The installation and commissioning were carried out jointly by the teams from Cevher and RIPPERT despite pandemic conditions, while complying with the maximum possible protective measures. As business picks up again, the new painting plant is now available together with the new works to cover additionally needed capacities The goal of achieving maximum flexibility was implemented perfectly through a high level of automation of the conveying equipment and robots.
The flexibility of the wheel painting plant necessitates the exact definition and planning of the flow of material in order to achieve an optimum mode of operation. To this end, Cevher creates a painting plan each day. The pre-treatment is automatically adapted to suit the respective specified process. Pre-heating temperatures and cooling sections are also individually adaptable. A handling robot loads the aluminium wheels into the individual powder-coating cabins so that the conveying equipment can be entirely dispensed with in the coating process. Thanks to the high level of automation, Cevher can track the wheels precisely, thus ensuring detailed quality assurance.
In order to meet the high requirements for the perfect surface, all wheels are located inside ventilated and air-conditioned enclosures from the pre-treatment plant onwards. Naturally the subject of efficiency was also integrated. Among other things, the dryer areas are equipped with RIPPERT’s patented circulating air sluices and the cooling zones are arranged into three stages.
The plant concept still has further potential for future paint variants, painting patterns and special coatings.