may14SW.pdf Jun. 2014 | Page 44

AUTOMATION & PAINT ROBOTS New VW line in Spain features Dürr's 'Ecopaint RoDip' automated rotational dip coating technology Dürr Systems Spain S.A has built a complete new line for pretreatment and electro dipping at the Pamplona plant of Volkswagen Navarra SA, utilising Dürr’s ‘Ecopaint RoDip M’ rotational dip coating technology. The new PT/ED line is in a new building Volkswagen and replaces the oldest installation in the Pamplona paint plant. The RoDip M system forms the heart of the new installation and has achieved a number of important production benefits. coating thickness – especially at critical points such as the rocker panel – and provides the best possible corrosion protection by optimising the processes of immersion, flooding, and draining. The system is also easy to maintain – a prime consideration at VW. Because the car body is completely rotated during the process, the RoDip requires no entry or exit ramps. This considerably shortens the length of the dip tank. Besides saving space, this reduction in the volume of the tank also reduces material and energy consumption. At the same time, the RoDip provides a uniform The cleanliness of the bath is supported by an extensive installation of ‘EcoMultiCyclone’ separators. In a continuous process, these separate solid particles from the bath with the cleaned liquid being led back into the tanks. The benefit is less dirt in the bath and consequently enhanced coating quality. Additionally, less chemicals are used as the bath life cycle is significantly longer. Another feature of the new PT/ED line is Dürr’s ‘EcoDCMACS’ system, used for supplying electricity to the electro dipping tank. Its special feature is modular anode control, which creates a voltage profile that moves with the car body. Energy is concentrated on the car body and not wasted in the interval times when no body is in the process, saving energy consumption and helping to improve coating quality. As a complete systems integrator, Dürr also supplied a number of ancillary facilities, including the ED oven, the working platforms, external conveyors and the DI-water regeneration plant. The line is currently painting the VW Polo, with a net capacity of 67units an hour. The line has also been configured for painting the Touran in the future and can be extended to a net capacity of 75 bodies an hour. With the Dürr 'Ecopaint RoDip' system, each car body is rotated one full turn around its own axis in the dip tank, optimising the processes of immersion, flooding, and draining, and enhancing quality. www.durr.com 42 May 2014 follow us on Twitter @surfaceworldmag