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Auto Monitor
16 - 31 August 2011
STUDY
Volkswagen Plastics Technology relies Doris Schulz
C
onforming to the motto less is more, Volkswagen Plastics Technology in Braunschweig in Germany 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. However, the painting system demands an absolutely clean, residue-free surface. This has been achieved with the aid of a dry CO2 snow jet cleaning technique which is gentle on materials. In order to economise on resources and costs as well as
The CO2 snow jet system has been integrated into a large paint booth measuring 5.5 x 4 x 3 metres (LxBxH) together with a turning station and needs much less space than a power washer with a dryer
reduce environmental damage, Volkswagens production plants implement the latest technologies such as cogeneration units,
biogas plants, fi ller-free body paints and thermal afterburners to recover energy from solventpolluted exhaust air. In the
Component-specific cleaning programmes are filed in the robot controls for approximately 20 different work pieces. To prevent recontamination, all dirt which has been removed is extracted
development and manufacture of interior components such as panels, trims, ventilation grilles and air diffusers, Volkswagen
Offers 4 weeks comprehensive course Batch 4 05 - 30 Sep 2011, Bangalore
fi nds ways of further increasing sustainability at its Plastics Technology in Braunschweig. Everyday, Plastic 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 a re injectionmoulded parts with a high-gloss finish and can be installed without needing to be coated. One of the latest vehicle models produced by Europes largest car manufacturer is fitted with a high-gloss panel made from ABS-PC blend (ABS: Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene; PC: Polycarbonate) which is subsequently painted with a semitransparent 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 Uwe Strauss, Painting Systems / Plastics Technology Planning at Volkswagen in Braunschweig.
The Solution
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The classic alternative wetchemical 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 was founded in Stuttgart, Germany (acp). It 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 confi rmed that we could achieve optimum cleaning results with the process,” Strauss recalled. 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 The modularly-constructed CO2 snow jet system made by acp achieves its effective cleaning