India's leading SUV manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) has decided to equip its new paint shop for electric vehicles (EVs) with ABB's PixelPaint technology. The order also includes 42 robots from the IRB 5500 family, making M&M the first OEM in India to use PixelPaint technology to paint color-contrasting vehicle roofs and pillars.
Paint applicator with individually controlled nozzles
PixelPaint consists of a paint applicator with over 1,000 tiny, individually controlled nozzles. It works in a similar way to an inkjet printer. The paint applicator can be attached to an ABB robot, such as the IRB 5500 painting robot. In combination with the 3D image processing system and coordinated by planning and programming software, the applicator moves closely along the vehicle body. This ensures that 100 percent of the paint is applied without overspray or excess paint mist. This eliminates the need for masking and repeated passes through the paint line. There is no waste, yet the smallest details are faithfully reproduced.