October 27, 2026
Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Co., Ltd.

Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Jointly Develops 
New Film Decoration Technique for Automotive Parts

― Establishes a Process that Cuts Material and Processing Costs ―
 

Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Hirakata City, Osaka; President and Representative Director: Satoshi Nishimura; “NPAC”) announces that its subsidiary, Nippon Paint Automotive Americas, Inc., and Taikisha USA, Inc. jointly presented a new film decoration technique for automotive parts at the 2026 SPE TPO Global Automotive Conference in Michigan, USA, on September 29, 2026. Taikisha USA, Inc. is a group company of Taikisha Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Masashi Okada; “Taikisha”).

NPAC, which develops and manufactures automotive coatings, and Taikisha, which has extensive experience in paint application systems and production line design, have been jointly developing film decoration technology by combining their respective technologies and expertise. The new technique addresses key challenges identified during mass-production feasibility testing on a demonstration line, using an automotive bumper as an example of a large automotive part. 

■ Key Features of the New Technique
The new technique addresses material costs and trimming quality―the main challenges identified during mass-production feasibility testing―while shortening cycle times to improve productivity and reducing processing energy consumption. 
The conventional process required a decorative film slightly larger than the part, with approximately 70% of the film discarded after vacuum-pressure forming, resulting in high material costs. Laser trimming also posed quality challenges. Addressing these issues was essential to making the process viable for mass production. 

The new technique increases decorative film utilization to 90% or more by placing decorative film cut to the required size onto a low-cost carrier film before forming. The decorative film is pre-cut so that peeling off the carrier film after forming removes all unwanted sections in a single step. This eliminates the need for laser trimming, which had posed quality challenges. The carrier film is also recyclable, helping to reduce environmental impact. Together, these features are expected to reduce costs to a level comparable to or lower than those of conventional painting systems.

■Looking Ahead
Film decoration offers a high degree of design flexibility and environmental benefits, with the potential to reduce energy consumption and labor requirements. However, production capacity and cost constraints have so far limited its application. 
Through the new technique, NPAC and Taikisha aim to address these challenges and expand the applications of film decoration. Starting with small plastic parts, the companies will accelerate testing and development toward commercialization, with a view to extending the technology to larger plastic parts and, ultimately, entire vehicle bodies. 


(Reference) Overview of Film Decoration Technology
Film decoration technology can reproduce conventional paint colors while enabling a wide range of design effects unique to decorative films and incorporating functions tailored to specific applications. Compared with conventional painting lines, film decoration lines can reduce the required building volume by 70% or more, substantially reducing space requirements. They also offer environmental and operational benefits, including unmanned operation, reduced labor and maintenance requirements, and substantial reductions in CO2 emissions. 
By applying the automotive coatings technologies developed over many years, NPAC will deliver these benefits while meeting the high-performance standards required for automotive parts. 

■ Presentation Overview
Conference: 2026 SPE TPO Global Automotive Conference
Conference Dates: September 28-30, 2026
Presentation Date: September 29, 2026
Location: Troy, Michigan, USA
Joint Presenters: Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings America and Taikisha USA, Inc.
Presentation Title: Establishment of a Film Decoration Technique Applicable to Large PP Parts
Official Website: https://auto-tpo.com/