Sustainable paint shop from Dürr sets new emission standards in China

May 8, 2012: Dürr, the mechanical and plant engineering group, is building an automobile paint shop with the lowest emissions in China for the FAW-VW joint venture. This paint shop, which will go into operation in March 2013, will have completely automated primer, base and top coat application. With this plant, FAW-VW has expanded its capacities in Changchun.

Dürr is responsible for the construction of the complete paint shop, including application technology and exhaust air purification. To ensure sustainable painting, FAW-VW relies on the latest Dürr technology and has chosen to use the EcoDryScrubber (pictured) once again in Changchun. This system for the dry separation of overspray reduces energy consumption up to 60 percent in comparison to conventional spray booths by using air recirculation. Fresh water and coagulation chemicals can be completely dispensed with and overspray bound by limestone powder can be reused.

The use of water-based paints in the primer and basecoat section is also new and environmentally friendly as well. Nevertheless, as with the clearcoat application, exhaust air flow from the paint booth is cleaned before it leaves the plant. This is a first in China, and a special feature worldwide. The EcoDryScrubber with its air recirculation and the highly efficient Ecopure KPR exhaust air purification system create a perfect symbiosis, since the use of dry separation in the spray booth produces a highly concentrated and particularly efficiently filtered exhaust air.

This allows for the use of a very compact exhaust air purification system and lowers the investment costs of the exhaust system by 60 percent. In this combination the energy demand is reduced by 80 percent and the solvent emissions by as much as 90 percent. The exhaust air from the ovens is cleaned by the integrated Ecopure TAR afterburner where the recovered heat is then in turn used to heat the ovens.

The Ecopaint RoDip M rotational dip coating process, which is already used around the world in 46 different paint shops for PT / ED applications, is used in pre-treatment and electro dipping in Changchun. With this, the rotation of the entire body in the tank optimises the dipping, flooding and draining process. By eliminating the entry and exit ramps the tank volume is decreased, dramatically reducing the need for energy and chemicals.

Prior to the filler and basecoat applications, the car body is cleaned by six EcoRS Clean robots and sword brushes. Interior and exterior painting is fully automated, using a total of 62 painting and handling robots from the EcoRP L series.

EcoBell3, the new atomiser generation for electrostatic paint application with better performance and less complexity, provides the perfect application of primer, base coat and clear coat. Seam sealing, including the hemflange application, underbody protection and pore recognition, is carried out by 16 EcoRS robots.

This automotive paint shop, with the lowest emissions in all China and a capacity of 34 vehicles per hour will go into operation to paint various Audi models starting in March 2013. The contract, which Dürr is handling as general contractor, was awarded in the third quarter of 2011.