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in Vol. 25 - July Issue - Year 2024
The EcoSupply P Core Minimizes Paint and Rinsing Agent Losses
Picture 1: Pigging technology reduces paint and rinsing agent consumption by returning the paint left in the hose after application to the paint container
Picture 2: The source station (shown here) is the pig’s starting point. The material pushes the pig from the source station through the distributor station to the destination station
The Dürr Group is one of the world's leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with particular expertise in the technology fields of automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency. Its products, systems, and services enable highly efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes – mainly in the automotive industry and for producers of furniture and timber houses, but also in sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, medical devices, electrical engineering, and battery production. In 2023, the company generated sales of €4.6 billion. The Dürr Group has over 20,500 employees and 142 business locations in 32 countries, and it operates in the market with five divisions: • Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops as well as final assembly, testing, and filling technology for the automotive industry • Application Technology: robots and products for the automated application of paint, sealants, and adhesives • Clean Technology Systems: air pollution control, coating systems for battery electrodes, and noise abatement systems • Industrial Automation Systems: automated assembly and test systems for automotive components, medical devices, and consumer goods as well as balancing and diagnostic technology • Woodworking Machinery and Systems: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry
The new EcoSupply P Core is a modular paint supply system based on pigging technology. This paint supply method has already proved beneficial in the automotive painting world, but Dürr has taken it one step further and enhanced it for use in other industries for the first time. The EcoSupply P Core is now adaptable wherever different paint colors are applied in small quantities, such as in the construction, woodworking or automotive supplier industries. This system efficiently recovers unused paint, minimizing rinsing agent consumption and speeding up color changes.
The desire for a comprehensive colour palette extends beyond the automotive industry. Customers use their colour preferences as unique identifiers in other industries, whereas companies use distinctive colours as a unique selling point for themselves and their products. Manufacturers from the construction and plastic industries, for example, require a multitude of available shades to cater to their customers’ needs.
However, each colour change in the supply line results in waste of paint and rinsing agent during the painting process. This can involve disproportionately high costs, particularly with very small quantities. This is because current paint supply systems clean the hoses using solvent and compressed air to remove all paint and rinsing residues left behind before preparing for the next colour run. This process is laborious and time-consuming, with longer and thicker hoses resulting in higher paint losses.
Pigging Technology Reduces Paint Consumption
For pigging technology, Dürr uses a fitting body tailored to the internal diameter of the hoses – the so-called pig – to make the process more efficient and reduce paint and rinsing agent consumption. The paint, flowing through the pigging hose, pushes the pig from the source to the target module. This process removes any rinsing agent residue in the hose. Distributor stations, with the option of integrating up to four into one pigging line, provide the connection to the application technology. After the paint application, compressed air blows the pig back towards the source module. In the process, the paint left in the hose is transported back into the paint container. Rinsing agent then flows through the pigging hose towards the destination module. The process repeats after cleaning.
Faster Color Changes and Simplified Maintenance
The EcoSupply P Core comes in single-pass and circulating versions and is suitable for applying both water and solvent-based paints. In both instances, reduced effort makes for faster colour changes. Additionally, the modular design simplifies maintenance, allowing flexible configuration of individual components to adapt to user requirements and integrate into existing systems. Thus, the EcoSupply P Core can also integrate with other Dürr systems, such as the EcoSupply2 Core paint supply station.
Starter Kit with Everything You Need
Dürr’s starter kit contains all important components, including a source and destination module, a distributor station for connecting to the application technology, hoses (which come in lengths of up to 100 meters), and the pig itself. The starter kit also includes sensors for monitoring the pig position, maintenance and commissioning tools, and EcoDocu-technical documentation in digital format, complete with system examples.
Twenty-five Years of Experience in Pigging Technology
The EcoSupply P Core offers the manufacturing sector a cost-effective, easy-to-use paint supply solution for smaller quantities and applications in the low-pressure range. The new development is the culmination of Dürr’s 25 years of experience with the pigging technology featured in the EcoSupply P. Globally recognized, this tried-and-tested paint supply system with pigging technology has established its effectiveness in automotive painting.
Dürr Systems AG
Carl-Benz-Str. 34
74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany
Tel. +49.7142.78-4899
E-mail: carina.lachnit@durr.com
