Audi opens renovated paint shop in Neckarsulm
Audi has opened its completely renovated vehicle paint shop at the Neckarsulm site. The new basecoat building was officially opened on the car manufacturer's factory premises with more than 200 guests on November 16, 2024. The new paint shop focuses on efficient and sustainable processes.
The newly opened paint shop at the Audi site in Neckarsulm is setting new standards in the automotive industry with sustainable technologies and processes and is suitable for both combustion engines and electric vehicles. With the complete renovation of the base coat facility, Audi AG is making a targeted investment in the site and gearing it towards a sustainable future (as reported by Oberfläche-Online). After two years of construction, the new A22 building with a floor area of 12,000 square meters is now complete. The paint shop's fully automated system primes all Audi models produced at the Neckarsulm site and the neighboring Böllinger Höfe. Audi relies on modern and efficient methods for corrosion protection. In cathodic dip painting (CDP), for example, the body is now dipped upside down into the tank and rotated using a new rotation process for Neckarsulm. This is both more space-saving and more thorough, as minimal air bubble formation and dirt deposits can be avoided. A new, more energy-efficient process is also used for drying the cathodic dip coating. Instead of the previous external drying, a so-called cross-drying process is now used, in which air is blown into the interior and the bodywork is heated from the inside. The system is also made more efficient by the new thin-film process, a new pre-treatment process that makes the previous phosphating process superfluous
Fred Schulze, Plant Manager at the Neckarsulm site, explained at the opening ceremony: "By investing in the new plant, Audi is setting the course for continuing on the path towards e-mobility and aligning the Neckarsulm site for a sustainable future. The construction project is an important milestone in the plant's development and part of a future-proof infrastructure for production." Ursula Noll, Head of Production Planning Paint Shop Corrosion Protection, adds: "The innovative thin-film technology in pre-treatment combined with the new cross-drying system makes a particular contribution to the efficiency and sustainability of the new base coat. This enables us to significantly reduce our electricity and water requirements and make an important overall contribution to our Mission:Zero environmental program." Rainer Schirmer, Chairman of the Works Council, praises: "With the refurbished paint shop, we have one of the most advanced facilities in the automotive industry with modern working conditions. This investment underlines our commitment to sustainability and ensures the future viability of our site." In addition to the base coat plant, the top coat plant is also currently being restructured until 2025 and will then be one of the most modern in the automotive industry.
► You can also read our detailed report on the new base coat at Audi