Dürr wins major contract worth Euro 200 m from Peugeot Citroen

01/21/2002

• Innovative concepts for maximum flexibility, efficiency and environ-mental safety
• Construction and installation in several stages
• Leading systems supplier in the French market
• Good opportunities for manufacturing support services

The Paint Systems business unit of the Dürr Technology Group has won a major contract worth over Euro 200 m from the French company Peugeot Citroen Automobiles S.A. (PSA). This is one of the biggest contracts ever in Dürr's history, encompassing the planning, engineering, construction and installation of a turnkey paint shop at the plant in Mulhouse. As a reference project, known as "UPM 2000", the plant will set new standards for quality, environmental safety and productivity within the Peugeot Citroen Group.

One of the new features is that solvent-free powder paint will be applied for the first time in five colors matched to the top coat. The base coat is a water-borne paint, clear coat will be a two-component product. Top coat application - partly in 2 colors - will be fully automated for the first time employing approx. 100 highly flexible and efficient Dürr EcoPaint robots.

The new paint shop complex, in which more than 1800 vehicles of the Peugeot model series 206 and 307 will be painted daily in three shifts, will be built in several steps. First test plants for pre-production trials will already be available in early 2002. The various paint lines are scheduled for commissioning between October 2003 and June 2004. The scope of supplies and services includes the complete paint process equipment, paint application facilities and conveyor sys-tem, the control and automation systems and also the erection of the building.

Thanks to the high level of standardization of the plant components, capital investment and operating costs will be favorable. The project will be backed by the Peugeot Citroen project management system "Protocole" to reduce technical risks and to shorten engineering times.

The "UPM 2000" project will be masterminded and coordinated by Dürr AIS S.A., the French operation, together with the German operation Dürr Systems GmbH. Dürr's Services business unit also has a good chance of winning contracts with terms extending over several years to provide manufacturing support and maintenance services. This is the first time that Peugeot Citroen is outsourcing these services to an external specialist.

"This major contract is another milestone in the pleasing development of our French operation Dürr AIS, formerly Alstom Automation S.A.. Thanks to good cooperation in the spirit of partnership, we have been able to stabilize and strengthen our leading market position within the French automobile industry", says Hans Dieter Pötsch, Chairman of the Board of Management of Dürr AG. Dürr AIS has recently successfully installed paint shops and a final assembly shop for Peugeot Citroen in Brazil and France.

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. Within the context of its "Life Cycle Strategy", Dürr offers comprehensive systems solutions for major stages of the value chain in automobile production: from planning production processes and automobile factories, installing turnkey systems, through to providing services during full production plant operation. Five operative business units organized under the strategic management of Dürr AG are active with approx. 12,500 employees in over 25 countries.