likely to affect the entire industry indirectly.

As automated mixing, digital color management and robotic spraying expand, coating manufacturers will face greater pressure to deliver consistent products from batch to batch.

That is already worth preparing for.

Our Outlook: What Will Automotive Refinish Look Like by 2030?

We do not expect one single technology to replace everything currently used in body shops.

Instead, several systems will probably coexist.

Solvent-based refinishing will remain important in many international markets.

Waterborne systems will continue expanding where regulation and workshop infrastructure support them.

UHS and rapid-drying clear coats will grow as body shops focus more heavily on cycle time.

Digital color tools will become increasingly common.

And automation will gradually move from large industrial facilities into more repair environments.

The biggest change, however, may be conceptual.

The best automotive refinish supplier of the future will probably not be the company with the largest catalogue.

It will be the company that can help customers answer three questions:

Which system should I use?
How should I apply it?
How much does the complete repair really cost me?

That is where we believe the industry is heading.

Final Thoughts

Automechanika Frankfurt 2026 showed an automotive aftermarket that is changing quickly but also becoming more practical.

AI attracted attention.

Robotics attracted attention.

Sustainability attracted attention.

But behind most of the successful innovations was a much simpler objective:

make repair work faster, more repeatable and more profitable.

For automotive paint manufacturers, distributors and body shops, that may be the most important lesson from Frankfurt this year.

New technology does not create value simply because it is new.

It creates value when it reduces one of the everyday problems in a workshop:

time, energy, material waste, color errors or rework.

And that is likely to remain the direction of automotive refinishing for the next several years.