Images

A total of 61 third-generation EcoRP painting robots ensure efficient paint application at Škoda. (Image: Dürr)

The best possible top coat quality and maximum process reliability: this is what EcoInCure offers thanks to its heating of the car bodies from the inside in conjunction with the innovative transverse mode of operation. Škoda will be relying on the advantages of the new Dürr dryer at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic. With EcoInCure, nozzles with high throw distances blow hot air through the opening for the windshield into the interior of the car body. The air flows around the body shell at minimum speed. This results in an undisturbed paint flow with maximum quality. At the same time, optimum heat transfer inside the body allows homogeneous heating of both thin sheet metal and mass-produced parts. The result is up to 30 percent shorter heating times with minimized thermal component stresses, which is particularly important for drying electric vehicles and multi-substrate bodies. The EcoInCure heating concept reduces electrical energy requirements by 25 percent and regulates the drying temperature with unprecedented precision and speed. The exhaust air from the dryers is cleaned via the integrated Ecopure Tar afterburner with heat recovery and used to heat the dryers.

EcoInCure enables better paint quality by heating the car body from the inside. (Image: Dürr)

The use of the Rodip E version with electric drive in VBH and KTL means that each carriage has a separate drive for rotation in addition to the travel drive. The individually programmable carriages enable optimized dip curves for the respective body, which leads to a better coating quality.

61 Third-generation painting robots
The latest generation of Dürr robots is used in all painting process steps. From the filler to the base coat to the clear coat line, a total of 61 third-generation EcoRP painting robots ensure efficient paint application. The EcoRP E043i, the first painting robot in which the seventh axis is integrated into the robot's kinematics, is responsible for exterior painting. Two or four robots are installed in each of the exterior painting cells. In the stop & go painting process, these do not require a traversing rail. This enables a much better view into the booth and the maintenance effort in the robot cell is significantly reduced due to the elimination of the traversing axis.

The interior painting stations are equipped with the six-axis EcoRP L133i robots, which are mounted on a rail. The identical EcoRP L033i model without rail is used to open the hoods. The robots are supported by Scara door openers. The latest generation of Dürr robots has a modular design. The six- and seven-axis models differ only in the additional rotary axis in the main arm. The otherwise identical components simplify spare parts management, save storage costs and facilitate maintenance.

Saves space, water and chemicals and thus reduces unit costs: Dürr's RoDip rotational dip painting system. (Image: Dürr)

The robots are equipped with the latest Dürr application technology. The EcoBell3 atomizer family, together with the associated EcoBell Cleaner D2 and the EcoLCC2 color changer, stands for low paint and solvent consumption and fast color changes within the cycle time.

The third generation of robots is controlled by the EcoRCMP2 process and motion control system, which is also a new development. The control platform connects a large number of sensors and actuators of the painting robot and the higher-level maintenance or control systems. An integrated interface makes the robot "cloud ready" and provides all relevant data for current and future requirements in the Industry 4.0 environment.

Even before the bodywork receives its coat of paint, the welded and glued seams are sealed fully automatically. This ensures that no water can penetrate the vehicle interior later on. Dürr is installing a total of 19 EcoRS sealing robots with the latest application technology at Škoda in Mladá Boleslav. These will seal the seams from below, inside the body and on the roof seams. As the standardized EcoGun2 3D is suitable for all seam sealing applications, only a few spare parts need to be kept in stock.

Gaps on doors, hoods and tailgates are also sealed in the process. Fully automatic seam sealing also requires a high degree of precision, as the conveyor technology is subject to certain tolerances. Special nozzles are used to apply the seams when the doors and hoods are closed. The entire paint and thick matter supply for the painting and sealing stations is also supplied by Dürr.

Paint mist separation in the spray booth is performed by the EcoDryScrubber, a dry separation system that uses stone powder as a binding agent. This system does not require any manual handling as it is fully automated, robust and easy to maintain and does not need to be adapted to different paint systems. This makes it suitable for high-volume systems such as those at Škoda. An important point is the saving of up to 60 percent of energy in the paint booth. By completely dispensing with water and chemicals, production can be carried out with up to 90 percent recirculated air. This reduces the effort required to condition fresh air and is the decisive factor for the outstanding energy efficiency of the spray booth. The performance of the EcoDryScrubber is further improved by the use of the new V5.X system software. It enables the system to regulate itself. As a direct result, the stone powder used to bind the overspray is optimally utilized - this reduces consumption.

The use of the EcoDry scrubber in Mladá Boleslav also has a side effect: the stone powder used is only used temporarily in the paint shop. This is because the stone powder saturated with paint can be used as a heating agent in the plant's own power station, meaning that no waste is produced thanks to the dry separation process. as