Dürr and Kuka, both leading manufacturers in the fields of production and automation technology, have joined forces: together they have developed an integrated solution for automated paint application in the form of a compact robot for general industry.
While the robot comes from Kuka, Dürr provides the paint application technology (Figs. 1 and 2). Pre-installed and ready-to-spray, the robot contains fully compatible, tried-and-tested components and offers a unique combination in the market. It is perfectly suited to the requirements of general industry. Areas of application include the painting of wood, plastics, glass and metal.
Dr. Hans Schumacher (Fig. 3), Board Spokesman of Dürr Systems AG, says: "General industry has also seen a growing need for fully automated paint application of the highest quality. The new painting robot system offers a perfect complement to Dürr's product portfolio in the form of a compact painting robot for customers in general industry. The new solution is a true innovation in this market segment."
Stefan Lampa, CEO of Kuka Roboter GmbH says: "Its perfectly matched and tried-and-tested components are a unique selling point. They have been merged and integrated into an automated painting solution, which is currently unique in the market."
The painting robot system consists of a small six-axis robot equipped with state-of-the-art paint application technology. This technology is available in different configurations, tailored to each individual customer project. The system, with all its different components, is completed and pre-commissioned at Dürr. It is thus ready for use ("ready2spray"), can be quickly installed at the customer's site, and ensures efficient processes and a consistently high-quality paint finish.
The ready2spray robot enables the application of solvent- and water-based one- and two-component paints. It can be equipped with matching dosing pumps, paint pressure regulators and color changers. Depending on requirements, it comes with automated spray guns (air-atomizing or airless) from the EcoGun range or with electrostatic high-speed rotating atomizers from the EcoBell range, both by Dürr.
Dürr is the world leader in automotive painting and car body sealing through its painting and sealing robots as well as its application technology. As in the automotive industry, Dürr also covers the entire spectrum of paint application in the industrial sector. Customers receive all components from a single source. These include the four product categories of pump and fluid-handling equipment, conventional application technology (spray guns), two-component systems as well as solutions for electrostatic application.
To expand its portfolio for general industry, Dürr acquired two spray gun application specialists in June 2014: EST+ from the Czech Republic and German company Bertsch & Fratscher. This enables Dürr to offer the right equipment for any area of application. The EcoBell high-speed rotating atomizers are also ideally suited to industry, thanks to their variable spray jet.
With its small dimensions and pre-installed application technology, the ready2spray solution in the form of the compact industrial robot is an innovation in industrial painting. Its integrated concept also includes the motion control of the robot and the process control for the applications, housed together in one control cabinet. Furthermore, the new painting system is fully Industry 4.0-ready.
The cooperation agreement covers aspects such as development, mass production, marketing strategy as well as delivery and after-sales processes. The sales concept allows both Kuka and Dürr to offer the robot on the market. The jointly defined target markets for sales and marketing activities comprise general industry in the fields of wood, ceramics, glass, plastics and metal. In the beginning, the new Dürr and Kuka robot system will be sold mainly in Europe, China and North America. Customers will be able to order it from Dürr as well as Kuka and also configure it in the Dürr webshop.
"Dürr also offers a large version for general industry using its own painting robots, which have been tried-and-tested in the automotive industry. This is an automated system for painting larger workpieces. We can thus cover the entire range of customer requirements", says Dr. Schumacher.
Dürr has been sourcing mechanical systems for industrial robots from Kuka for a number of years and equipping these with its own application and robot technology for sealing in automotive production. For paint applications in the automotive industry, Dürr will continue to exclusively offer robots developed and produced in-house. Kuka does not operate in this field.
For further information: www.durr.com, www.kuka.com
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