Focus on costs per unit: Dürr presents paint-saving innovations
09/21/2007
Stuttgart, September 21, 2007 – “More efficiency, quality, and environmental compatibility in the painting process” is the motto of Dürr System GmbH’s Open House this year in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany. The world market leader in automotive painting systems kept its word and simultaneously presented to its guests several innovations designed to lower costs per unit. They ranged from the paint-saving HD and ICC atomizer models in the EcoBell 2 series to the EcoCharge D piston-dosing system to the EcoRP L painting robot. Other highlights included new application solutions for insulation mat injection and sealing hemflange seams. Dürr intends to step up growth further in the focus business area of sealing. Under the rubric “Digital Factory,” Dürr presented the integration of process and material flow simulations into the 3D visualization of paint shops.
In robot technology, Dürr has rounded out its new EcoRP product family with the EcoRP L model for interior painting and related handling robots for opening doors and hoods. The EcoRP L has up to seven axes of motion, features modular design, and is extremely compact. All components, including the paint lines and high voltage generators, are integrated in the robot arm. All new EcoRP painting robots may easily be equipped with two dosing pumps in atomizer proximity. That reduces consumption of paint and cleaning agents. Depending on what is required, the robots are arranged in the booth either stationary or movable on rails. The concept of two rails that can be positioned one on top of the other saves space, allowing shorter and narrower booths. That makes the EcoRP also attractive for retrofitting existing lines. Additional advantages include good reachability of all surfaces and high flexibility.
Atomizer technology: Significantly higher application efficiency
In atomizer technology, Dürr has equipped its successful EcoBell 2 model – the world’s best-selling rotary atomizer for automotive painting – with additional features to minimize loss of materials during color changes.
The new ICC (integrated color changer) version has a paint color changer placed directly in the atomizer for up to six colors. All paint lines are thus connected directly to the atomizer. Also, every color has a separate dosing pump, which therefore does not need to be rinsed. Both features lead to impressive savings. The ICC technology reduces paint loss in the case of high-runner colors to 2-4 ml per atomizer and color change, and thus to at most one-tenth of current levels. It also shortens the color change process to about 6 seconds. At 30 units per hour, that makes it possible to increase capacity by 5%.
The new EcoBell2 HD technology makes it possible to improve efficiency in interior painting by significantly reducing overspray. Savings of 21% have been measured in clear coat, and over 25% in cover coat. That is attributable to a newly developed bell cup and shaping air ring system, which generates a spray stream that can be much more exactly focused. By allowing easy adjustment of the spray stream from 50 mm to 250 mm, the HD technology is also ideally suited for detail painting of trim parts such as bumpers. In interior painting, the improved application efficiency is also achieved without charging the paint with high voltage.
Easy direct charging with EcoCharge D piston-dosing system
Dürr introduced the new EcoCharge D piston-dosing system for direct charging of water-borne paint. Installed on the robot arm, the EcoCharge D technology is convincing in comparison with conventional direct charging techniques because of its simple mode of operation with an electrically driven dosing cylinder that pushes the paint into the atomizer with an extendable piston. Electric potential separation is accomplished by way of scrapers in a short insulating section. EcoCharge D reduces paint loss and speeds up color changing while providing effective insulation. At the same time, it shortens start-up time and makes operation, maintenance, and repair easier.
Sealing initiative with new application products
Dürr is greatly expanding its position in the fragmented market for sealing applications in automobile manufacturing. Its market share is to be increased considerably in the medium term. For that purpose, Dürr set up a large testing center in Bietigheim-Bissingen two years ago and began developing a full range of products.
The application experts have developed new products for outfitting car bodies with insulating materials, for example. While insulation mats are delivered and manually inserted in the conventional process, Dürr now offers a robot process solution. It involves injecting insulation material with a newly developed applicator. The automated process guarantees not only more precision, higher quality, and absolute reproducibility, but also saves production space and storage costs.
Dürr’s second new sealing process also replaces a manual process with full automation. This involves sealing hemflange seams created in body construction, for example, in the production of car doors. In this process, the formation of beads must be avoided because the sealed seam will remain visible to the end-customer. The new Dürr robot process meets this quality requirement by means of a precise dispensing system and an applicator supported by a vision system that operates with millimeter precision even when sealing with doors closed.
Process and material flow integrated in 3D visualization for the first time
Virtual planning, design, and simulation of an entire system are standard Dürr procedure for large-scale projects in painting technology. Now, for the first time, Dürr has also integrated simulation of material flows and essential individual processes into 3D visualization. This allows customers to check parameters such as car body throughput or buffer sizes already long before construction begins. By integrating data from the simulation, one can analyze processes and conditions at individual stations. For example, liquid flows of varying strength in dip-painting tanks can be shown, as can air flows, temperature conditions in drying ovens, and motion sequences of painting robots. Dürr uses a large power wall display to visualize for customers. It allows virtual factory tours in which customer representatives and Dürr can clear up technical issues during a project. Moreover, possible interface problems in the process chain can be identified and eliminated early thanks to the one-to-one visualization. Equipment accessibility can also be checked and optimized, which contributes importantly to reducing maintenance times.
Six-day innovation show capped by family day
At this year’s Open House, Dürr’s presentations to trade audiences spanned six days. The event started with a lecture symposium for plant, planning, and paint shop managers on September 21. One-day tours with lectures and product demonstrations were then on the program for attendees from September 24 to 28. On the last day, September 29, Dürr held a Family Day event for employees and their relatives.
About Dürr
The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of products, systems, and services for automobile manufacturing. Its range embraces important stages in the vehicle production process. As a systems supplier, Dürr designs and builds paint shops and final assembly plants. Dürr also supplies cleaning and filtration equipment used in the production of engine and transmission components as well as diagnostic and balancing systems for vehicle components. Business with automobile manufacturers and their suppliers accounts for about 90% of consolidated sales. Other important customer groups are the mechanical engineering sector and the chemical, pharmaceutical, coating, and aviation industries.
The painting technology business, which is conducted in the Paint Systems and Application Technology business units, is Dürr’s largest single activity and contributes about 60% to consolidated sales of just under € 1.4 billion.
Photos
Digital product photos may be obtained from the contact persons named below.
Contact:
Dürr Systems GmbH
Stefanie Gierke
Marketing
Phone: +49 (0)711 136-1333
Fax: +49 (0)711 136-1230
E-mail: stefanie.gierke(at)durr.com
Dürr Systems GmbH
Harald Voigtländer
Marketing
Phone: +49 (0)711 136-2248
Fax: +49 (0)711 136-2107
E-mail: harald.voigtlaender(at)durr.com
Dürr AG
Günter Dielmann
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Phone: +49 (0)711 136-1785
Fax: +49 (0)711 136-1716
E-mail: corpcom(at)durr.com
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