Automatic Coating Machine for Powder Coating Booth Boosts Productivity

An automated coating machine increases the efficiency of powder coating at a contract coating facility. The retrofitted automation system reduces processing times by up to 70 percent while also improving coating quality.

Faced with high energy costs, persistent price pressures, and weak industrial demand, many coating companies in Germany are under economic pressure. To remain competitive nonetheless, the premium contract coater Colour-Line is focusing on high energy and process efficiency, as well as the gradual expansion of its modular Jumbo-Coat powder coating system. With its latest automation upgrades, the Bad Saulgau-based company has reduced processing times by up to 70 percent while simultaneously improving coating quality. Today, turnaround times of three to a maximum of five days can be achieved. System partner Meeh implemented the retrofit without interrupting production.

“Anyone who wants to compete internationally as a contract coater in Germany today must clearly set themselves apart from the standard,” explains Deniz Ünal, Managing Director of Colour-Line Oberflächentechnik GmbH. The coating expert has been active in the industry for more than 30 years and knows what matters in the market. For him, high coating quality, cost-effective processes, and reliable, scalable equipment technology are crucial to success. On this basis, the Bad Saulgau-based company—founded in 2019—has deliberately positioned itself in the high-end quality segment. This is because energy prices in Germany remain high by international standards. For energy-intensive businesses, this represents a structural competitive disadvantage that is particularly noticeable in the price-driven standard segment.

Colour-Line is responding to this economic environment with a comprehensive, energy-efficient system that includes on-site power generation and waste heat recovery, high-performance manufacturing processes, and a sophisticated service strategy. The range of services is correspondingly broad and geared toward high-quality standards. With GSB and DB certifications, the contract coater ensures that its processes consistently meet defined standards. In addition to steel and aluminum, the Bad Saulgau-based company processes all conductive substrates that are thermally resistant up to 220 °C. The facility processes workpieces ranging from small, easy-to-handle parts to components measuring 6 x 2 x 2.6 m and weighing up to one metric ton each. The range of industries served is also broad, spanning from rail vehicles to the caravanning sector and medical technology. To secure this market position in the long term, Colour-Line continuously updates both its building systems and its powder coating facility. In addition to expanding its energy strategy with a photovoltaic system, the company has primarily invested in expanding production in recent years. Just three years after the facility went into operation, the first major expansion was implemented with the installation of an automated coating machine.

Originally, the system was designed for manual operation; only the pretreatment stage was automated. The entire work area—including the wash booth, water-removal dryer, powder spray booth, oven, and loading and unloading stations—is concentrated within an area of approximately 500 square meters. Under these conditions, automation solutions for the powder coating booth were not a viable option for a long time. It wasn’t until the market launch of Meeh’s compact Jumbo-Coater automatic coating machine in 2023 that the situation changed. Automation thus made its debut in the powder coating booth in Bad Saulgau. The installation proceeded remarkably quickly. “They started on Friday after work ended, and by Monday we were already coating again,” recalls Ünal. In less than three days, the machine—including the operating software—as well as the required fire suppression system and the personal safety light curtain were installed in the existing powder coating booth.

Today, both manual and fully automated coating are performed in the powder coating booth. When using the Jumbo Coater, the processing time per product carrier is reduced by up to 70 percent, from about 20 minutes to, ideally, six minutes. At the same time, quality has improved significantly. However, with the faster application, the bottleneck shifted to the handling of the product carriers. Since only one cross-travel platform was initially available, waiting times occurred between stations. This was remedied in 2025 with the installation of a second cross-conveyor, which was also installed over a weekend without interrupting production. Since then, the work steps have been much better coordinated. The throughput of product carriers increased from 22 to 30 per day, making delivery times of three to five days feasible. This automation was made possible by the compact design of the Jumbo-Coater automatic coating machine.

The automatic coating machine is integrated into a steel frame. Four Gema automatic spray guns are arranged vertically on each of two opposing mounts. The frame runs horizontally on two guide rails attached to the crossbeams of the powder coating booth and supports the workpiece carrier suspended from the booth ceiling. The distance between the spray guns can be variably adjusted to accommodate the width of the workpiece. This allows for the flexible coating of components up to 300 mm wide. A vibrating table at the base of the frame holds standard powder cartridges and supplies powder to the guns via a suction unit. The output can be individually adjusted. A calibration function ensures identical output from all spray guns, regardless of hose length. During operation, the spray gun mounts move vertically along the workpieces while the machine moves horizontally. A safety light curtain secures access to the booth and stops the process as soon as someone enters the area. The compact design allows for integration into existing systems and adaptation to different spatial conditions.

Ünal is convinced that choosing Meeh’s system design was the right decision. “For us, it was crucial that the system could be flexibly adapted to our spatial constraints and expanded without requiring additional space or causing long downtimes.” This flexibility pays off during ongoing operations. Expansions can be implemented in stages without interrupting production. Especially given the current economic conditions, this provides the necessary planning certainty. The example of Colour-Line demonstrates how well-designed plant technology, a compact design, and targeted expansions can enable competitive and future-proof processes—even under demanding conditions. (OM-7/26)