Overview

The systems approach is designed to overcome the obstacles and difficulties associated with such an exercise. Using the facilities of an easily available database software, MS Access, the parameters describing the European Coatings Industry are pooled resulting in a comprehensive, user-friendly and highly resourceful information base. The basic and enhanced features of the database allows the user to extract customized information regarding different aspects of the European Coatings Industry.

In order to make access easier, the database has been configured to meet the most common and uncommon needs of the end-user. On installing the database, a Main Menu appears which has categories describing each layer within the Coatings Industry. On entering into the domain of any of these categories, tailor-made information can be derived pertaining to the aspects that the category deals with. Each category contains a Search utility by which several variables can be combined in order to address the specific information need.

Paint Technology

By using the Search utility, further elaboration enables the user to pull out information for paint consumption for these technologies in terms of their application in market segments of architectural and industrial paints. The latter is further split into several sub-classes. Taking 1994 as the base year, information on paint consumption for preceding 10 years can be retrieved as well as the forecast for next 10 years.

A very important icon, it enables the user to extract segment-wise information on the major markets for architectural and industrial paints in Europe. The industrial coatings segment has been divided into the following segments:
- Automotive OEM - Aerospace - Vehicle Refinish - Plastics
- Fabricated Metal Goods - Agricultural, Construction, Earth-moving Equipment, Machinery - Coil Coating - Can Coating - Rail Road - Protective Coatings - Insulation Varnishes - Wood - Overprint Varnishes - Timber
Although the focus is to obtain paint consumption data for all the segments, an enhanced feature enables the user to identify the prominent paint technologies in each market segment. This cross-tabulation is a unique feature which has proven to be continuosly useful for several industry sectors. The base year for the figures is 1994.

Raw Materials

Raw Materials for paint comprise of resins, pigments, solvents and additives. Consumption data for raw materials is listed under the icon of Raw Materials. The data is represented by each market segment of the European Coatings Industry.

Profiling a big array of paint companies, this icon is a source of vital information for all end-users, from resin manufacturers to solvent producers to coatings end-user companies. The short, yet highly informative profile briefs the reader about the paint company’s areas of business, total turnover, net profits, products and services offered, distributors and other general information. A major point of interest under this icon is the Mergers and Acquisitions activities within the European Coatings Industry. The reader can easily ascertain the structure of the European Coatings Industry after browsing through the Company icon.

Country Statistics

Paint Production, Paint Imports, Paint Exports and the resulting Apparent Consumption of each European Country are accessible through the icon of Country Statistics. All the major European Countries are tabulated by paint type with figures available both in volume and value. The latter is mainly in terms of the local currency.

The above configuration, though comprehensive, has been designed to produce tailor-made searches for data on the European Coatings Industry. After an initial start-up exercise, the database can be applied in a versatile way to enable quick access and easy manipulation to meet end-user requirements. Irfab's DataCoat® is the only existing relational database on the European Paint and Coatings Industry.