The painter, a craftsman of automation in the construction sector

The digitalization of the building sector revolves around two distinct axes:

• Monitoring or controlling works, where digital technology is already relatively present and developed. With, for example, site management applications, which allow tracking the progress of a site, capturing defects, communicating with various stakeholders and coordinating the work;
• The execution of the work is still largely unautomated. This is particularly true for painting operations.

Structural obstacles to overcome

According to INSEE, the construction industry operates with reduced margins of 19%, compared to 26% in the manufacturing industry, considerably limiting its capacity to invest in innovation[1].

Faced with a culture and constraints different from those of the industry, technology solution providers for the building sector have innovated by offering usage-based payment models (e.g., equipment rental or SaaS for software), thus making their offerings more accessible and flexible for the construction industry.

Regarding painters in particular, the market is all the more complex because it is a fairly traditional sector. Similarly, construction trades have historically been low-capital-intensive, primarily based on labor and not structurally requiring heavy investments, unlike in industry.

These limited levels of investment impact the sector's willingness to reinvent itself, to develop, and hinder its growth by limiting innovation, productivity gains, and the ability of companies to respond to ever-changing demand.

Indeed, over the last 50 years, the annual increase in productivity in the Industrial sector has been 3 to 4% on average, while it has been less than 1% per year in the building sector[2], in particular because the building sector remains very dependent on artisanal processes, which limits the progress of productivity.

Before trying to industrialize and automate building methods, we must first change the perception of an entire sector.

Concrete opportunities: a new economic paradigm

By changing perspective, we realize above all that investments represent levers for growth thanks to a decrease in costs and an increase in productivity.

Furthermore, beyond simply recognizing the advantages of new technologies, the key to adoption lies in the presence of ambassadors, lobbyists, and committed supporters to engage and mobilize the entire industry in these structural changes. Value distribution is therefore fundamental, with each stakeholder needing to benefit, whether by increasing margins for subcontractors or by reducing costs while simultaneously improving quality for the client.

Automating painting services solves a major problem on construction sites: concurrent activities. By entrusting certain tasks to machines capable of operating on a staggered schedule, interference between different trades working simultaneously is significantly reduced. The resulting performance gains are not only due to the machine's inherent characteristics, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to the revised and optimized organization that follows. This last point demonstrates that beyond the machines themselves, it is also the processes and production methods that must be optimized in order to industrialize building construction.

Finishing trades face the common challenge of automation

Unlike a factory, a standardized and optimized production environment, a construction site presents variable and unpredictable conditions. By definition, tradespeople, particularly painters—the final players in this complex process—must adapt to constantly changing and different configurations. This explains the gap of over forty years between the introduction of industrial robots and the deployment of the first robots in the construction sector.

The automation of the painting trade will mark a new turning point in the production methods of finishing work in the building sector.

While planning processes have already embraced digitalization, certain trades are slowly adopting automation. Earthmovers have embraced machinery, bricklayers are starting to use 3D printers and exoskeletons to assist them, and plumbers and electricians are collecting data, increasing the added value of their work. Only finishing trades (plasterers, drywall installers, painters) remain to be integrated into this technological revolution.

Robotics has a valuable role to play in assisting with laborious tasks such as plastering, sanding, or painting large sections of walls. To overcome these obstacles, a new economic model is emerging: renting technological equipment billed per square meter, allowing access to innovation without massive investment. This practice virtually eliminates the risk for the robot user: if the machine does not perform as expected, the user only pays for the service provided.

The leasing model has been launched and is taking shape; manufacturers are ready, supported by institutions and federations such as the FFB-GESTES trade association and the FFB-UPMF, which have recently committed to these issues. The current challenge is to mobilize all stakeholders—the industry, builders, and painting contractors—around this technological revolution.

Now that the technology is available, the focus naturally shifts to the first large-scale deployments. The current challenge is to attract pioneering partners. Usage-based service models, such as robot rentals with support, training, and guidance—also known as Robotics as a Service (RAAS)—appear to be a relevant tool that is already convincing some painters.

[1] Profit margin rates – Companies in France | INSEE

[2] Trends in labor productivity in France, 1976-2018, No. 2020-18 December, France Stratégie

[3] Reindustrialization of France by 2035: Needs, Constraints and Potential Effects No. 2024-02 July, France Stratégie

[4] Construction: A Homemade Productivity Crisis

Opinion piece by Antoine Rennuit, founder and CEO, Les Companions (LinkedIn).