Dürr equips BYD plant in Europe with painting technology
The Chinese e-vehicle manufacturer BYD has opted for Dürr painting technology for its first European car plant. The German mechanical and plant engineering company is supplying over 120 painting and handling robots to Hungary.
BYD Auto Company Limited is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in China and is one of the market leaders in terms of current sales figures for electric vehicles. The company is now one of the first Chinese car manufacturers to set up a European vehicle factory in Szeged, Hungary. The car manufacturer is relying on Dürr to paint its "New Energy Vehicles" (NEV). The German mechanical and plant engineering company is supplying more than 120 painting and handling robots for this project, including their installation and commissioning. "As the world market leader in automotive painting, Dürr is the right partner to successfully implement projects of this size on schedule. We convinced them not only with our outstanding technology, but also with our experience in Hungary, where we have already worked several times," explains Dr. Lars Friedrich, Head of the Application Technology Division at Dürr. This is Dürr's first order for the Chinese car manufacturer in the passenger car sector. Dürr Systems AG was extensively and successfully audited by BYD in order to be considered as a supplier.
Latest generation of robots for the painting process
Painting robots from the latest generation of the EcoRP series in 7-axis and 6-axis versions are used in the interior and exterior areas of the painting lines. The seven-axis robot paints the interior areas of the car bodies with particularly high precision and flexibility. Thanks to its extended maneuverability, even hard-to-reach areas of the body can be easily reached. Six-axis robots are used to paint the exterior surfaces. The scope of delivery and support for the painting process also includes the corresponding door and hood openers.
Sustainable paint application
The EcoBell3 high-speed rotary atomizers impress with their flawless paint finish in terms of color tone and leveling values. Coating thicknesses of the highest uniformity are also achieved. With the associated cleaning device and color change technology, the atomizer family also stands for low paint and solvent consumption as well as fast color changes within the cycle time. In future, BYD will also be able to sustainably implement special colour requests from customers thanks to Dürr's standardized, modular EcoSupply P paint supply system with pigging technology. Pigs - as the fitting bodies that are precisely matched to the inner diameter of the hoses are called - push the paint to the color changer and, after painting, push the residual paint back into the paint container. Because this happens completely residue-free, the hose does not need to be cleaned. This reduces paint and detergent consumption, which is good for both the budget and the environment. The scope of delivery also includes cleaning robots that remove loose dust and dirt particles from the bodies before painting. Thanks to flexible spring rollers, different body shapes can be cleaned efficiently and independently of each other in almost any combination and sequence - ideal for BYD's various NEV types.