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Platinum Tooling Named North American Distributor for Dunner

Industrial Machinery Digest — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 19:57:39 +0000

Effective immediately, Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc., will be selling products from Dunner, a manufacturer of guide bushings for Swiss Type CNC Lathes, in North America.

Producing guide bushings since 1935, Dunner has the know-how to manufacture guide bushings in different bore profiles, guide lengths and insert material. In addition, silicone sealants can be applied to limit chip penetration. All guide bushings are available in standard (15 microns or less), ultra-precision (5 microns or less) and ultimate ultra-precision (2 microns or less).

The company manufacturers bronze, ceramic and titane (Meehanite®) guide bushings for customer machining needs. All guide bushings are ready for machine use with finished internal surfaces and geometries designed to offer the best result with nominal size material.

Manufactured from a special cast iron, titane/Meehanite® offers an excellent compromise between the coefficient of friction and wear. Suitable for stainless steel, titanium and other materials with a tendency to “load up,” it minimizes part marking and is used extensively in medical part production.

Using high-tech ceramic, Ceramic/NewSurf® offers one of the lowest friction coefficients on the market. Specifically designed for titanium, stainless steel and other difficult materials, these bushings are often used for medical implants, in particular when the tightest production tolerances are required.

Designed with steel body and bronze insert for durability, the bronze guide bushing is the most cost-effective material to prevent marking. Best suited for non-medical parts production, the guide bushing is suitable for all non-copper materials and clamping workpiece material up to h8 tolerance.

The Dunner DunnAir Adaptive Guide Bushing System is designed to replace the original guide bushing supplied by the machine builder. The easy-to-use system adds flexibility and consistency to the machining process. With this system, the need for ground stock is eliminated. DunnAir is self-adjusting and consistent and offers four different positions for flexibility and control. In addition, the bushing has a clamping range of 0.5 mm (0.020”) to accommodate material variance, as well as eliminate downtime. Lastly, DunnAir is CNC controlled, so customers can choose the position based on the application.

About Platinum Tooling

Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. in Prospect Heights, IL, near Chicago, serves its growing North American customer base with an extensive inventory of machine tool accessories. Its experienced staff is dedicated to providing the most innovative tooling and technology. Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. serves the auto, aero, medical, woodworking, composites and other industries, as well as an ever-increasing number of machine tool OEMs, through its network of manufacturers’ representatives. Platinum Tooling is the importer of Heimatec, Henninger, Tecnicrafts, Hommel + Keller QUICK tools and REV broaching tools in North America. In addition, Platinum Tooling represents Rineck Shrink Fit Tooling and Machinery in the United States and Mexico.

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Industrial Machinery Digest

NETZSCH Pumps USA Announces Dwight Waters as Industrial Sales Director

Industrial Machinery Digest — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:06:43 +0000

NETZSCH Pumps USA, the leading complex fluid handling solutions provider, is proud to announce that Dwight Waters has joined the Company as Industrial Sales Director and a member of the NPA Executive team. Dwight will oversee the newly established INDUSTRIAL Sales team, responsible for expanding NETZSCH’s business with Industrial Distributors across the United States with a focus on business in strategic markets such as Mining, Battery, Shipbuilding, Tank-Terminals, Adhesives/Sealants, and Lube-Oil.

Dwight comes to NETZSCH with over 30 years of experience in the pump industry, having held various executive and sales-growth positions Feel free to contact Dwight Waters at bit.ly/464T23m or call us at 610-363-8010.

NETZSCH is the world’s largest manufacturer of progressing cavity pumps, rotary lobe pumps, multiple screw pumps, peristaltic pumps, grinders and macerators, metering systems and accessories. NETZSCH provides pumps and systems to industrial, oil & gas, food & personal care, and municipal markets globally.

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Dürr builds an energy-efficient paint shop for Stellantis with repurposed robots

Industrial Machinery Digest — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:13:47 +0000

Stellantis is expected to double overall capacity at its Kenitra site with a new turnkey paint shop from Dürr. The advanced production technology allows for environmentally friendly and energy-saving high-quality electric car coating. Additionally, paint robots from other plants in the group are being repurposed to conserve resources, too.

The new plant in northwest Morocco is intended to be a model for energy optimization, while simultaneously significantly increasing Stellantis’ production capacity for battery-powered vehicles and hybrid models across the Peugeot, Citroën, and Fiat brands. The newly designed paint shop can handle 30 bodies per hour, a rate identical to the first Kenitra plant, which Dürr built in 2019.

Conserving water, chemicals, and heating energy

Stellantis opted for Dürr’s patented RoDip^® rotational dip process for pretreatment and cathodic electrocoating. This innovative method rotates the bodies around their axis, providing exceptional corrosion protection since the dip curves can be individually adapted to different body types, optimizing the immersion, flooding, and draining process. RoDip^® consumes much less water, fewer chemicals, and less heating energy than other technical solutions since the conveyor system eliminates the need for inclined tank entrances and exits. This shortens the immersion tank length by up to six meters and reduces tank volume. Lower energy and material consumption also reduces operating and unit costs.

Forty percent fewer carbon emissions

An electric EcoInCure reduces paint shop emissions by 40 percent compared with the gas-powered version, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

In addition to electrocoating, the Stellantis Group will debut the EcoInCure electric oven featuring innovative air flow conduction that heats and cools car bodies evenly from the inside out. This unique design reduces thermal-structural stress and lowers car body heating time by up to 30 percent. The latest generation of the EcoInCure in the Kenitra plant makes fossil-fuel independence possible by operating with green electricity for an environmentally friendly approach. Compared with its gas-powered counterpart, the electric EcoInCure reduces paint shop emissions by 40 percent, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

Repurposing for optimum resource use

Stellantis is also enhancing efficiency by adopting wet-on-wet technology, saving both time and energy. The extensive process, which includes two-tone painting across three exterior painting stations, utilizes robots and application technology from existing Italian plants. These robots are equipped with EcoBell2 applicators to integrate seamlessly with existing equipment. In addition, technical equipment, such as air supply units, heaters, and conveyors, are transported from Europe to Morocco for reuse. Repurposing production technology from other plants is a sustainable approach that maximizes resources. In addition, repurposing is a suitable building block for constructing a paint shop within challenging time and cost constraints, all without compromising coating quality and performance.

About Dürr

The Dürr Group has been established in the United States since 1970 and currently employs approximately 1,400 people. From the Campus with a state-of-art validation, testing, and training center in Southfield, MI, Dürr USA represents four of the five divisions. Paint and Final Assembly Systems offers equipment for painting and assembly processes, while Application Technology provides paint, sealants and adhesives application systems. Dürr’s Clean Technology Systems division is leading in air pollution control, noise abatement systems, and battery electrode coating lines. Dürr has three locations in the US: Dürr Systems, Inc. in Southfield, MI, and De Pere, WI; Durr Universal, Inc. in Stoughton, WI. The subsidiary Schenck USA Corp., with headquarters in Deer Park, NY, and additional locations in Hudson, MA, and Southfield, MI, offers balancing machines, vibration and condition monitoring systems, spin testing and services for the aerospace, automotive and general industry. The customers of Dürr USA include automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers, as well as their suppliers, and a diverse group of other industries like the chemical or wood industry. HOMAG Machinery North America operates the production facilities for HOMAG Group in Grand Rapids, MI, which is also the base for the sales and service company Stiles Machinery Inc. The HOMAG Group produces machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry.

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with particular expertise in the technology fields of automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency. Its products, systems, and services enable highly efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes – mainly in the automotive industry and for producers of furniture and timber houses, but also in sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, medical devices, electrical engineering, and battery production. In 2023, the company generated sales of €4.6 billion. The Dürr Group has around 20,000 employees and 141 business locations in 33 countries, and it operates in the market with five divisions:

Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops as well as final assembly, testing, and filling technology for the automotive industry
Application Technology: robots and products for the automated application of paint, sealants, and adhesives
Clean Technology Systems:air pollution control, coating systems for battery electrodes, and noise abatement systems
Industrial Automation Systems:automated assembly and test systems for automotive components, medical devices, and consumer goods as well as balancing and diagnostic technology
Woodworking Machinery and Systems:machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Dürr equips the top coat line for Audi electric vehicles

Industrial Machinery Digest — Tue, 28 May 2024 13:25:30 +0000

Mechanical and plant engineering company Dürr produced its 18,000th painting robot for Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany. The robot features the latest EcoBell4 atomizer with 4-main needle technology for rapid color changes with minimal paint and rinsing agent losses.

Dürr is equipping a new top coat line for car manufacturer Audi in Ingolstadt to paint the interior and exterior of the new Audi Q6 e-tron series. The milestone robot, an EcoRP L033i, will be installed in May in the interior paint booth. The six-axis painting robot,

Delivering the 18,000th Dürr painting robot to AUDI AG. From left to right:
Jürgen Haas, Head of Product Development Application Technology, Dürr, Marcus Treppschuh, Head of Sales Application Technology, Dürr, Jörg Spindler, Head of Manufacturing Engineering, AUDI AG, Dr. Lars Friedrich, Head of the Application Technology division, Dürr, Sven Veit, Director Manufacturing Engineering Paint Shop, AUDI AG, Hannes Kupke, Manufacturing Engineering Paint Shop Audi Ingolstadt site.

equipped with Dürr’s latest EcoBell4 atomizer, requires just four seconds for each color change thanks to the patented 4-main-needle technology. “This application technology enables us to connect our three most frequently used colors directly to the atomizer, significantly reducing paint and rinsing agent consumption,” explained Sven Veit, Director Manufacturing Engineering Paint Shop at AUDI AG. With Dürr’s latest EcoBell4 atomizer technology, the car manufacturer not only saves operating costs but also protects the environment with fewer VOC emissions.

Sustainable paint supply

The new top coat line includes a total of 28 robots and corresponding application technology. Dürr is also supplying a quality measurement cell to measure paint layer thickness, structure, and shade, as well as a cleaning station where two EcoRS Clean F robots use feather rollers to clean the car bodies. For this project, Audi is also using Dürr‘s EcoSupply P special color supply system with pigging technology to flexibly provide unlimited colors consecutively for application.

Painting robots success story

Top coat is applied to the exterior of the Audi Q6 e-tron.
Copyright: AUDI AG

In 1998, Dürr supplied its first painting robot, an RP7 robot, to Nissan in Spain. The mechanical and plant engineering company is now on its third robot generation, introduced in 2016, benefiting from a modular structure that places the color changer and metering pump on the robot’s front arm, ensuring fast color changes with minimal paint loss and rinsing agent consumption.

At the end of April, Dürr delivered the milestone robot to Audi at its Bietigheim-Bissingen headquarters. “We are always prepared to take on a challenging project. After all, painting a large volume of cars to a high-quality standard is what we do every day. New at Audi are the numerous innovations we are implementing for the first time: the EcoBell4 with 4-main needle technology and high transfer efficiency painting technology. This is what makes the project so special,” said Dr. Lars Friedrich, Head of Division Application Technology at Dürr.

About Dürr

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with particular expertise in the technology fields of automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency. Its products, systems, and services enable highly efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes – mainly in the automotive industry and for producers of furniture and timber houses, but also in sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, medical devices, electrical engineering, and battery production In 2023, the company generated sales of €4.6 billion. The Dürr Group has over 20,500 employees and 142 business locations in 32 countries, and it operates in the market with five divisions:

Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops as well as final assembly, testing, and filling technology for the automotive industry
Application Technology: robots and products for the automated application of paint, sealants, and adhesives
Clean Technology Systems: air pollution control, coating systems for battery electrodes, and noise abatement systems
Industrial Automation Systems: automated assembly and test systems for automotive components, medical devices, and consumer goods as well as balancing and diagnostic technology
Woodworking Machinery and Systems: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Hinged Screw Cap Cover: Revolutionizing RV Industry with Streamlined Installation and Dual Functionality

Industrial Machinery Digest — Thu, 16 May 2024 13:00:05 +0000

Trim‐Lok, a leading provider of premium extruded plastic and rubber solutions, proudly unveils the Hinged Screw Cap Cover. In a captivating video presentation, Nick Godfrey from Trim‐Lok introduces this groundbreaking family of products designed to revolutionize the industry.

The Hinged Screw Cap Cover Parts come in multiple sizes and profiles, with the main variants being the belt rail trim and corner trim. What sets these parts apart is Trim‐Lok’s unique ability to consolidate multiple components into one single plastic extruded profile. Unlike traditional aluminum belt rails with inserts, which require separate base pieces, sealants, and vinyl cover inserts, Trim‐Lok integrates all these functions into a single part to streamline the installation process with an all‐plastic, one‐piece design.

“Not only is it a lighter and easier‐to‐install part, but it also means our customers only need to order and stock one part, not multiple,” says Dan Whitener, VP and COO. “Our commitment to innovation isn’t just about creating great parts. It’s about being a great partner, and our innovative spirit is what sets us apart.”

The belt rail screw cap cover serves a dual purpose, also acting as a wire chase for smaller gauge 12V wires. By attaching it to the wall and running wires through the channel, users can discreetly conceal wiring in plain sight, eliminating the need for complex wall installations.

To watch the Screw Cap Cover video and learn more about our extensive range of trim and seal solutions, scan the QR code or visit us online at www.trimlok.com/all‐in‐one‐product‐overview.

About Trim-Lok, Inc.

Established in 1971 in Southern California, Trim‐Lok specializes in premium extruded plastic and rubber trims and seals. With over five decades of experience, Trim‐Lok has earned recognition as an industry leader, delivering innovative solutions backed by unparalleled engineering and quality control.

As a global leader in thermoplastic and thermoset rubber profile extrusions, Trim‐Lok prides itself on its ability to meet the most challenging requirements for top‐quality plastic and rubber trim and seal parts. Our highly skilled team excels in designing parts and tooling, fabricating them to exact specifications to ensure performance and value. Trim‐Lok maintains rigorous quality control standards, utilizing only the highest quality automotive‐grade raw materials and investing in modern equipment and highly skilled employees experienced in all phases of manufacturing and production. Our commitment to reliability, efficiency, and repeatability is evident in every product we deliver.

For more information, please visit www.trimlok.com.

Visit Trim-Lok’s listing in IMD’s Supplier Guide

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Dürr adds the EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC to its range of manual spray guns

Industrial Machinery Digest — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 13:02:00 +0000

Dürr is adding an electrostatic air spray gun (ESTA Gun) to its range of manual spray guns. The new EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC is a more sustainable way of painting, reducing overspray by about 40 percent. The spray gun comes in two versions, with direct or external charging. It is equally suitable for applying solvent and water-based paints, and its ergonomic handle and low weight make for comfortable work, even for extended periods.

The new spray gun is ideal for applications where workpieces, such as tubes, rims, two-wheelers or train parts, are painted manually. The advantage here is the electrostatic charging of the paint and components. Dürr offers the spray gun in two versions: The EcoGun AS MAN DC (direct charging) has an electrode on the spray gun needle, which charges the paint and then applies it to a grounded component. The EcoGun AS MAN EC (external charging) positively charges the paint particles by passing them through an electrostatic field. A negatively charged workpiece then attracts these paint particles.

Low paint consumption and reduced work time

Electrostatics reduce paint consumption because the attraction between the particles and the workpiece results in less overspray during the painting process. As a result, the EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC consumes up to 40 percent less paint than conventional air spray guns, significantly reducing paint consumption costs. Simultaneously, the electrostatic charge accelerates the painting process by creating a so-called wrap-around effect. “The charged paint particles follow the electric field lines. As a result, it even reaches surfaces on the back of the workpiece,” explains Tom Reiner, a Dürr product engineer.

The maximum charging voltage for Dürr’s new spray gun is -60 kV for the direct charging version and -30 kV for the external charging version, delivering a high level of transfer efficiency. An integrated high-voltage LED indicates the electrostatic voltage state during painting. However, the manual air spray gun can also be used without high voltage and achieves fine atomization and the same precise application in this state.

Design optimized for comfort and functionality

The EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC’s ergonomic handle and low weight make for comfortable work, even for extended periods.

The EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC’s optimized design offers additional comfort and functionality. The handle shape was adapted to the natural shape of the palm for easier and more ergonomic handling and to prevent slipping. The housing is made from composite materials to guarantee low weight and long service life. Additionally, maintenance is simple since the gun consists of just a few individual parts.

From April 9-12, visitors at Dürr’s booth at PaintExpo in Karlsruhe (hall 3, stand 3320) can hold the EcoGun AS MAN DC/EC and learn more about this innovation. The manual spray gun is already available.

About The Dürr Group

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with particular expertise in the technology fields of automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency. Its products, systems, and services enable highly efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes – mainly in the automotive industry and for producers of furniture and timber houses, but also in sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, medical devices, electrical engineering, and battery production In 2023, the company generated sales of €4.6 billion. The Dürr Group has over 20,500 employees and 142 business locations in 32 countries, and it operates in the market with five divisions:

- - Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops as well as final assembly, testing, and filling technology for the automotive industry
  - Application Technology: robots and products for the automated application of paint, sealants, and adhesives
  - Clean Technology Systems: air pollution control, coating systems for battery electrodes, and noise abatement systems
  - Industrial Automation Systems: automated assembly and test systems for automotive components, medical devices, and consumer goods as well as balancing and diagnostic technology
  - Woodworking Machinery and Systems: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Michael Weitzel Joins Carlisle Fluid Technologies as Account Manager.

Industrial Machinery Digest — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:27:33 +0000

Carlisle Fluid Technologies is pleased to announce that Michael Weitzel has joined Carlisle Fluid Technologies as Account Manager for the Northwest territory. Michael has years of experience in the coatings industry.

Michael’s years of experience and his industry relationships will help him grow the Northwest territory. His sales, management, and marketing background will help him support our channel partners and end users.

Carlisle Fluid Technologies Regional Manager – West Region, Luis Barrales, believes “Michael’s experience will help drive new opportunities to grow the Northwest territory.” Luis adds, “his experience will allow him to enhance sales relationships and identify new potential.”

Join us in welcoming Michael Weitzel to the Carlisle Fluid Technologies team.

About Carlisle Fluid Technologies

Driven by our strategic plan, Vision 2025 and supported by our continuous improvement culture, Carlisle Fluid Technologies is dedicated to providing customers industry leading solutions for the supply, control, application and curing of a wide range of paints, powders, sealants, adhesives, foams and other application materials. From manual finishing equipment, to highly automated mass-production installations, the company solves customers’ material application challenges through the combination of product innovation and decades of technical expertise. Focused on efficient, cost-effective global solutions for the transportation and other industrial markets, the company offers an expanding collection of pioneering product brands – DeVilbiss®, Ransburg®, MS®, BGK®, Binks® and Hosco®. Today, Carlisle Fluid Technologies provides innovative process solutions for customers’ wide range of material application demands.

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Industrial Machinery Digest

Renny Fritz Joins Carlisle Fluid Technologies as Technical Sales Specialist.

Industrial Machinery Digest — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:18:09 +0000

Carlisle Fluid Technologies is pleased to announce that Renny Fritz has joined Carlisle Fluid Technologies as a Technical Sales Specialist for the Northeast territory, selling capital equipment and systems. Renny has twenty-plus years of experience in the industry.

Renny’s years of experience quoting and selling custom automated turnkey systems will help grow the Northeast territory. His vast knowledge of the products and processes and his relationships will create growth opportunities.

Carlisle Fluid Technologies Regional Manager – East Region, Matthew Reilly, notes, “Renny is excited about the opportunity and the new insights and experience he brings.” Matthew adds, “his experience will allow him to enhance sales relationships and identify opportunities to grow his Northeast territory.”

Carlisle Fluid Technologies welcomes Renny Fritz to the team.

About Carlisle Fluid Technologies

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Industrial Machinery Digest

H.B. Fuller Elects Charles Lauber to Board of Directors

Industrial Machinery Digest — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 16:22:27 +0000

H.B. Fuller Company (NYSE: FUL) announced today that Charles (Chuck) T. Lauber was elected as an independent member to its board of directors, effective January 23, 2023. He has been appointed to serve on the audit committee and compensation committee of the board.

Lauber is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of A. O. Smith Corporation, a global leader in water heating solutions. “I am pleased to welcome Chuck to the H.B. Fuller board of directors,” said Lee Mitau, chairman, H.B. Fuller board of directors. “He is an experienced financial leader who has been able to improve profitability while successfully navigating a series of unprecedented challenges. He will bring valuable financial insight as well as a multi-faceted business perspective that will enable us to achieve our growth and profitability goals.”

Lauber was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of A. O. Smith Corporation in 2019. As chief financial officer, Lauber is responsible for all financial functions of the company, including treasury, controllership, cash management and investor relations. He also is actively involved in modernizing A. O. Smith’s operational capabilities and ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy. Lauber has been integral to the company’s performance for over two decades, having served in financial leadership, operations strategy, and corporate development roles. A versatile executive, Chuck has driven the company’s growth through M&A and was vital to A. O. Smith’s successful expansion in the global water markets, including China and India. As CFO, he has led the charge to increase profit margins and enhance investor confidence, resulting in record earnings. Before joining A. O. Smith, Lauber held a number of auditing and management positions with Ernst & Young from 1984 to 1999.

“Chuck is a highly strategic financial and M&A expert with a proven track record of delivering sound financial strategy,” said Jim Owens, H.B. Fuller president and chief executive officer. “His experience in market development, along with his ability to successfully integrate business functions and drive aggressive global M&A strategy, make him a tremendous asset as we continue to deliver on our growth goals.”

“I am really impressed with H.B. Fuller, particularly from a financial standpoint,” said Lauber. “The team’s ability to consistently drive growth over the past few years during a historically challenging economic period is remarkable. I look forward to sharing my experience in leading business strategy for complex global operations to add value to H.B. Fuller’s continued success.”

Lauber also serves as a board of director for the National Association of Manufacturers. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and his BS in accounting from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

About H.B. Fuller Company:

Since 1887, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. With fiscal 2021 net revenue of $3.3 billion, H.B. Fuller’s commitment to innovation and sustainable adhesive solutions brings together people, products and processes that answer and solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Our reliable, responsive service creates lasting, rewarding connections with customers in electronics, disposable hygiene, medical, transportation, aerospace, clean energy, packaging, construction, woodworking, general industries and other consumer businesses. And, our promise to our people connects them with opportunities to innovate and thrive.

For more information: https://www.hbfuller.com/

The Paint Shop of the Future: Away from the Line, Towards the Box

Industrial Machinery Digest — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 05:31:18 +0000

The new “Paint shop of the future” concept from Dürr breaks away from the traditional line layout, splitting up industrial automotive painting into boxes or short process sections for the first time. This allows the automotive industry a new level of flexibility in their processes and investments. In addition, the “paint shop of the future” saves time and material, increases availability and makes painting more sustainable.

Model ranges and application processes are becoming more diverse. This greater variety of models painted on a line inherently leads to process inefficiencies. This is due to the fixed cycle times, which are typically based on the biggest model and the longest paint and sealer application times. If smaller or less complex car bodies could be transported faster and sealer and paint application times reduced, this would save time and increase output. However, the fixed cycle does not allow this. This was one of the many reasons that prompted Dürr to develop a radical new layout for future requirements.

“With the “Paint shop of the future Dürr is reimagining the painting process and moving beyond the boundaries of the production line,” explains Bruno Welsch, member of the Board of Management of Dürr Systems AG. “The new approach adapts to the needs of manufacturers, and enables an efficient and flexible painting process in every production scenario.”

The AGV EcoProFleet is used as a flexible conveyor system in the paint shop of the future.

On-demand cycle times

The general idea of the “Paint shop of the future” is based on splitting up the 120 work steps involved in a painting process into boxes and smaller sections. Instead of a fixed cycle, the process times in each box are precisely adapted to the needs of the individual body. This is made possible by processes running in parallel in the boxes and the interaction with a central high-bay storage system and the automated guided vehicle (AGV) system EcoProFleet. The fleet of AGVs is controlled by the software DXQcontrol. It intelligently guides the AGVs with the car bodies to the next processes, and in this way ensures efficient utilization of all the boxes. It enables the bodies to be sorted in anticipation of future processes, brought to and collected from the right workstation with pinpoint accuracy, and passed off to final assembly at the end in the sequence planned by the manufacturer. The concept also enables easy expansion of capacities or smooth integration of new models. The revolutionary box concept can be applied to the entire top coat and workstation area, or just to selected process steps.

Fewer resources, greater efficiency

In terms of the concrete implementation, the box concept means that three painting processes – the inner and the two outer applications – can be combined in just one booth. This patent-pending concept, the EcoProBooth, helps to save process time, since two of the usual three conveying processes are eliminated. The paint-loss during the color change process can be reduced by up to ten percent if just one paint is applied in a box, for instance the current top seller white. Splitting up the painting process into boxes shortens the overall process by tailoring the application time to the individual vehicle. These properties combine to reduce CO2 and VOC emissions.

The overall equipment availability also increases, since any malfunction only impacts the box section in question and does not affect the entire production line, in contrast to the classic line manufacturing model. The variable layout also makes integrating special processes such as a special paint supply or overspray-free two-tone painting easier and more cost efficient.

The variable layout makes integrating special processes such as overspray-free two-tone painting easier and more cost efficient.

Adaptable to both large and small production

The concept of the “Paint shop of the future” is geared towards the specific requirements of various OEMs. It offers high-volume manufacturers with a high hourly capacity the opportunity to integrate new models and technologies with greater ease. It enables companies that want to limit initial investment to expand from 24 units per hour to 48 and 72 units in two steps. Newcomers to electric mobility can start their manufacturing with minimal quantities and gradually expand as demand increases. The modular concept is also Industry 4.0 capable and can be combined with the intelligent software products from Dürr’s DXQ family for various scenarios. In this way, Dürr analysis tools make painting processes more transparent and help to further increase the first run rate.

About Dürr

The Dürr Group has been established in the United States since 1970 and currently employs around 880 people. From the new Campus with a state-of-art validation, testing, and training center in Southfield, MI, Dürr USA represents four of the five divisions. Paint and Final Assembly Systems offers equipment for painting and assembly processes, while Application Technology provides paint, sealants and adhesives application systems. Dürr’s Clean Technology Systems is the global leader in air pollution abatement and energy efficient technologies. The subsidiary Schenck Trebel Corporation, based in Deer Park, New York, offers balancing machines, vibration and condition monitoring systems and services for the general industry. The customers of Dürr USA include automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers as well as their suppliers, and a diverse group of other industries. The HOMAG Machinery North America operates the production facilities for the HOMAG Group in Grand Rapids, MI, which is also the base for sales and service company Stiles Machinery Inc. The HOMAG Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of machines and systems for the wood-processing industry and trades.

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with extensive expertise in automation and digitization/Industry 4.0. Its products, systems and services enable highly efficient manufacturing processes in different industries. The Dürr Group supplies sectors like the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical and woodworking industries. It generated sales of € 3.87 billion in 2018. The company has around 16,500 employees and 112 business locations in 34 countries. The Group operates in the market with the brands Dürr, Schenck and HOMAG and with five divisions:

Paint and Final Assembly Systems:
paint shops as well as final assembly, testing and filling technology for the automotive industry
Application Technology:
robot technologies for the automated application of paint, sealants and adhesives
Clean Technology Systems:
air pollution control, noise abatement systems and battery coating lines
Measuring and Process Systems:
balancing equipment and diagnostic technology
Woodworking Machinery and Systems:
machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry

For more information, visit www.durr.com or contact megtecinquiries@megtec.com.

Dürr Systems, Inc.
P: (248) 450-2225

Contact
Astrid Weisseise | Senior Marketing Manager