International. Two colors, one process. Vehicle manufacturer Audi announced that it is expanding the spectrum of its painting methods with the addition of paint without overspray. This technology allows the specific surfaces of a car body to be painted in a different color, all in a spraying process.
The company notes that this is economical and very resource-friendly. At a pilot paint shop at the Ingolstadt plant, Audi is testing a method that is unique in the industry with contrasting black car roofs.
Time-consuming, material-intensive masking is no longer necessary when painting without overspraying. To spray a contrasting color, employees previously had to mask the corresponding part of the car body and then paint it separately with a second spraying process. With oversprayed paint, a high-precision robot-controlled instrument now measures the laser-welded seam between the ceiling and the side panel frame before painting each car.
A special applicator then applies the black paint directly to the body of the car on individual strips with pinpoint accuracy. The applicator places the paint strips with sharp edges and without any spray mist, that is, without excess spraying.
This method saves time and money, and the environment also benefits. On the one hand, no more masking material is needed; on the other hand, less paint is required. Audi plans to put the innovative process into series production next year. In this way, the automaker will offer its customers even more possibilities for individualization.
Source: Audi.
