PAINT
AUTOMATED PAINTING INCREASES EFFICIENCY COULD THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY STREAMLINE REPAIRS?
By Ros Macdonald
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ew automated paint technologies are being put to good use in manufacturing, quickly and seamlessly painting complex designs on automobiles. This is just one of many robotic processes that have time and cost saving potential in both manufacturing and collision repairs. The technology has yet to trickle down to the collision repair sector, but it opens up interesting prospects for the future of their paint departments. Automated paint suggests a possible strategy for shops to streamline the painting process, and for patrons to customize their vehicle during repair. Automated paint robots function similarly to an inkjet printer, spraying jets of ink as small as half a millimetre in thickness, and creating precise edges as the paint hits the vehicle. The robots can paint in two tones and create crisp edges without any tape or stencils. 76 BUYERSGUIDE.COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM
Painting by hand requires masking around each paint colour and allowing it to dry in between, to ensure the colours don’t bleed into each other. With automated painting, there is no masking or overspray – the unwanted drifting paint that can end up on the car or in the painting room. According to Brad Kruhlak, Technical Manager of AkzoNobel, “…robotic paint application provides consistent quality and a high transfer efficiency, thereby reducing waste”. By automating the paint process, manufacturers save major costs not just on masking materials, but also the solvents, razor blades and rubbing compounds traditionally used to remove excess paint on the vehicle and in the workspace. Robotic paint application also reduces energy costs and lowers the carbon footprint. Since automation eliminates the paint separation process, the amount of air ventilation required is also lowered.
These cost saving implications will turn heads in the repair sector, raising the question of whether robotic painting will expand beyond just manufacturing. Any shop would be delighted to save on time, materials, and energy costs. “If the technology is adapted to the collision repair environment, it could accelerate the process and help remove any human error”, says Kruhlak. The quality and consistency of paint application could be optimized, and the robots would never need sick days! Additionally, car owners could also choose custom designs — a potential upsell point for repair shops. Painters in collision repair facilities might wonder if a future where paint is applied automatically could threaten their employment. After all, the implementation of industrial robots has eliminated jobs in industries across the board, from manufacturers to cashiers. However, Kruhlak
