• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
durr csm_EcoRP_Gen3

From two months to a few seconds: A brief overview of automotive robotic painting systems

October 18, 2017 by Sam Francis

Painting was one of the first applications for industrial robots, but it didn’t start well. 

When they were first introduced in the 1980s at General Motors’ Michigan plant, the robots initially painted each other, according to an article on industrial robot history, published on Robots.com.

The complexity of painting is probably under-estimated because humans can do such tasks with relative ease. 

But even for humans, learning to paint to the level of uniformity and quality required for a top automotive manufacturer can take years.

Before robots came along, all painting was done by human workers, and whatever your opinions about artistic integrity, it certainly took longer.

 

According to an article on Body Shop Business, in the 1920s, it took almost two months to paint and dry a car before delivery to the customer – and even then, the paint wasn’t durable and started discolouring within a couple of years, partly because the varnish would wear off too quick.

Around that time, industrial giant DuPont discovered and commercialised a new lacquer which provided the solution to the durability and discolouration problems for around 50 years.

Nowadays, the painting and coating process used by automotive manufacturers tend to involve several stages, and the type of paints they use include what are called “pearlescent”, which was said to be first developed by Audi, some time in the 1950s.

And while the original equipment manufacturers might do all their painting on site, there is a huge number of used cars whose owners subsequently get them painted at a body shop.

Paint your wagon 

Maaco, which is believed to be one of the largest body shops in the US, says it has “helped more than 20 million customers with their auto painting and collision repair” requirements.

Maaco seems to mainly use human workers to deliver its paint services, which themselves have many levels, from basic to platinum. It may use robots, but we have yet to confirm this.

There are, however, newly emerging body shop companies which definitely use robots in their painting service offering.

Symach, an established Italian company which launched its body shop operations in the US a couple of years ago, uses robots mainly for the drying process.

The company had sold 2,400 drying robots to body shops by the time it reached the US, according to a report in Auto Body News.

And its sales pitch sounds impressive. “It is truly a body shop in one box,” says Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach. “One multi-skilled technician can perform an average of four to six repairs per day without moving the vehicle.”

As might be expected for a drying system, Symach’s “FlyDry” robots don’t look like the typical articulated robotic arms familiar in industrial plants.

Last year, Symach supplied 3D Auto Body & Collision Centres with a drying system which is said to reduce drying times “from almost an hour to seconds”.

One of the companies which partners with Symach is BASF, the conglomerate which could perhaps be compared to DuPont.

There are numerous companies which specialise in supplying robotic paint cells, and innovative solutions are being developed.

Among them is another Italian company called CMA Robotics, which, as well as offering solutions to the automotive industry, also seems to have found favour in the boatbuilding sector.

And there’s also the Easy Paint Robot company, based in France, which provides robotic painting solutions for a wide range of industries, including automotive.

Digital robotic art

For large OEMs, especially automakers, an in-house paint line is a well-established component of any production system.

The companies they turn to tend to be the top robot makers, which have pre-configured paint robots which can be customised for each application.

Some of the leading industrial paint robot suppliers include:

  • Fanuc
  • ABB
  • Yaskawa Motoman
  • Kawasaki
  • Dürr
  • Kuka
  • Stäubli

There are others, of course, so this is by no means a complete list, but these manufacturers look to have broader ranges and newer solutions.

The newest solution is probably the one from ABB, which says it has produced the “world’s first” digital automotive robotic painting system, as featured on this website recently.

Simply put, the ABB robot uses a new atomiser – or nozzle for the paint – and, perhaps more significantly, is connected to ABB Ability, the company’s industrial internet platform.

And Dürr has partnered with automaking giant BMW to develop a robotic painting system for which the companies received some sort of design award.

Dürr has a range of automotive painting robots called EcoPaint which can use “all paint materials”. One of the robots is a seven-axis kinematic system which can be used instead of a linear displacement rail, thereby saving money.

Meanwhile, academic research institution Fraunhofer has demonstrated a new robotic painting system which it claims can save 20 per cent in paint use, 15 per cent in energy consumption and 5 per cent in production time.

The system is called SelfPaint, and apparently relies on the digital scanning and analysing process before the five-step painting and coating process begins.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Features, Industrial robots, Industry, Manufacturing, News Tagged With: automotive painting, industrial robotic painting systems, manufacturers, paint lines

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • The Impact of Automation on Digital Marketing: 5 Key Areas
  • Big Joe Forklifts launches autonomous pallet mover in partnership with Thoro.ai
  • Wingtra lands $22 million funding round for its commercial drones
  • DeepRoute.ai launches $1,000 ‘map-free’ self-driving solution
  • MobileDrive builds next generation ADAS with Siemens’ digital twin technology
  • Seegrid releases software to enable its warehouse robots to work together
  • Ambi Robotics unveils fleet management and business intelligence platform
  • Geodis almost doubles case picking throughput with Vecna Robotics solution
  • How to Automate the Mechanical Tasks in Your Company Better
  • What to Wear for Cycling in Cold Weather

Most Read

  • Best Fat Tire Electric Bike: The Ultimate All-Terrain Companion
    Best Fat Tire Electric Bike: The Ultimate All-Terrain Companion
  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Stiga launches ‘world’s smartest’ autonomous lawn mower
    Stiga launches ‘world’s smartest’ autonomous lawn mower
  • Indian startup Unbox Robotics launches sortation robots in the US
    Indian startup Unbox Robotics launches sortation robots in the US
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Built Robotics launches fully autonomous solar piling system
    Built Robotics launches fully autonomous solar piling system
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • ABB launches new version of its Swifti collaborative cobot
    ABB launches new version of its Swifti collaborative cobot

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse work

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • The Impact of Automation on Digital Marketing: 5 Key Areas
  • Big Joe Forklifts launches autonomous pallet mover in partnership with Thoro.ai
  • Wingtra lands $22 million funding round for its commercial drones
  • DeepRoute.ai launches $1,000 ‘map-free’ self-driving solution
  • MobileDrive builds next generation ADAS with Siemens’ digital twin technology
  • Seegrid releases software to enable its warehouse robots to work together
  • Ambi Robotics unveils fleet management and business intelligence platform
  • Geodis almost doubles case picking throughput with Vecna Robotics solution
  • How to Automate the Mechanical Tasks in Your Company Better
  • What to Wear for Cycling in Cold Weather

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

October 2017
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Sep   Nov »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT