Dürr-AIS to supply Paint Shop for Plastic Parts

12/06/2001

• High quality with cost-efficiency
• Success in the automotive supply sector

One of the Dürr Technology Group companies - has received an order from Scherer & Trier, Michelau - a supplier to the automotive industry - for systems to handle the painting of their plastic parts. The order carries a total value of approximately 10 million euros and Dürr-AIS will act as general contractor responsible for the complete paint shop, which will be used to paint a variety of vehicle body parts such as covers for sill areas and protective profile side strips.

The investment is being made in response to an increase in the market for plastic body parts, which are supplied by component manufacturers in a finished and painted condition direct to the vehicle production line. Nonetheless components supplied must meet vehicle manufacturers' stringent quality specifications in full.

Painting is therefore carried out on a fully automatic basis with environmentally friendly, water-based paints, using 12 Dürr EcoPaint RP6 robots coupled with the newly developed potential separation system EcoCharge P for direct charging. An EcoSupply P Reflow System will supply special colours. This system incorporates automatic "pigs" as system clearers and minimises paint loss when colours are changed. The inclusion of the most modern equipment available for exhaust air and waste water treatment together with the use of energy-saving heat recovery systems will ensure that the plant is as cost-effective and environmentally friendly as possible. Start of production is planned for Spring 2002.

The Paint Systems business unit of the Dürr Technology Group is the leading supplier of paint systems for the automobile industry worldwide. Within the global Dürr Group Dürr-AIS provides a competence centre serving the German commercial vehicle, automotive supply and general industry markets. In addition Dürr-AIS, Butzbach, Germany is the home of the Dürr global competence centre for the innovative RoDip method of dip painting vehicle bodies.

The Dürr Technology Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of manufacturing systems and manufacturing support services for the automobile industry and its suppliers. In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Dürr increased sales by 22 %, compared to the same period in the previous year, to 1,445 million euros (previous year 1,183 million euros). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the same period were up by 49 % to 89.2 million euros (previous year 59.8 million euros).