RIPPERT-News 2-booth “Smart Compact Painting Line”

Workpieces are loaded and unloaded via a floor-mounted Power-&-Free conveyor. Adjustable swivel mechanisms allow for ergonomic loading and unloading of components, whilst upstream and downstream buffer sections ensure a continuous flow of materials. A shuttle lift then automatically transfers the workpieces to the process level on the upper floor. Particular attention was paid to the integration of the plant engineering: the ventilation and paint mist extraction systems are positioned on the lower level. This eliminates the need for floor pits – a decisive advantage when integrating into existing building structures. The coating process begins with robot-guided CO2 cleaning. This ensures reproducible component cleanliness and also precisely covers component undercuts. In the next step, the components are transported into the first paint booth using a stationary handling robot. There, two painting stations with an integrated swivel axis are available, so that the system’s cycle time corresponds to the actual painting time. A central rotating rack handles the transfer for the wet-on-wet process between the two handling robots. It also serves as a flash-off and cooling area and can be used as temporary storage if required. The concept proves particularly practical thanks to the flexible use of the second paint booth: for single-coat applications, it can be used as a teach booth. New products can thus be run in and optimised under real production conditions without disrupting ongoing production. The RIPPERT MES ensures process transparency. All relevant process data is recorded, evaluated and made available for quality documentation, traceability and continuous optimisation. The components are dried in an energy-efficient, space-saving rotary dryer, which lowers running costs and sustainably reduces the plant’s carbon footprint. With this plant concept, single-coat and two-coat paint systems can be applied in two booths, whilst three-coat paint finishes can be achieved via a defined special route. At RIPPERT, the concept is being consistently developed further: a three-booth Smart Compact Painting Line is currently under construction, which will open up additional capacity and even greater flexibility for future painting requirements. Those interested can get a first-hand look at the PaintExpo in Karlsruhe from 14 to 17 April 2026 (Hall 2, Stand 2430). There, excerpts from this system concept will be presented and our experts will be available for technical discussions and detailed enquiries.