“Electric EcoInCure ovens will be installed in some OEM factories in Europe”
AutoRevista.- What qualitative leap constitutes the new Dürr EcoInCure breakthrough in terms of sustainability and efficiency in vehicle refinishing?
Luis Echeveste.- We have just sold an EcoInCure technology oven, the first time we have will install an oven of these characteristics in Spain. The electrification of plants in Spain is a topic that is growing, in parallel with the use of zero carbon energies. The development of this type of oven is closely linked to the electric vehicle, whose lower part, where the batteries are housed, has been greatly reinforced, which implies the need for a more powerful energy supply than that of current ovens. Faced with the future project of an electric vehicle, SEAT needed to extend its cataphoresis oven with a specific line for this new vehicle and considered that Dürr provided the best option.
The transversal introduction of the body allows air to be injected through the vehicle's windshield opening, thus providing a lot of energy in the lower part of the body. It is possible to improve the temperature curve in that area and, at the same time, achieve more uniform car body temperatures in the whole curing process. In conventional furnaces, air cannot be injected effectively into the centre of the body, which can be done with EcoInCure. Overheating is avoided in certain areas and an improvement in the curing process is achieved. In addition to surface quality, the oven is also a pioneer in terms of sustainability.
Dürr's EcoInCure electric oven. Foto; Dürr.
AR.-What advances are there in terms of sustainability?
L.E.- According to the EU decarbonisation guidelines, it was not logical to install a gas fired oven. It was decided to replace the gas heating systems that were planned with other electrical energy, which has also been applied to the incineration system. The regenerative thermal oxidation system Oxi.X RV also comes from Dürr. An oven and exhaust air purification with zero CO2 emissions is achieved in the event that OEM supplies electricity from renewable energies.
EcoInCure has already been installed in some OEM factories in Europe as well as in Asia and Americas. It provides a plus in the heating phase compared to traditional systems. With the chosen heating concept the OEM will be prepared for the introduction of electric vehicles, also if there is a mix with conventional combustion models.
AR.- Can we talk about a specific Dürr strategy aligned with the electrification of vehicles?
L.E.- It is proving that the electric vehicle is introducing important changes in furnaces and, in fact, it is a field in which we are working on specific projects. In other areas of a complete painting installation, the modifications are not as relevant. However, new requirements are emerging in connection with e-mobility. Flexible and scalable production concepts are needed, both for start-ups that want to start with a low investment and for large OEMs that want to integrate new models. Dürr’s concept of the Paint Shop of the Future fits to these requirements.
AR.- How does the use of Dürr's own AGVs in painting facilities continue to evolve?
L.E.- We continue working, from the Factory of the Future by Dürr, in the transit areas immediately after the painting plant. These are areas of the production line with very complicated flows and this solution allows us to provide great flexibility. Within the paint shop area Dürr has installed the AGV EcoProFleet in several plants in Asia already. In Spain we do not have any project of this type yet, but the concept of Factory of the Future, regardless of the AGVs, is applicable to any painting plant that wants to project in the world.
AR.- How does the company continue to progress in terms of digitisation and automation of its facilities, with examples with DXQplant.Analytics?
L.E.- The automotive sector is a world with a very high degree of digitisation. Perhaps that level is not so high in process quality control, in terms of predictive maintenance, fault analysis. Our tool allows intelligent processing of all these efforts, capturing data from different machines and receiving other data from the defect control system of the paint plant, which allows rapid detection and greater agility in solving problems. It is not an easy issue, but we are making progress in agreements such as the one that Dürr has with a German OEM in this area.
AR.- How has much progress been made in the field of automatic sealing with solutions like EcoSealJet Pro?
L.E.- The EcoSealJet Pro solves the application of sealing in until now practically inaccessible areas. In addition, it makes it possible to dispense with the use of certain plugs in certain parts of the surface to be painted, because this sprayer adapts to the contour of the bodywork, avoiding holes, which allows for a very important logistical improvement. We have carried out tests with several OEMs installed in Spain and Germany, with very positive results.
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