The domestic liquid electrostatic spraying industry in 2026

In 2026, the domestic liquid electrostatic spraying industry will enter a critical stage of competition for existing market share and structural upgrading. The industry will undergo overall readjustment, but the driving force of technology will be significantly enhanced. The core driving force will shift from "scale expansion" to environmental compliance and transformation and substitution.

Market Size and Growth Trends

Market Size: In 2025, the Chinese liquid spray gun and spraying equipment market size was approximately RMB 14.86 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.4%. This growth rate is significantly slower than the previous five years, indicating the industry has entered a period of deep adjustment.

Structural Differentiation: Demand for traditional solvent-based equipment is shrinking, while demand for electrostatic spray guns and high-speed rotary cup sprayers specifically designed for water-based paints is surging. In 2025, shipments of models compatible with water-based paints increased by 28.9% year-on-year, with the average paint utilization rate rising to 68.5%.

Replacement Cycle: In the existing market, equipment that has been in service for more than 8 years accounts for 34.7%, and it is estimated that approximately RMB 4.15 billion in replacement demand will be released between 2026 and 2028.

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Competitive Landscape: Foreign Companies Dominate High-End, Domestic Brands Break Through Mid-Range

High-End Market: International brands such as Nordson, Graco, and Wagner, leveraging their precision control algorithms and sealing technologies, hold approximately 42.1% of the high-end precision equipment market share, boasting high gross margins.

Mid-to-Low-End Market: Domestic companies (such as Guangdong Hongda and Shanghai TuNai) occupy approximately 21.1% of the market share through cost-effectiveness and localized services, and are accelerating their penetration into niche markets such as new energy vehicles and furniture.

Industry Concentration: The top five companies collectively hold 63.2% of the market share. The industry average gross margin has decreased to 28.4%, with the focus of competition shifting from price wars to full lifecycle service capabilities.

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Technology Trends and Application Scenarios

Technology Evolution: Intelligent atomization and adaptive control are becoming mainstream; intelligent spray guns with closed-loop feedback can increase paint utilization to over 85%; models with AI visual recognition and positioning functions account for 34.7%.

Key Pain Point Breakthroughs: For the high viscosity and fast-drying characteristics of water-based paints, low-pressure high-atomization (HVLP) and anti-clogging technologies have become key R&D focuses; domestic substitution still relies on the supply chain for core components such as tungsten carbide nozzles and high-performance seals.

Downstream Application Differentiation:

New Energy Vehicles: The largest source of incremental growth, with the penetration rate of intelligent spray guns in newly built production lines reaching 87.6%, and a compound annual growth rate of approximately 19.4%.

Furniture and Wood Products: Driven by environmental policies, the penetration rate of water-based paints has exceeded 72%, driving a 14.8% increase in demand for specialized electrostatic spray guns.

Consumer Electronics: Pursuing nanoscale uniformity, the application rate of piezoelectric micro-spraying technology has reached 53.4%.

Policy Environment and Challenges

Rigid Environmental Constraints: From 2025, online monitoring of VOCs will be mandatory and connected to the national platform. The energy consumption threshold per unit spraying area is set at≤0.85 kWh/m². Companies that fail to meet the standards face hefty fines or production shutdowns for rectification.

Supply Chain Risks: The import dependence on core components (such as fluororubber seals and high-precision sensors) remains high. Geopolitical and logistical fluctuations lead to extended delivery cycles, forcing companies to implement "dual-source procurement." Business Model Restructuring: The industry is transforming from single equipment sales to a "product + service + data" model, with predictive maintenance and digital leasing platforms experiencing an average annual growth rate exceeding 40%, effectively alleviating the financial pressure on SMEs. Overall, the domestic liquid electrostatic spraying industry has moved beyond its period of extensive growth; future opportunities lie in water-based adaptation technologies, the localization of core components, and customized solutions for high-end scenarios such as new energy.