Web特集
July 22, 2008
Series: Focus on Paint Market in Japan
Feature of UV and EB coating Electronics material market is growing over 10% annually
The volume of UV and EB coated material in 2006 was 18,130 tons, 5% increase vs last year according to RadTech Japan. Film coating grew 20%, but huge market, wood coating, have few growth.
This trend is same as previous year. Film coat and optical disc coating in electronics market was strong and made over 10% growth. Wood coating had an influence of low demand in housing industry. Especially number of new residential construction sharply decrease because of the delay of probation according to revised building codes. It affects architectural and interior material industry. In addition, "subprime" issue decreased export business. Totally the demand of wood coating is depressed.
Domestic production of mobile phone in 2006 was 48 Mio units. In 2007, it decreased 7%, 45 Mio. Annual demand is being fixed. We started "Mobile number portability system" in 2006, but it did not contribute to demand expansion. Market related parties clearly mentioned domestic demand reached full and replacement was only main business. On the other hand, in China, 2007 production was 500-600 Mio units and its share was over 50% globally.
Therefore, domestic demand is being led by electronics material such as hard-coating on film of flat-screen (Liquid Crystal Display, Plasma Display Panel) TV and PC display, or light-sensitive film for color filter.
Although electronics material market is strong, the unit price is going down, therefore, the requirement on the function and performance is getting severe year by year.
Especially among film related market, property of low refractive index, antistatic, anti-tarnish, stain resistance, scratch resistance is strongly required. Material producers said, "Conflicting property is required such as more hardness and more flexibility" and face strong pressure of cost reduction by end users due to price fall of their end products. As electronics materials are not only for domestic use but also being exported as final product, total profitability should be balanced by total volume.
Meanwhile, lots of UV and EB coatings still include solvents despite environmental issue is discussed globally. Coating for wooden architectural material was replaced by solvent-free type in Japan and water-borne UV coating is being used for hard coat on wood building product in Europe, Southeast Asia.
Regarding plastics coating, NOKIA approve water-borne UV for hard-coat of mobile phones at certain production line in China, but it is not major yet. In Japan, paint producers tried trial test and developed the formulation, however, it is not qualified yet. Paint suppliers said, "it is difficult to apply water-borne coating to plastics because it is highly required to decrease surface tension of water without any change of film performance." and "Domestic requirement tends to high performance and good appearance, therefore, water-borne coating can not meet." As some mobile phones are being finished by 3 or 4 layers coating to follow the trend of good appearance, it takes time before water-borne system is applied.
Market development is slow same as environmental issue, but recently it is getting active. BASF SE developed and launched UV primer as repair coating for automotive OEM. It makes time and cost saving effect because we can repair small scratch at final stage of production process. Although it takes usually 30 minutes to repair by conventional primer, new one finishes within a couple of minutes. Momentive Performance Materials Inc announced silicone basis hard coating was approved for the polycarbonate roof of "smart fortwo" and it attracts public attention. It shows a good weatherability, excellent scratch and chemical resistance on surface.
UV curing technology is acted as sealant and adhesive for electronics materials in automotive assembly. "Dual cure technology", combination between traditional heat curing and UV cure, is coming up as solution provide of volume shrinkage caused by enzyme inhibition.
Shift to water-borne system becomes marked in plastics coating market
Paint sales for plastics is still strong. In 2007, total revenue was estimated to 106 bio yen topping 100 bio yen mark for the first time. Main players have been growing about 10%.
The growth factor includes the demand expansion in ASEAN region such as China, Malaysia and Thailand. In China, there are production sites of three largest global players of mobile phone (Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson) and Japanese paint producers are supplying there. Japanese paint producers take major potion of top coat of mobile phone in UV coating business. Musashi Paint, Cashew and other players are supplying their paints through local production.
Many Japanese consumer-electronics makers are being integrated in ASEAN region, they are manufacturing the product based on Japanese specification and export it mainly. Although domestic production of home electronics had peaked, on-site supply of plastics paint is growing according to the shift to oversea locations.
In Japan, the fact that UV coating is approved for cleaner, flame of flat-screen TV is influenced by the competition on mobile phone design. Matured market demands advanced needs and enhanced compliance policy among consumer-electronics makers lead water-borne system clearly.
Approval of water-borne UV coating for mobile phones is being realized and trial line test of UV single coat and water-borne base coat starts. Paint suppliers expect the qualification will be completed within one year after the running test.
In automotive industry, the shift to water-borne for car body is fully in progress, with this trend the shift on interior parts such as bumper expands. Interior parts are required by "TX free coating" from safety viewpoint of indoor environment. Paint producers finished the development of TX free paint. However, recently automotive manufacturers try to shift to water-borne system not through TX free stage.
Basic stance of global strategy in major automotive players is to form global standards. The standard specification of paint is naturally water-borne system and oversea brand applies it. Domestic water-borne system for interior parts is ready to start.
Plastics coating has three key market segments, automotive, consumer-electronics and other general coating. Each segment has strong demand. In consumer-electronics field, advanced functional requirement is needed such as better appearance, good scratch resistance and fingerprint resistance. In automotive industry, the proportion of plastic material is getting higher because of car weight saving. It makes more needs for coatings. In other field, the coating for cosmetic package is positive.
Coating technology tends to follow the needs for water-borne from environmental viewpoint. Paint producers focus on the development of water-borne technology in the last 7 or 8 years, as a result, they mostly finished it. However, it is true solvent-borne coatings still have better film performance and property. The performance of water-borne coating could make gap among players.
As hard-coat, UV curing is highlighted. UV paint discharges same VOC as solvent-borne one, so players are aggressively developing non-solvent UV or water-borne UV coating. About 2 years ago, certain producer started the promotion and since last year water-borne UV system has been approved. From this year, more approval is expected.
UV single coating system is coming to the front as new technology. It includes color pigment, therefore, single coating is possible with the combination of proper primer. However, the color is limited by use of selected pigment which does not block UV transmission.
The replacement of plating is considered as a trigger to expand UV curing related market. Chemical plate processing has heavy metal concern as Chromium, so UV coating is interested as the replacement of the plating process. The specification to apply UV clear on metal coating is approved and certain paint player starts the supply. In addition, UV curing by plasma discharge is introduced, in Europe an experimental line runs to do takt-spray of clear coat for car body. Domestic automotive players start to consider this system for the purpose of making automotive spray plant be compacted.
Plastic and UV coating is advancing toward expansion, but it enters stage to change in terms of environmental concern.
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