Michael Cash, president of Axalta Coating Systems, says the biggest trends he sees is in the demand of waterborne coatings; higher glosses; different colors, effects, and looks; and polyurethane chemistry. With these trends, he explains how people in the industry get to see the techonology evolve for more user- and environmentally-friendly finishes while producing more aesthetically appealing designs.

Cash expalins a challenge in coating wood is that the substrate becomes inconsistent as opposed to coating steel or aluminum. He says the solution to this lies in both the chemistry and in the application of the substrate regardless of the inconsistencies in it. Axalta has 21 training centers across North America where customers are invited into the environmnet in which Cash says the company explains the chemical and application process.

He says with all the new technology, colors, effects, designs, and substrates, "the future is incredibly bright."