Surface World May 2020 Surface World May 2020 | Page 63
PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
The six-axis compact robot EcoRP 10
R1100 is equipped with application
technology and can be used to paint
3D objects with complex geometries.
A wide range of application technology
can be installed on the robot, for example
the automatic spray gun EcoGun AS AUTO.
decorative trims on the steering wheel, a
deceptively realistic chrome look. WB
Coatings achieves this effect using paint
systems consisting of one, two or three
coating layers. “Without using a robot, we
would not have been able to develop these
new paint systems as a chrome-free
alternative for shiny, silver-colored surfaces.
The challenge is to apply the coating layers
of the chrome-effect paint very evenly. And
the three-layer paint system in particular
needs very thin, reproducible coating layers
of 2 to 3 µm. This is something even highly
experienced hand painters can’t achieve,”
explains Andreas Ohletz, Head of Sales for
Innovations at WB Coatings.
To meet this requirement, WB Coatings opted
for an automated painting solution from
Dürr. It consists of the compact six-axis robot
EcoRP 10 R1100 with state-of-the-art
application technology including mixing and
dosing technology for two-component paints
(2C), paint supply systems, and controller.
Industrial series production
modeled in the lab
The robot system’s automated spray program
eliminates any deviations, and thus delivers
maximum reproducibility. This starts with
dosing the components in the exact same
ratio every time. Mixing the tiny quantities of
just a few milligrams by hand poses too great
a risk of inaccuracies. The painting result is
also influenced by the application speed and
the distance from the object to be painted.
These factors inevitably vary with manual
application, while the robot works completely
uniformly and as a result also produces
identical coating layer thicknesses. “A major
benefit for us is the in-house tests that we can
now conduct in our technical center with
various base coats to test recipes. The robot
lets us model automated industrial
production and develop new paint systems
that can make production more profitable for
our customers involved in series production,”
says Sebastian Grahammer, Head of
Development in WB Coatings’ innovation
center.
Robot for complex 3D
geometries
Normally only sample panels and speed
shapes are painted in the paint
manufacturers’ labs. The flat spray system
WB Coatings originally had in mind would
have been sufficient for this. However,
Sebastian Grahammer is convinced that the
decision to opt for the six-axis robot will give
the paint manufacturer the flexibility to
respond to customer requirements in the
future: “The robot lets us paint 3D objects
with complex geometries. With a 2D spray
system, we would have limited ourselves in
what we could develop.”
Ready to spray in no time
Since the application technology is already
pre-installed, the Dürr robot system at WB
Coatings was set up, installed and ready to
paint within just a day and a half. Its compact
dimensions enabled it to be integrated into
the existing painting booth despite the space
constraints. When the robot is in the parked
position, painting by hand is still possible in
front of the same extraction wall.
“The painting robot is part of our
ready2integrate concept. The concept
centers on technologically sophisticated and
tested application solutions that are easy to
integrate into individually designed plants.
Dürr collaborates with selected system
partners here, since they enjoy extremely
close proximity to their customers, are
familiar with their requirements, and can act
with an extremely high level of flexibility,”
explains Holger Beiersdorfer, Vice President
Industrial Products at Dürr.
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.durr.com
read online: www.surfaceworld.com
MAY 2020
61