Repurposed robots help save energy at new facility
Mechanical and plant engineering company Dürr has supplied a new turnkey paint shop for Dutch automotive company Stellantis, allowing it to double production capacity at its Kenitra, Morocco site. Repurposed robots from other plants are being deployed at the site to save resources, automating the electric car coating process.
Stellantis hopes to become a model for energy optimisation whilst increasing output. This plant produces battery-powered vehicles and hybrid models for Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat. Its new pain shop has a capacity of 30 cars per hour, an identical rate to the first Kenitra plant, built by Dürr in 2019.
Using Dürr’s RoDip rotational dip process for pretreatment and cathodic electrocoating allows for conservation of water, chemicals and heating energy. Bodies are rotated around its axis, providing corrosion protection and customisation of dips, allowing optimisation of different body types to allow for the best immersion, flooding and draining processes.
RoDip’s conveyor system removes the need for inclined tank entrances and exits, shortening the immersion tank length by up to six meters and reducing the volume. This all has an end result in reducing operating and unit costs.
EcoInCure electric oven featuring airflow conduction, allowing for heating and cooling car bodies evenly from the inside out will also be deployed. Thermal-structural stresses are reduced by the design, lowering car body heating time by up to 30%. Compared with gas-powered counterparts, the EcoInCure reduces paintshop emissions by 40%, reducing carbon footprint.
Wet-on-wet technology increases efficiency, saving both time and energy. Two-tone painting across three exterior painting stations uses existing robots and application technology from existing Italian plants. EcoBell2 applicators are equipped on to the robots to allow integration with existing equipment. Air supply units, heaters and conveyors are transported from Europe to Morocco for repurposing. This maximises resources without compromising coating quality and performance.
