International. A Chinese electric vehicle manufacturing company called Byton invests in state-of-the-art patterns for its manufacture, and commissioned Dürr to build a complete paint line. The distinctive features are a 20% reduction in the space occupied and the use of pioneering technologies. An example of this is the EcoInCure oven, ideal for electric vehicles.
Starting in October 2019, the new Chinese OEM Future Mobility Corporation (FMC) will produce electric vehicles under the Byton brand at the facility in Nanjing. The new paint line was initially planned for 150,000 vehicles per year, the equivalent of 30 units per hour. Growth has already been taken into account, as capacity can be easily doubled.
Electric mobility goes hand in hand with modified body concepts that use new materials or combine materials in new ways. Conventional furnaces reach their limits when steel, aluminum and composite materials are used together. This is due to the fact that it is essential that all parts of the body are heated evenly, otherwise thermal stresses are generated. For this challenge, Dürr developed a fundamentally new concept of drying with EcoInCure: the bodies are heated from the inside out by two air jet nozzles by means of the opening of the windscreen and two nozzles aimed at the opening of the engine compartment. This allows for unprecedented uniformity of warming. Compared to conventional furnaces, there is also a significant improvement in the quality of the finishing coating and in the performance of the process, as the heating generated from within reduces the risk of crater defects. In addition, minimized flow rates along the freshly painted surfaces ensure the appearance of the completely uniform finish coating.
Dürr's scope of supply for byton FMC's new paint line includes the RoDip rotational immersion process for pretreatment and electrodeposition, already equipped for 60 units per hour, as well as all robotics and application technology for sealing and painting processes.
The electrodeposition stage uses the energy-efficient and fail-safe EcoDC MACS system. This technology uses modular anode control to create an electrical voltage profile that moves with the body. The robots in the paint booths are equipped with the latest generation of EcoBell 3 atomizer. The EcoDryX semi-automatic dry separation system, which separates excess ink in the primer paint and finishing coating booths, requires absolutely no water or chemicals.
This simple and robust technology works on the basis of cardboard filters. In addition, Dürr is designing a downstream exhaust air purification system made from the highly efficient Ecopure KPR VOC adsorptive concentration system, with combined thermal extraction air purification using the Ecopure RTO.
The scope of supply of the application in early 2018 includes PVC material and ink feed, line ventilation, fire protection for process systems and a reverse osmosis plant to reduce water hardness. The exhaust air from the furnaces is purified through the Ecopure TAR recoverable thermal process, which also provides all the heat to heat the furnace in an energy-efficient way.
