Audi is expanding its spectrum of painting methods to include “overspray-free painting” where it would allow specific surfaces of a car’s body to be painted in a different colour – all in one spraying process.
To spray a contrasting colour, employees previously had to mask off the relevant parts of the car body and then paint it separately with a second spray process.
With the new method, a robot-controlled high precision instrument would measure the spaces between the roof and the side-panel frame before each car is painted.
The black paint is then applied directly to the car’s body in individual strips with accuracy down to the millimeter. The paint is also applied with sharp borders and without any spray mist hence the name overspray-free.
This new method which is undergoing tests at Audi’s plant in Ingolstadt will not only save time and money but also the environment. On one hand, no more masking materials are needed; on the other hand, less paint is required. Audi plans to put the innovative process into series production already next year.
