The market for automotive coatings has developed dynamically in recent years. Technological advances and customer demands have led to a growing variety of coating options. In the course of this development, the complexity of the manufacturing processes increased. High flexibility is expected from the series paint manufacturer. "The coating must match the requirements of the coating lines - not the other way around," emphasizes Susanne Richert, Project Manager Site Development at BASF. "Suppliers must therefore demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and also be able to supply as many vehicle series paint products as possible."
For these reasons, BASF launched the Lean Lab modular laboratory concept. "With the help of the Lean Lab, we were able to implement work-sharing process structures within paint laboratories as well as the digital recording and control of all manufacturing processes," says Richert. Using special software, BASF networks all the integrated work areas with each other and can thus centrally coordinate and control the entire supply of raw materials. This speeds up the work processes considerably, as the raw materials are always available at their specified places at the right time.
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