Contract coating company Muschert + Gierse chose Dürr for this new PT/EC plant because of its desire to provide its customers from the automotive industry with comparable painting quality. This is accomplished through a pre-treatment and cathodic electro-coating plant that comprises 15 zones, quite unlike the low-cost process normally found in comparable plants. The plant spans three levels with equipping, removal, and media supply at 0 meters, the assembly level at 4.3 meters, and the plant level at 6 meters. 360 tons of constructional steelwork alone were needed for this.
The range of items painted includes fittings, hinges, and other mounting parts. These are transported through the plant by a rugged and maintenance-free Power & Free conveyor coupled to a steel frame with suspension devices, the so-called goods carriers. Pre-treatment consists of eleven zones, from deluge system through degreasing, activating, phosphating, and passivating to several rinse cycles. The subsequent four cathodic electro-coating zones do not leave anything to be desired either when it comes to quality.
The cathodic dip-coating tank with a capacity of 50 cubic meters is made from polypropylene with a steel support structure. In a departure from convention, it was fabricated as a single transport unit (i.e. a complete tank) and placed on site. As a result, it is extremely hard-wearing, and guarantees a long service life. The predecessor system – also from Dürr – set the benchmark by lasting for 35 years.
The plant is also designed with energy efficiency and conservation of resources in mind. Thus, the residual energy from the cathodic electro-coating oven from Dürr is reused to heat the baths. The Ecopure® TAR thermal exhaust air purification system ensures clean air in the surroundings. The new plant is, of course, connected to M+G’s production planning system, which also records quality data.
The capacity is rated for throughput of 40 goods carriers per hour. This is equivalent to a mass throughput of 13,800 kilograms per hour at a conveyor speed of 1.7 meters per minute.
“We specifically chose Dürr for our cathodic electro-coating plant because a first-class plant will produce first-class parts. We had also chosen Dürr and its underlying competence for our first plant,” says Managing Director and owner Gert Middendorf. “A highly experienced project manager and a single source for the entire plant with concentrated know-how behind it – we couldn’t have done that on our own.“
