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Robotic cleaning solution aids auto manufacturer

Source:Ringier Release Date:2011-09-26 713
Metalworking
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 The various parts are cleaned in batches.

 Conforming to the motto "less is more", Volkswagen Plastics Technology has started using a single-layer painting system for a new interior component. The process not only reduces the consumption of resources and pollutant emissions, but the semi-transparent metallic painting also lends the already-shiny injection moulded part a sophisticated look.
In order to save on resources and costs as well as reduce environmental damage, Volkswagen's production plants implement the latest technologies such as cogeneration units, biogas plants, filler-free body paints and thermal afterburners to recover energy from solvent-polluted exhaust air. In the development and manufacture of interior components such as panels, trims, ventilation grilles and air diffusers, Volkswagen finds ways of further increasing sustainability at its Plastics Technology in Braunschweig, Germany.
Each day, Plastics Technology processes approximately 45 tonnes of granulate material to manufacture injection-moulded parts. A range of about 450 interior components of different colours are produced and installed into various passenger vehicle models and the Multivan T5 around the world. Some of these are injection-moulded parts with a high-gloss finish and which can be installed without needing to be coated. One of the latest vehicle models produced by Volkswagen is fitted with a high-gloss panel made from ABS-PC blend which is subsequently painted with a semi-transparent high-gloss metallic paint. "This paint is applied to the component as a single layer without an undercoat, so the surface has to be flawless. The tiniest dust particle or water mark would cause rejects. Therefore, we needed a cleaning solution which is efficient, gentle on materials and guarantees consistent results", explained Mr. Uwe Strauss, Painting Systems/Plastics Technology Planning at Volkswagen.

A single layer of semi-transparent paint is applied to the injection-moulded panel which already has a high-gloss finish.

The solution: CO2 snow
The classic alternative – wet-chemical cleaning with a powerwash system – was mainly rejected for reasons of cost-effectiveness and sustainability. However, due to its high space requirements, it would have been impossible to install such a cleaning system upstream of the paint shop. In tests with conventional dry-ice cleaning systems, it was observed that the coarse ice pellets damaged the sensitive surface of components when used as a cleaning medium. "The CO2 snow jet process from advanced clean production GmbH (acp) gave us an alternative, so we told one of the company's employees about what we needed. It wasn't long before we were sent a proposal for a solution, and tests confirmed that we could achieve optimum cleaning results with the process", Strauss remembered. With the CO2 snow jet technique, liquid carbon dioxide is used instead of dry ice pellets. Carbon dioxide gas is produced as a by-product in a variety of manufacturing processes in the chemical industry; it is environmentally neutral and gentle on resources.

Dry, gentle on materials and free of residues
The modularly-constructed CO2 snow jet system made by acp achieves its effective cleaning power via the supersonic two-component ring nozzle integrated into the compact cleaning head. Liquid carbon dioxide is guided through the nozzle and expands on exit to form a mixture of snow and gas. Oil-free compressed air is fed to the core jet as a jacketed jet, accelerating the non-toxic, non-combustible CO2 snow crystals to supersonic speed. When the easily-focused jet impacts on the surface to be cleaned, the snow crystals liquefy and thenAir Jordan

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