Dürr builds Industry 4.0 paint shop for a Chinese car maker in Wuhu

October 17, 2022 3:15 pm

Chery Automobile relies on 146 state-of-the-art robots and intelligent software from Dürr.

Dürr is building a new, turnkey paint shop for Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. for the flexible production of various models and drive systems. The focus is on intelligent networking and tracking all process sequences using a wealth of software solutions from the DXQ product family. The system is planned for 2023 at Chery’s company headquarters in Wuhu. 

Flexibility, scalability, software expertise, high quality, and fast installation are the challenges Dürr faces during the new plant construction in Wuhu, some 185 miles west of Shanghai. Chery sums up its requirements for the new plant by stating it wants it to be a “highly intelligent paint shop.” It will paint numerous vehicle categories, from typical bodies to SUVs. The paint shop is designed to allow future expansion and can also handle two-tone painting. The plant will be ready for operation within eight months and complete bodies at a rate of up to 60 per hour.

Extensive ensemble of robots 

Dürr is equipping the new paint shop with an extensive ensemble of robots. The 92 painting robots will include 16 EcoRP E043i and four EcoRPL043i. These robots, which are very mobile because of their seventh axis, can easily reach even difficult-to-access places in the body’s interior. EcoBellCleaner D2 devices clean the high-speed rotary atomizers from the outside within the cycle time. Colour changes and colour channel cleaning inside the atomizer occur in parallel, so the system is ready for the next paint job after 15 seconds. In addition, there are 38 EcoR30L 16i and EcoRS 16i sealing robots responsible for all bonding and sealing processes and four compatible cleaning robots.

Many modules from the DXQ software family 

The “highly intelligent paint shop” Chery desires will become a reality in combination with DXQ software products. Dürr will use DXQcontrol for higher-level control of the plant. The software seamlessly tracks the life cycle of each body. The DXQequipment. operation human-machine interface visualizes and monitors individual processes from any device. 

DXQquality.management connects process monitoring with vehicle details, creating a seamless data record for each vehicle. And DXQequipment. maintenance logs when individual components like pumps, valves, or filters need to be maintained. In addition, numerous other DXQ portfolio modules will guarantee data-based and fully automated paint shop operation.

Energy efficiency through intelligent air management In addition to plant flexibility and the networking of all components, energy efficiency is important Chery. EcoSmart VEC regulates the ovens’ fresh and exhaust air control, which are the biggest energy consumers in the coating process, alongside the painting booths. Intelligent air management adjusts the energy supply to the actual need and reduces it in partial-load operation, saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions.

Chery is China’s top car exporter 

Car manufacturer Chery was established in 1997 and is China’s top car exporter. According to their figures, Chery has sold over nine million vehicles in more than 80 countries and regions. In 2019, the company opened a development and design centre in Raunheim near Frankfurt, Germany, to gain a foothold in the European market.

The Dürr Group has had a direct representation in India since 1997, and Schenck RoTec has since 1986. The Dürr Group currently employs around 680 staff there, offering the entire portfolio including sales and service: Dürr India, based in Chennai, offers painting, application, final assembly and energy efficiency technology products such as air pollution control, noise abatement systems and battery coating lines. Since April 2015, Dürr India has also offered on-the job and classroom paint and application systems training to customers at its training centre. Schenck RoTec India, in Noida, produces balancing technology and testing and filling technology. The HOMAG Group has machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry. It is in Bangalore, where it operates a production site and sales and service company, HOMAG India.

The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with extensive expertise in automation and digitalization/Industry 4.0. Its products, systems and services enable highly efficient and resource-saving manufacturing processes in different industries. The Dürr Group supplies sectors like the automotive, mechanical engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, medical technology and woodworking industries. It generated sales of €3.54 billion in 2021. The company has almost 18,100 employees and 120 business locations in 33 countries. The Dürr Group operates in the market with the brands Dürr, Schenck and HOMAG and with five divisions:

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