Dürr’s RoDip Ezy is suitable for both new plants and the modernisation of existing ones, as it can navigate curves of 180° or more, allowing the path to be adapted to complex spatial conditions or different distances between process steps, depending on the requirements.
The multinational engineering company Dürr
has recently unveiled RoDip Ezy, the latest evolution in its rotational dip coating technology, designed to enhance flexibility and efficiency in industrial systems design. The new system, derived from the word “easy,” marks a significant step forward through the implementation of a cycloidal drive system.
RoDip Ezy succeeds the proven RoDip E, retaining the reliability of the established pretreatment and cathodic electro-deposition (CED) coating process. However, the entire system has been redesigned, from the carrier and rail system to the power control. The rotary drive used a compact cycloidal transmission, a technology with a long track record of efficiency and reliability in Dürr’s industrial robots, ensuring a system that is both compact and easy to maintain. Furthermore, RoDip Ezy features a standardised carrier concept suitable for various weight classes, ranging from passenger cars to vans.
A key innovation in RoDip Ezy is the curved path. While the RoDip E utilised turntables for changes of direction, the carriers in RoDip Ezy can now navigate curves to both the left and right. Complex turntables are no longer required, which reduces the system complexity and allows for a more flexible process line. In addition to the classic two-loop system
(with separate carriers for pretreatment and cathodic dip coating), it is now possible to implement a shared circuit (single-loop system) using the same carriers for both processes. This configuration requires less external transport technology and a reduced number of rails and carriers.
“RoDip Ezy is suitable for both new systems and the modernisation of existing facilities. Since RoDip Ezy is capable of navigating curves of 180° or more, it means we can adapt the route to complex spatial conditions or differing distances between process stages, depending on the requirements,” has said Klaus Heinsohn, Product Manager at Dürr.
The new rail system is constructed from standardised aluminium profiles, already used by Dürr in other areas such as final assembly. Thanks to their lightweight nature, these components are easier to integrate and can be assembled more quickly. The complex adjustment works previously required for steel elements is no longer necessary.
With over 100 million vehicles worldwide protected against corrosion using the RoDip system, the method remains the industry benchmark. By rotating the car bodies around their own axis, the system requires smaller tanks for immersion, flooding, and draining, thereby saving space and resources. In addition to the robust RoDip M, the new, flexibly programmable RoDip Ezy variant offers a high degree of freedom in plant design.