［Objective/Significance］Amid the green transition of China’s construction machinery industry，widespread cognitive controversies and practical implementation pain points have emerged inthe promotion of waterborne coatings for industrial coating applications. This paper aims to clarifytechnical boundaries，correct prevalent misunderstandings，and integrate the“five stages，five elements， three levels”management framework from coating system theory to provide actionable，evidence-based references for the industry to meet mandatory volatile organic compound（VOC）emission reduction targets and achieve high-quality sustainable development.［Analysis/Discussion/ Progress］ Waterborne coatings have now penetrated over 60% of mainstream construction machinery models， including excavators and loaders. Through resin modification technologies breakthroughs have beenachieved in salt-spray and weathering resistance，and VOC emissions have been reduced by more than 70% compared to conventional solvent-based systems. Waterborne coating applications are undergoingan upgrade toward automation and intelligent systems The implementation of constant temperature andhumidity control，together with SCADA/MES systems，are widely deployed to enhance process standardization and fine management，shifting quality assurance from a single technical dimension to asystemic engineering approach. Nevertheless，three core problems persist. First，cognitive biases remainrampant-quality defects caused by managerial oversights are frequently misattributed to inherentshortcomings of waterborne technology. Second，equipment and environmental adaptation lag significantly，particularly in retrofitting existing production lines to meet the strict temperature andhumidity requirements of waterborne coatings. Third，weak cross-process coordination across the entire life cycle-from design，manufacturing，storage and transport，to installation/commissioning，and field usage-is often neglected，with the lack of anti-corrosion measures for sea-freighted export products being anotably prominent gap.［Conclusion/Prospect］ Waterborne coatings remain the core direction forgreen coating in construction machinery. Future progress relies on technological innovations such asnano-modification，AI-enabled intelligent spraying，and low-temperature curing technologies. It is essential to deepen the life-cycle cost（LCC）management philosophy，strengthen cross-departmental collaboration among R & D，production，procurement，and after-sales service，and promote the deep integration of“green principles and smart technologies”to overcome application bottlenecks in extreme working conditions. Ultimately，this will achieve optimal total life-cycle costs and help China’s construction machinery manufacturers build lasting competitive advantages in the global market.