The newly designed paint shop can handle 30 bodies per hour, a rate identical to the first Kenitra plant, which Dürr built in 2019.

Chennai, October 7, 2024 – Stellantis is expected to double overall capacity at its Kenitra site with a new turnkey paint shop from Dürr. The advanced production technology allows for environmentally friendly and energy-saving high-quality electric car coating. Additionally, paint robots from other plants in the group are being repurposed to conserve resources, too.

The new plant in northwest Morocco is intended to be a model for energy optimization, while simultaneously significantly increasing Stellantis' production capacity for battery-powered vehicles and hybrid models across the Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat brands. The newly designed paint shop can handle 30 bodies per hour, a rate identical to the first Kenitra plant, which Dürr built in 2019.

Stellantis opted for Dürr's patented RoDip® rotational dip process for pretreatment and cathodic electrocoating. This innovative method rotates the bodies around their axis, providing exceptional corrosion protection since the dip curves can be individually adapted to different body types, optimizing the immersion, flooding, and draining process. RoDip® consumes much less water, fewer chemicals, and less heating energy than other technical solutions since the conveyor system eliminates the need for inclined tank entrances and exits. This shortens the immersion tank length by up to six meters and reduces tank volume. Lower energy and material consumption also reduces operating and unit costs.

In addition to electrocoating, the Stellantis Group will debut the EcoInCure electric oven featuring innovative air flow conduction that heats and cools car bodies evenly from the inside out. This unique design reduces thermal-structural stresses and lowers car body heating time by up to 30 percent. The latest generation of the EcoInCure in the Kenitra plant makes fossil-fuel independence possible by operating with green electricity for an environmentally-friendly approach. Compared with its gas-powered counterpart, the electric EcoInCure reduces paint shop emissions by 40 percent, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

Stellantis is also enhancing efficiency by adopting wet-on-wet technology, saving both time and energy. The extensive process, which includes two-tone painting across three exterior painting stations, utilizes robots and application technology from existing Italian plants. These robots are equipped with EcoBell2 applicators to integrate seamlessly with existing equipment. In addition, technical equipment, such as air supply units, heaters, and conveyors, are being transported from Europe to Morocco for reuse. Repurposing production technology purposed from other plants is a sustainable approach that maximizes resources. In addition, repurposing is a suitable building block for constructing a paint shop within challenging time and cost constraints, all without compromising coating quality and performance. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

For a deeper dive into the dynamic world of Industrial Automation and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), explore our comprehensive collection of articles and news covering cutting-edge technologies, robotics, PLC programming, SCADA systems, and the latest advancements in the Industrial Automation realm. Uncover valuable insights and stay abreast of industry trends by delving into the rest of our articles on Industrial Automation and RPA at www.industrialautomationindia.in