INDUSTRY NEWS
Dürr develops new painting method for all industry sectors
Paint application with high edge definition – and absolutely no overspray
In almost every industry sector , the number and diversity of workpieces being coated are growing . To be able to paint these diverse components with greater efficiency than before , Dürr has developed a new technique that applies paints over large areas or in simple patterns with high edge definition – and absolutely no overspray . The innovative EcoPaintJet applicator won this year ’ s innovation award “ Deutscher Innovationspreis ” in Germany , and is now available for the general industry in an easily integrated set . Paint company Adler has already developed paints tailored to the new application technology .
In woodworking , shipbuilding , electronics manufacturing , and many other industry sectors , product and component surfaces are coated to protect them or add color . Up to now this involved a lot of effort if the coating had to be applied with high edge definition , since the surfaces either need to be manually masked or film-wrapped . There is also a lot of waste , both in terms of adhesive tape and paint lost to overspray . With the new overspray-free application set from Dürr ,
The EcoPaintJet applicator increases painting efficiency and offers companies more options when it comes to product design .
both of these are a thing of the past . EcoPaintJet , the innovative applicator contained in the set , is already successfully in use in automotive series production . Since 2019 , the new Dürr technology has made it possible to paint car roofs in contrasting colors with no masking .
More options for painting
The EcoPaintJet applicator delivers precise coating with no overspray . This increases coating efficiency and offers companies more options when it comes to product design and the transportation of goods . Instead of adhesive film , decorative surfaces can be protected for transport through the targeted application of a spray film . This can be simply pulled off again at the destination . The technology also enables new options for the function and design of products . For example , the precise coating method means that window frames can have a weatherproof coating applied to the outside and get a decorative or differently colored application on the inside . Decorative effects can be easily realized on furniture fronts . “ The overspray-free application set enables application with high edge definition , fast color changes , and a custom surface design ,” says Holger Beiersdorfer , Vice President Industrial Products at Dürr , in summarizing the benefits .
No atomizer air means no overspray
The most important component in the overspray-free application set is the paint supply , combined with the cleaning and pre-painting process . The EcoPaintJet controls this using three valves . The beating heart of the applicator itself is a nozzle plate that produces several dozen parallel paint jets depending on the design . These can be activated or deactivated at any given moment to start or interrupt the coating process . Unlike painting processes involving spray guns or high-speed rotary atomizers , this process does not require any atomizer air . The overspray that must be filtered from the booth air in a complex process when using conventional methods therefore does not occur .
Another big difference compared with classic atomizers is that the width of the painting path can be adjusted by means of the applicator ’ s angle of application . This enables a painting path from 30 to 50 mm in width . Narrower path widths can also be produced by adapting the nozzle plate . The desired coating thickness is controlled via the applicator speed and solid content of the paint .
All the benefits in one application
Application techniques that save paint are particularly important when dealing with large surfaces . Even with airless guns or high-speed rotary atomizers , up to a fourth of the material used is lost . Recovering this paint is both time-consuming and energyintensive , and only works with certain paint
16 NOVEMBER 2020 twitter : @ surfaceworldmag