The Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth is transitioning to an innovative and more environmentally friendly painting process for its truck cabs. The new process improves the CO₂ footprint of Mercedes-Benz truck production, reducing energy consumption by up to 40%. Painting is the largest single energy consumer in truck manufacturing, and the updated system significantly lowers resource use while maintaining a daily production capacity of over 400 truck cabs.

Andreas Bachhofer, head of the Wörth site and Mercedes-Benz Trucks Production, stated, “We have succeeded in developing and implementing one of the most innovative painting processes in the world at the Wörth site. In addition to the conversion of our assembly lines for the production of vehicles with alternative drive systems, the new cab painting process is one of the biggest changes for our production.”

The new painting process uses ultra-high-solid paint materials that allow wet-on-wet application, eliminating the need for drying between layers. This approach enables complete coating in a single paint booth, requiring significantly less paint and energy. The updated system will reduce painting stations from 15 to five and dryers from four to two. Additionally, fossil fuels are no longer needed for drying.

The transition is occurring in stages during ongoing production, with completion expected by 2026. The plant, which has been carbon-neutral since 2022, continues to advance sustainability efforts through its "Green Production" initiative, incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

For more information, visit Daimler Truck.

*Images courtesy of Daimler Truck.