BASF Coatings Advances the Future of Automotive Refinish with Robotic-Application Expertise

BASF Coatings is reinforcing its position in robotics-enabled automotive refinish by integrating its expertise in coatings, digital colour management, and application processes. Through strategic collaborations with OEMs and automation technology partners, the company is helping drive the evolution of automated paint application in body shops. BASF Coatings uses its extensive experience in repair operations and connected digital workflows to help customers adopt robotics-enabled solutions that improve consistency, scalability, and future-ready repair processes.

As automation becomes increasingly important in collision repair, BASF Coatings is collaborating with robotics providers, pilot customers, and industry stakeholders to deliver validated process expertise and practical implementation support for robotics-enabled repair environments. The company does more than just testing and validation; it also helps create future application standards, scalable process frameworks, and smoothly integrate robotics into everyday body shop operations. While BASF Coatings does not make robotics hardware, it stands out because of its deep expertise in coatings technology, application processes, and system integration, which helps create more efficient, consistent, and future-ready automotive refinish solutions.

Robotics Enhances Connected Automotive Refinish Processes

BASF Coatings views robotics as a natural progression of its end-to-end digital colour management process. Through Refinity®, its integrated digital ecosystem for body shop operations, the company already enables efficient and consistent repair workflows through digital colour scanning, colour matching, mixing, and workflow management. The integration of robotics improves this ecosystem by linking digital process control directly to physical paint application, making the refinish process more automated, precise, and connected.

“Robotics brings together digital color management and physical application in a single connected process,” said Chen Liu, Global Head of Technology Automotive Refinish Coatings. “The true differentiation lies not in the robot itself, but in how BASF integrates coatings, process and application expertise to deliver consistent quality in real-world body shop environments. By combining these strengths, we are shaping scalable and repeatable application standards that will define the future of automotive refinish.” 

BASF Coatings is using robotics-enabled solutions to work faster, make applications more consistent, and help develop repair operations that are ready for the future. By integrating advanced automation with digital co-colour management and process expertise, the company helps body shops streamline workflows, reduce variability, and achieve higher levels of productivity and quality. This approach positions BASF Coatings to support the industry's transition toward more scalable, connected, and automated repair environments.

Early robotics applications in automotive refinish are primarily focused on the automated application of primer, basecoat, and clearcoat on complete vehicle components. These implementations drive the need for greater process repeatability, higher throughput, and improved material utilisation. As robotics technology continues to advance, it is expected to be used for more complex repair tasks, such as blending operations and interior painting, which will further improve automation capabilities in body shop environments.

“We see robotics as an important future topic for Automotive Refinish and want to help customers navigate this evolving environment with confidence,” said Roar Solberg, Vice President Automotive Refinish Coatings EMEA. “Our approach is to provide orientation, validation and close collaboration so customers can make informed decisions about future-ready repair processes.” 

BASF Coatings is using its knowledge in coatings, digital workflow solutions, and application processes to help make repair operations around the world more efficient, consistent, and ready for the future. The company’s approach combines advanced technology with practical process knowledge to support customers in enhancing productivity, quality, and scalability across automotive refinish environments.

Source: BASF