Simplicity rules on Jaguar paint mix and distribution systems
Simplicity rules on Jaguar paint mix and distribution systems
Keywords Automotive industry, Colour, Durr, Paints
Buyers of Jaguar cars can choose from a wide range of colours from traditional favourites to fashionable variations. In order to provide this variety of choice, Jaguar Cars' new paint shop at its Castle Bromwich body plant has been equipped with 18 colour primer and 24 base coat paint distribution lines (Plate 1).
Durr UK of Warwick was appointed by Jaguar as lead contractor with overall responsibility for the design, construction and installation of the new paint shop.
The use of matched colour primers not only gives better coverage and a deeper colour finish, it also helps to protect the paint appearance against small scratches and chips from the road surface. As well as meeting customer expectations, the requirement for multiple colour lines also offers greater flexibility in production, which has resulted in simplified paint distribution systems, optimised for maximum product quality performance.
Plate 1 View of the paint mix/distribution room at the Jaguar Cars' paint shop in Castle Bromwich
"Our simplified design aimed for smooth paint flow, avoiding any unnecessary deadlegs or degradation of the paint caused by turbulence and shear effects. Duplicated back-up systems were specified for high usage materials such as the grey primer and clear coat lines to ensure 100 percent availability", explains Durr project manager, Martin Hedger.
The project was managed in a close partnership arrangement between Jaguar, Durr and International Dupont,Jaguar's paint material suppliers. To ensure good communications and an effective decision-making process, Jaguar set up core teams, bringing together personnel from each of the companies with relevant expertise and authority to advise and resolve design problems on all key elements of the programme.
As the systems integrator,Durr UK takes into account any customer preferences for specific vendors'equipment and the company is able to undertake a full technical analysis and vendor assessments. Free from any vested interest, the company will specify the most appropriate equipment to achieve an optimum solution in terms of capital investment and through-life operating costs. A major benefit of the Durr total systems approach was that the company acted as a single interface with ultimate responsibility for the layout, design and construction of the paintshop.
The efficiency of this arrangement was demonstrated with the smooth installation of the paint distribution system, which involved over 20 miles of pipework, all of which needed to be fully co-ordinated with work going on during the construction of the rest of the shop. Paint stocks are delivered in totes employing a gravity feed via a bag filter unit into a single mixing tank. Hydraulic reciprocator pumps, used for circulating the paint, were selected in preference to air pumps for their long term performance and low operating costs. Jaguar also specified visual management systems and monitoring with paint pressure test points at strategic locations within the circulation system.
Durr also provided supporting process equipment for blackout finishing of wheel arches; cavity wax injection and solvent flushing supply and waste recovery, the latter including the installation of full solvent management facilities to fulfil the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act.
Design work is now underway on the second phase of the Jaguar paint shop redevelopment. This includes the provision of high pressure mastic and seam sealer systems fed from bulk supply to all the process decks.
Details are available from Durr Limited. Tel: 01926 418800: Fax: 01926 400679.
