The Laser Curing Revolution: How PPG, IPG Photonics, and Whirlpool Are Reshaping Powder Coating's Future

For decades, the powder coating industry has operated on a fairly straightforward premise: apply powder electrostatically, send parts through a thermal oven, and wait for the heat to do its work. The curing oven — whether convection, infrared, or a combination — has been the undisputed centerpiece of every finishing line. But that paradigm is shifting, and the change is coming not from a new resin chemistry or a novel application technique, but from a technology that until recently seemed better suited for cutting metal than curing paint: laser.

The Problem with Ovens

Before we get into what laser curing actually does, it's worth understanding what it's trying to solve. Conventional thermal curing has served the industry well, but it comes with baggage. Ovens are energy hogs — they heat not just the parts but the entire enclosure, the conveyor system, and a substantial volume of air that contributes nothing to the cure [10†L20-L26]. They take up floor space. They create bottlenecks on production lines where cure time dictates line speed [11†L11-L12]. And for manufacturers running mixed-gauge parts, achieving uniform heating across thick and thin sections is a constant struggle [12†L40-L43].

The numbers tell the story. The global powder coatings market is projected to grow from $19.13 billion in 2026 to $31.26 billion by 2035, and much of that growth is being driven by sustainability mandates and the push for energy-efficient manufacturing [8†L6-L8][0†L4-L8]. But growth alone doesn't solve the fundamental inefficiency baked into the curing process. That's where laser technology enters the picture.

What Laser Curing Actually Does

Laser curing for powder coatings isn't about melting powder with a high-powered beam in the way you might imagine a laser cutter working. Instead, it uses infrared light to initiate the crosslinking reaction — the chemical process that transforms loose powder particles into a continuous, durable film [10†L20-L22][11†L13-L14]. The key distinction is selectivity. Where an oven heats everything in its path, a laser system applies energy precisely where it's needed, when it's needed [9†L16-L17].

The PhotoniCURE system developed by IPG Photonics, which is at the center of the current push toward commercialization, cures powder in minutes rather than the extended dwell times required by traditional ovens [10†L24-L25]. It's compatible with both standard powder chemistries and formulations specifically optimized for laser curing, which means finishers don't necessarily need to overhaul their entire material supply chain to adopt the technology [10†L22-L23][11†L15-L16].

The Collaboration That's Changing Everything

In early 2026, PPG announced a collaboration with IPG Photonics and Whirlpool Corporation aimed at accelerating the broad-scale commercialization of laser curing systems for powder coatings [10†L6-L13][11†L7-L10]. This isn't a lab experiment or a theoretical exercise. PPG has already installed a state-of-the-art pilot finishing line featuring IPG's PhotoniCURE system at its powder manufacturing and technical facility in Strongsville, Ohio [10†L18-L20][20†L13-L15]. A laboratory system for research feasibility studies is also operating at the PPG Coatings Innovation Center near Pittsburgh [10†L38-L40].

Pilot trials with Whirlpool are already underway, evaluating various powder formulations across a range of appliance components [10†L41-L42][11†L22-L23]. The collaboration has been recognized with the 2026 IRI Open Innovation Award, underscoring the significance of what these three companies are attempting to achieve [14†L9-L15].

Scot Blommel, Whirlpool Corporation's global sustainability senior manager, framed the stakes clearly: "Industrial manufacturing finishing processes are incredibly energy intensive, and we are excited to participate with PPG in the development of laser-curing capabilities. These trials will be critical in helping to determine how to best maximize this technology to reduce our environmental impact, enhance productivity and reduce our energy costs" [10†L44-L48].

Why This Matters Beyond the Numbers

The implications of successful laser curing commercialization extend well beyond the immediate energy savings. Consider what happens when you decouple curing from oven-based infrastructure. Finishing lines become smaller, more flexible, and potentially more distributed [0†L18-L20]. The ability to cure selectively means parts with varying geometries and thicknesses can be processed on the same line without the compromises that come with uniform oven heating [9†L16-L17].

There's also the question of what becomes possible when cure time is no longer the limiting factor in line speed. Faster throughput without sacrificing quality changes the economics of powder coating in ways that could make the technology competitive in applications where it has historically struggled to gain foothold.

The Broader Context of Innovation

Laser curing doesn't exist in isolation. It's part of a broader wave of innovation reshaping the powder coatings industry. Low-temperature cure powders are expanding the technology's reach to heat-sensitive substrates like plastics, wood, and composites [12†L9-L10][1†L27-L29]. AkzoNobel, for instance, has introduced low-cure formulations that reduce curing temperatures from 200°C to 150°C, cutting energy consumption by up to 20% [1†L18-L21]. Bio-based resins are beginning to appear in commercial formulations, with BASF, Arkema, and AkzoNobel collaborating on architectural powder coatings that achieve up to 40% lower carbon footprint through bio-attributed raw materials [17†L22-L26][17†L33-L37].

Artificial intelligence is also making inroads. Flightpath Pro, an AI-driven solution developed by CoatingAI in partnership with AkzoNobel, optimizes spray gun settings using cloud-based data analysis to reduce overspray, minimize defects, and improve coating consistency [18†L13-L16][18†L18-L22]. One manufacturer reported a 9% improvement in coating uniformity and a 6% reduction in powder waste after implementing the system [13†L34-L35].

What's Still to Be Solved

Laser curing isn't a finished product — it's a technology in active development. The PhotoniCURE system is being tested across a range of applications, and the data from Whirlpool's pilot trials will be critical in understanding where the technology delivers the most value and where it falls short [10†L41-L42][11†L22-L23]. IPG, PPG, and Whirlpool anticipate that demand for these systems will grow as the joint value proposition is proven in volume manufacturing, aided by intensifying trends toward sustainable manufacturing [11†L32-L34].

The industry is watching closely. AkzoNobel is also showcasing laser-based curing technology in partnership with IPG at PaintExpo 2026, with live demonstrations at their booth [9†L15-L20]. This isn't a one-company story — it's an industry movement.

A Final Thought

The powder coating industry has always been defined by its commitment to durability, performance, and environmental responsibility. Laser curing represents something more than an incremental improvement. It's a fundamental rethinking of how powder coatings are applied and cured — a shift that could reshape finishing lines, change the economics of coating operations, and open new applications that were previously off-limits due to thermal constraints.

The technology is still in its early stages, but the trajectory is clear. The companies investing in laser curing today are betting that the future of powder coating isn't just about better powders — it's about smarter ways to turn those powders into finished products. And if the early results hold up, that bet looks increasingly like a sound one.