SOUTHFIELD, MI – BMW is relying on Dürr's experience and technological leadership to expand its painting capacities in Asia and Europe. In Shenyang, China, Dürr is building a new paint shop and extending an existing painting system. BMW is also working with Dürr on a further new paint shop in a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary.
Dürr has received two orders for BMW in China. In the Dadong district in Shenyang, BMW has been operating a Dürr paint shop since 2016 and is now increasing its capacity. In the Tiexi district in Shenyang, where BMW has already been using Dürr painting technology since 2013, Dürr will build a further paint shop in a new manufacturing facility. In addition, BMW is already planning a second expansion stage in Tiexi and has agreed that Dürr will complete the future expansion. An agreement has also been made with Dürr on the construction of a paint shop in Europe, with a new BMW plant in Debrecen, Hungary, scheduled to begin production in the summer of 2023.
Dürr painting robots with high-rotation atomizers of the type EcoBell3 will handle the application step of BMW’s Integrated Painting Process (IPP) in all three paint shops. A total of 165 painting robots and 90 sealing robots from Dürr will paint and seal the BMW models in the three plants. Integrated supply systems for the paints and sealers used as well as a paint mixing room will ensure an efficient paint supply in the standard color palette. Dürr will install the EcoSupply P system for supplying special colors. Pigging systems will transport the special colors to the paint booth – with almost zero losses. The coordinated application technology will minimize paint and solvent consumption and ensure fast color changes.
BMW will use sustainable, resource-saving technology throughout the three new paint shops. The Dürr products for paint separation – EcoDryScrubber, in China and EcoDry X in Hungary – boast strong environmental credentials. EcoDryScrubber is based on paint separation using limestone powder, while EcoDry X uses cardboard filter boxes as a separating agent. The Dürr technology does not involve any polluting methods that use a mixture of water and chemicals. The recirculation of up to 95% of the air used in Dürr's separation processes also enables a 60% reduction in energy consumption in the paint booth.
The EcoInCure oven, which will be used in the new plant in Tiexi as well as in Debrecen in the topcoat section, will additionally boost the energy efficiency of the plant. The oven’s exhaust air can be purified using just one afterburning system of the type Ecopure® TAR. A comparable double oven with conventional continuous flow technology would need two air pollution control systems. This reduces the amount of fresh air required, and thus the energy demand. EcoInCure uses a new technology for drying: the air flowing in through the opening for the windshield heats the body parts from the inside out, resulting in uniform heat distribution and improved curing of the bodies, even special body shapes like those of electric vehicles.
BMW is using an integrated skidless conveyor system for the first time in the new plants in Debrecen and Tiexi. This means that no space is required for storage of empty skids, return transport of the skids and there is no need to clean skids in the topcoat section. The end result is compact and scalable layouts.
