A paint manufacturing method includes receiving each of a group of fluid
prepaints at different inputs of a fluid component mixing system,
determining at a computer system a first fluid prepaint ratio, and mixing
the fluid prepaints in accordance with the first ratio to form a base
paint at an output of the mixing system. A paint manufacturing system
includes a computer-controlled prepaint mixing system. The prepaint
mixing system includes multiple fluid inputs providing for
computer-controllable flow of prepaints into the mixing system. The
computer system includes a memory storing software instructions that
configured the computer system to receive user input selecting a base
paint to be produced, determine a ratio of fluid prepaints needed to
produce the base paint, and regulate each fluid flow control to
establish, in the determined ratio, a flow of fluid prepaints entering
the fluid mixing system. A paint manufacturing system includes multiple
paint manufacturing sites that can each produce paint products. Each
manufacturing site includes a site control computer to control a paint
manufacturing process at the site and the system also includes a
coordinating computer system that can exchange manufacturing operations
data with each of the site control computers.