Paint Application Magazine
Transcription
Paint Application Magazine
prevision THE ABB PAINT APPLICATION MAGAZINE - 2005 Today’s Challenges Tomorrow’s Solutions ABB Technology Days, Auburn Hills USA Back On Track With Audi – Need for Speed – Robot Production in China In this issue of Prevision, you can learn about our worldwide paint activities. 2005 is going to be a very significant year for us. Right now our new enhanced robot is the market segment’s state of the art robot, and 2005 is the year in which this new robot generation is going to be implemented in the industry. Many of our other products also provide us with a clear competitive advantage. Our Paint Application Process Package, for example, gives us a competitive advantage through saving time in on-site installation, in commissioning and requested availability achievement. Our bells are also generating more and more customer interest. Our CBS is now well recognized as a premium product also outside Asia and the next key event will be the launch of the new bell range. The new range is modular, has a flexible pattern and high flow spraying and represents a new generation of bell which will change paint line design and give us an outstanding advantage. However, it is not just our products that generate strong confidence in our solutions. The tools we combine with our products, such as DispensePac, powder gun and various software solutions, also play a very important role. Lastly and absolutely not least on the human side, our unique worldwide paint team and their strong capabilities further strengthen our place in the market. We certainly have the most qualified international team in the industry. The future looks bright in the paint application business. With our skilled team and premium products we are on track to achieving full customer satisfaction. Our future is in our hands. Hubert Labourdette Global Paint Lead Center Manager. Tormod Gunleiksrud President, ABB Robotics Paint. Powerful relationships A relationship that doesn’t sparkle with energy is a dying relationship. ABB’s philosophy is to build and maintain strong and mutually beneficial relationships with our customers, based on openness and trust in which we work together towards well defined common goals. Customer trust – how do we earn it? Our QDC program is one way we build customer trust. When we ship an order, quality is priority number one. Everything is checked and must be according to spec before being shipped. Delivery is our second priority, but nothing is delivered before we can guarantee that it will function properly. Cost is our third priority. If it costs more than we expected to meet quality specs and delivery times, then that’s our problem – not the customer’s. Focusing on increasing each customer’s profitability and competitiveness is an important part of the customer relationship. This, I believe, is best achieved through indepth knowledge of our customers’ processes. At ABB, we are fortunate to have a lot of customer process knowledge. However, it is open trust based customer relationships that give us the very best conditions for free flow of information and for us to maximize our knowledge of our customers’ processes. R&D is our third focus. Our customers, to remain competitive, must have shorter time to market and lower prices. The only way we can ensure that we keep the hard-earned trust our customers have in us, is to provide our customers with what they need when they need it - and that means putting dedicated and continuous resources into R&D. We must therefore carefully balance the use of R&D personnel. Overuse of R&D personnel in challenging projects will slow down development projects and over time reduce our ability to give our customers what they need to achieve their goals. By keeping a strong focus on these three areas, we will continue to build sparkling and long lasting relationships with our customers. Our challenge is to increase our competitiveness day by day. Carmine Renzulli, Production Manager for Casappa, welcomes us to his office and, before taking on the subject that brought us here – the company’s collaboration with ABB, he offers us an insight into the company situation. Specialists always understand each other From left to right: Mr. Arne Sigbjørnsen (ABB Norway), Mr. Mitsuhiro Yoshihara (Toyota Auto Body), Mr. Yasuo Kouno (Toyota Auto Body) and Mr. Hideki Mori (ABB Japan). An unexpected benefit ”With Toyota Auto Body (TAB), one of the goals was to reduce the number of robots in the paint line. TAB also wanted to reduce the amount of paint used and to cut energy consumption”. Osamu Yoshida, general manager of ABB’s Technology Department, describes the solution and how it generated a very unexpected benefit. – “We came up with a solution that could meet all Toyotaʼs Quality focus demanding requirements. We went for eight-axis robots, Representatives from Toyota Auto Body recently visited which have a much greater range of motion and which ABB PRU Paint Robots in Norway. ABB has previously meant that we could reduce the length of painting booths supplied TAB with more than 100 paint robots. This visit was and use fewer robots.” however linked to a new order for phase two at – “However, the new Cartridge Bell System the Fujimatsu plant in Japan. ABB got renewed “It was totally allows robots to paint both inner and outer confidence as they were the only supplier unexpected, surfaces in one pass by switching bells. This who could fulfill TABʼs Stop&Go paint line but certainly gave us a quality improvement that none of us requirements. Mr. Mitsuhiro Yoshihara from had expected. When you paint the interior and very welcome!” TAB pointed out that the accuracy and speed of exterior at the same time, you avoid the problem ABBʼs unique Integrated Process System (IPS) of dust from the interior settling on the newly painted exterior impressed him in particular. He was also impressed by how so spoiling the finish. The customer was very surprised ABB solves challenges and problems along the way. by the totally unexpected effect, but it was certainly very – “This visit reinforces and confirms our strong co-operation. welcome,” says Yoshida. It is also very valuable to gain an insight into ABBʼs quality focus. I have great confidence in ABB and your solutions.” Proton: Paint savings making big impact on car prices For one of the world’s newest automobile manufacturers, Proton of Malaysia, ABB provided a complete robotic paint solution that provides both high quality and reduced paint and thinner consumption. Muzafar Saboo, head of Proton’s Painting Department, is very satisified having chosen ABB as his partner: We manufacture pumps and fixed cylinder gearmotors, and pumps and fixed or variable cylinder piston motors destined for applications in agriculture, building and industrial vehicles, materials handling and industry. Our customers include machinery manufacturers like Caterpillar, Volvo, Bob-cat, Toro, CNH, Still Wagner, Toyota and DaimlerChrysler. We also have branches in Chicago and Germany and a sales office in France. suppliers, and ABB in particular, we now have a total knowledge of the kind of paintwork we can apply, already at design level. We chose ABB after long and careful consideration. We started out by analyzing our production requirements, and had a look at various different systems already in operation, including some machine tools automation systems. In addition to their great quality/price ratio, we chose ABB Weʼre specialists in the field of “tailor-made” solutions for the reliability of their robots, proven by the systems and custom production – our we saw in operation, as well as R&D department develops around for the ease of programming the Carmine Renzulli, 10 prototypes a week – based on robot exactly to our needs and Production Manager, the specifications of constructors the possibility of eliminating the Casappa. demanding special production proneed for final touch-up. What cesses and who very often send really convinced us, though, their inspectors here. Weʼre workwas the complete package that ing on various fronts to fend off integrated all components of the competition from countries with system. ABBʼs competitors were low production cost: we keep right only able to offer us the simple up with all developments in product robot, and we would have had to technology, and are always striving go to other specialist companies to improve the quality and service for the aspects concerning intewe offer our customers, as well as gration. to reduce our own costs. The decision to automate the paint shop is We got our aims clear right from part of this fundamental policy. the start: maximum results in minimum time at minimum cost. Today we have a complete finished The total collaboration ABB IRB 540-02 product, that needs no touching-up: provided allowed us to start up painting metal part electrostatic painting and robots in just a few months and push for Casappa have solved our problems. Morethe systemʼs potential to its over, I can now safely say weʼve maximum, getting over all the got the process under total control teething troubles in the shortest in terms of quality, consumption possible time. The systemʼs been and cost. By significantly reducvirtually problem free ever since ing our “Lead Time” weʼve really it was installed. We give ABBʼs increased our capacity to respond engineers constant feedback that to the market. Whatʼs more, weʼre also helps them improve their able to give customers more clear own level of service. and precise information on delivery dates and progress updates. This Together with ABB weʼve started is a fundamental aspect both for to work on a robot assisted mequality and service. chanical processing island for an aluminium pump body, that By reducing overspray weʼve also reduced management will allow us to meet our new production demands. Thatʼs costs and emissions. The fact that the system is so easy to going to be followed by another similar one for the covers. use – in terms of programming the robot and maintenance We think itʼs important to deal with just one company for – has also allowed us to simplify the structure of the paint all our robot automation needs. shop team. Lastly, thanks to the consulting offered by our Back on track with Audi The ABB Cartridge System has caused a 35 per cent reduction in paint consumption for Proton. – ”We considered ABB to have good systems in terms of have actually had a big impact on the cost per car,” Saboo safety and reliability. Also, the local support from ABB adds. Malaysia had a great impact on the decision we – ”Choosing ABB was a big decision for us, ”The paint made. Even now we have an ABB guy stationed especially the cartridge system which was very, here every day to make sure that the robots run maker came to very new to us. Compared to a conventional very smoothly,” says Saboo. robot system where the CCV itself is in the me asking why –”We recorded a paint reduction of about 35 per process arm and there is an an extra meter and a suddenly our cent. The paint maker came to me asking why half of tubing to clean. We discovered that this paint orders had suddenly our paint orders had been reduced so cartridge system saved a lot in terms of cleaning much. It was then I realized that it came from been reduced so thinner because of the individual cartridges used much.” the ABB paint system itself. The paint savings for each color,” concludes Saboo. Congratulations to ABB Germany for the new order from Audi. ABB will start painting the A3, A4 and A6 models in October 2005. The first phase is for more than 100 paint robots, mainly for interior painting. This impressive contract with Audi means that ABB is now back in business with the Volkswagen Group. We have not worked with Volkswagen since 1996. The new order includes refurbishment and process improvements at the Audi plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Keinosuke Aoyama Manager Lead Center Asia Pacific Building and maintaining good human relationships is essential Keinosuke Aoyama has been with ABB since 1969. For the last fourteen years he has worked with paint. As Asian Pacific Lead Center Manager he has had the pleasure of being part of a team that has built many strong and successful customer relationships, including relationships with Toyota, Mazda and Proton. – What is the key to these successes? –“There is no single key to success. Each customer relationship is different and each customer has a different set of demands.” – “For example, in the Toyota Group we have cooperated with Toyota Body on developing new solutions that are unique to Toyota. This has given both companies a lot of benefits. Toyota has for many years both appreciated and inspired our sales staff, and our R&D and paint process capabilities.” – “With Mazda, it is our atomizers. Our market share with Mazda exterior body is 100 per cent. We have developed a strong long term relationship with Mazda, which has lead to ABB becoming Mazdaʼs sole atomizer supplier. We have not been quite so successful with our robot installations. However, a new project is coming up and our recent improvements and lower prices may mean that Mazdaʼs next paint robots will be delivered by ABB.” – “Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton however demands the latest solutions, which right now gives ABB an advantage over its competitors. Reliable technical support and local service capability are further reasons why Proton is choosing ABB.” – “But there is one vital factor that applies to all cases. Building and maintaining good human relationships,” says Aoyama humbly. – What will be ABBʼs primary challenge in the next few years? – “It is vital that we continuously develop new solutions that meet customer demands. Our customers within the auto manufacturing industry are right now looking for ways to further reduce production costs and ecological impact. Production cost reductions usually mean higher transfer efficiency, smaller booths and less energy consumption. We must also have affordable prices. At the moment we are more expensive than most of our competitors in Asia per single product. However, as long as customers have problems then we have business opportunities through providing good solutions,” says the Lead Center Manager, who loves working in an ever changing world. ABB Technology Days • May 18 – 20 • A u b u r n H i l l s U S A ABB is committed to bringing innovative ideas in automation that result in overall savings, both initial capital investment as well as operating cost. In arranging the Technology Days, we let our customers view our vision of the future. The focus is on end-performance. We gotta ship cars! Today’s challenges “I am extremely proud of what was delivered at our Technology Days. The attendance was very high and we received great compliments,” states Doug Polkinghorne (Vice President Proposals and Process Solutions). JNAP has the biggest installation of ABB Paint Robots in North America. The plant produces 1150 Grand Cherokee’s a day. Unique Powder Paint Application Techniques. • Efficient Techniques to Improve Sealant Applications • Intelligent Cavity Foam Injection • Cartridge Atomizer Paint Process with Flushable Cartridges – Wall mount robot The Cartridge Bell Paint Process with Flushable Cartridges was one of the most popular Demos. Demonstrating the Dual Rotary Bell Atomizer Process. • New Generation High Output Waterborne Bell Atomizer with Variable Pattern Control • Dual Rotary Bell Atomizer Process • Alternating Rotary Bell and Spray Gun Paint Process • RobotStudioTM PaintPowerPac for Offline Paint Process Development and Simulation • DispencePack for Body in White The Seminar about “How to improve Paint Process Efficiencies” was held by Rick Dobreff (Technical Manager in Paint). Zero ABB issues this year “During my many years in the Paint Line I have learned to build and appreciate good relationships, and I must say, we have an overall very good relationship with you guys”, Hennesy emphasize when talking about the importance of mutual trust and support. “There have been zero ABB issues this year and you really have some great people and resources.” This unique solution for switching between gun and bell was quite an eye-catcher. Welcome to ABB Technology Days. Welcome to ABB Technology Days The US Paint Lab Team. Tomorrow’s solutions At the Technology Days the Paint Lab presented 10 different demos under the same message: How to improve Paint Process Efficiencies; Innovative ideas in paint application that will result in cost saving for our customers. Many of ABBʼs solutions also reduce the footprint in which the equipment operates. This has a direct impact on the booth requirements, air usage, abatement and sludge generation. All of this coupled with the ability to meet or exceed the customers quality expectations are ABBʼs message to the customers. A good relationship, here represented by Andy Flaisch (Account Manager DaimlerChrysler Paint North America), Marianne Emmerhoff (ABB Market Communication Manager) and Dave Hennesy (Paint Area Manager at JNAP-DC). • LASD Application with ABB SoundPac™ • Unique Powder Paint Application Techniques An extended community “The main challenge for a paint line in automotive is high performance. I have to be sure that my suppliers understand the state of the state in my Paint shop before we put in the equipment. Great technology is not enough. My suppliers must focus on what they need from us in order to get signed off.” Paint Area Manager Dave Hennesy at Daimler Chrysler’s Jefferson North America Plant (JNAP) in Detroit focuses on the macro high-level when we ask him about his main challenges. “We gotta ship cars! And this extended community with ABB on board can only do so if we help each other out.” Need for Ease-of-use Nevertheless, things can always improve and Hennesy does not let us of the hook that easily. “Although your technology team has taught us a lot, I sure wouldn’t mind a simpler user interface. Solutions that are less complex will save us time and money when training people.” Paint Lab Demos at the US Technology Days Long lasting partnerships “ABB is looking to form long lasting partnerships with customers. Many customers are looking for the same, and ABB has had success with this. Now we need to raise it to the next level”, Doug Polkinghorne (Vice President, Proposals and Process Solutions) emphasized when he talked about what ABB wants to achieve with the Technology Days. “We let our customers view our vision of the future and with specific breakout meetings and feedback sessions; we get a formal chance of learning our customerʼs vision. In many of these sessions we have seen that we are in parity with them. Of course our developments and solutions need to coincide with our customers. Now the challenge is to capitalize on this exposure to create opportunities which convert into sales.” Proven Technology When talking with visitor Linda J. Gerhardt, Senior Manufacturing Engineer at General Motors Corporation she points out the importance of proven technology. She is constantly looking for paint processes that can bring down the cycle time, but of course with as little risk as possible. “Some of my most important requirements are reliable equipment and simple processes. I like what I have seen here today, and I am particularly interested to find out more about ABBʼs Cartridge Atomizer Paint Process with Flushable Cartridges.” Improving Paint Process Efficiencies In addition to the Demos in the Paint Lab area, seminar sessions were held continuously during the Technology Days. Rick Dobreff, Technology Manager with 21 years of experience within ABB, presented the session “How to improve Paint Process Efficiencies”. He gave the listeners more knowledge of how to reduce paint shop size and cost, improve the paint waste and environmental impact and decrease time for model changeover, while increasing flexibility. The seminar was rounded off presenting future trends in paint application. Great enthusiasm and pride One last item that Polkinghorne would like to express is the sincere thanks to the entire paint team that put the presentations and seminars together. “The effort was enormous especially within the lab environment. There were many long days but the team was committed and dedicated to presenting ABBʼs innovations, solutions and creativity. Now we look to the future with great enthusiasm and pride.” Family & Friends Day - May 21st After three intensive Technology Days with customers, it was time for family and friends! Children of all ages, proud employees, family and friends – all in all close to 400 people enjoyed the impressive technical demo as well as the outdoor barbecue in nice summer weather. ABB Atomizer Supply Unit Bringing the expertise together The new Hi Flow Atomizer Dr. Günther Börner is actively and passionately involved in developing the next generation of ABB atomizers. He believes that both the quality and environmental aspects of painting have reached a satisfactory level. The current challenge is however to paint faster. Much faster. Need for speeeeeeed! Dr. Börner has been a leading researcher and developer for ABB since 1993. His doctorate work into high voltage electrical engineering has for many years been one of the corner stones of ABBʼs atomizer development program. Although based in Germany, he works closely with Japan and spends a lot of time with ABBʼs experts at the atomizer production plant in Shimada. “I have taken the European car industryʼs requirements to Japan and held them up against Asian industry culture. Europe needs to pay attention to Asian manufacturers. They are several steps ahead of the rest of the world both in quality and cost efficiency. Japanese and other Asian car manufacturers are more closely linked to their customers, and they are also more focused on technology development. Toyota, for example, has more paint R&D people than the Osamu Yoshida in friendly conversation with his Norwegian Paint colleagues. Robot training with customer. rest of the industry put together. This strongly influences our own product development strategy.” “ABB is now in the final stages of developing a Hi Flow atomizer, a new generation atomizer that will meet the marketʼs need for higher efficiency. The Hi Flow atomizer can double the painting speed but can still use our current robot models with only minor modifications.” “We are currently in a position where we are able to respond to the rapidly increasing technological changes and have the knowledge and financial strength to set new standards. With our latest developments we may even become a driving force in the automotive industry. But itʼs hard work”, says the high voltage wizard whose diary looks like the bonnet of a car painted by ABB – no open spaces. Dr. Shinichi Yasuda, head of the Atomizer Group. The R&D Department has recently been reorganized into one single organization. The reorganization will bring together JPABB’S enormous paint application knowledge and experience into one unit and give us the ability to out-perform and outpace our competitors’ R&D. The new R&D Department is being headed by Osamu Yoshida, who has over 30 years first-hand experience in paint application. The R&D Department is divided into three groups, Solutions (Systems Engineering), Process (Application Engineering) and Atomizers. Norio Umezawa is a leading expert in domestic robot applications and will head the Solution Group. The Process group will be headed by Shiro Yamada, who is an acknowledged expert in customer side paint applications. Both have more than 25 years experience in the field. New products The Atomizer Group will be headed by Dr. Shinichi Yasuda who has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Fluid Dynamics). His role will be to apply the expertise of the Solution and Process groups in atomizer development and to ensure that ABBʼs technological advantages are quickly and efficiently applied in our products and solutions. The market driven research and development – in close collaboration with ABBʼs global Atomizer Supply Unit (ASU) headed by Yuki Miyamoto, is quickly bringing to the market new, groundbreaking products. A prime example of ABBʼs technological excellence is the new High Flow Atomizer being released in 2005. With capacities two to four times higher than todayʼs atomizers, combined with high transfer efficiency and high paint finish quality, the new Atomizer family will give customers significant production savings by enabling them to achieve equal or better results with fewer atomizers and related equipment. ABB Japan is soon to open their new Atomizer Technology Institute (ATI). Dr. Börner and Dr. Yasuda teaming up for crossborder R&D in atomizer performance. The “green” atomizer production plant in Shimada. The all new ABB Paint Application Package is the fastest, most user-friendly and cost-effective Paint Application solution yet. Flexible, predictable, durable ABB’s Paint Application Packages (PAP) are pre-engineered, documented and designed for quick installation and start-up. They include ABB’s Integrated Process System (IPS) allowing high precision regulation and high-speed control of applicators (atomizers) and giving accurate synchronization with robot motion. Overspray is minimized and uniform paint thickness is ensured. Unrivaled experience The vast experience that 36 years and many different types of installations has given ABB has now been brought together in a series of Paint Application Packages. These packages will greatly reduce installation time and increase robot performance. Cost-effective The standardized and well proven design of the ABB Paint Application Packages improves reliability and prolongs component lifetimes. Maintenance intervals are increased and robot system life cycle costs are significantly reduced. The new design also has fewer and standardized components for higher serviceability. Optimized component placement on the robot arm improves arm balance and reduces energy Flextronics Zhu Hai Painting Shop project for Dell Laptop Cover production is undoubtedly the biggest challenge the Manufacturing Industry Department has ever taken upon itself. It is also one of the most successful. They would be used on 7 lines in its Dell laptop covers paint shop. In a highly competitive market, ABB robots outperformed their rivals in a host of areas including a better flat jig solution, surface quality, paint savings, short delivery times and a competitive price. a highly competitive team.” Feedback such as this from Mr. JD Yang, Quality Manager at ComPal, Flextronics Kun Shan plant at the project closing seminar moves us to focus on stronger strategic partnerships, more market share and wider application. Higher productivity at lower cost, environmental compliance, increased flexibility and shorter execution cycles: there are the major requirements for the manufactory automation industry today. Flextronics, which has its headquarters in Singapore, is a major global company that helps customers design, build, ship, and service electronics products via a network of facilities in 32 countries and five continents. This success played a major role in building a strong partnership with Flextronics, leading to the purchase of additional ABB painting robots in the following 2 years. This includes robots for its paint shop for Casio Electronic Piano keyboards in Dong Guang, the paint shop for Sony Ericsson mobile phone covers at its Flex Malaysia office, another 2-5 lines at Flex Zhu Hai and 2 lines at the Flex CCE enclosure plant in Shanghai. With further expected growth in laptop production, Flextronics Enclosure (Zhu Hai) signed two contracts with ABB to buy 14 paint robots. “We strongly believe this will be the beginning of a long lasting relationship between ABB & ComPalʼs entire value chain, creating From left to right: Per Vegard Nerseth, President, China, Mats Aghren, Harri Siponen, Kenneth Lamberg, all ABB ROBOTICS in Vasteras, Sweden, Terje Velde, Robot Production Manager, China, James Zhu, Supervisor of Robot Production - IRB540, William Gu, Supervisor of Robot Production - IRB1400, Jone B Gjersdal, ABB Robotics Paint in Bryne, Norway. Going where the customers go: ABB has started robot production in China Early March the first ABB IRB 540 robot rolled off the assembly line in Shanghai, starting a new era in robot production. This model was formerly manufactured in Norway, but has now been taking closer to the market and current focus center of many of ABB’s global customers. The move was swift and easy. ABB has been operating in China since 1994 and currently employs more than 8000 people here, a number that is estimated to increase by another 5000 people within the next three years. The technology, the routines, systems and infrastructure were already established and well functioning when the production was moved. Per Vegard Nerseth, Company President, ABB Engineering (Shanghai) Ltd. who moved with the IRB 540 from Norway to China, points out that manufacturing in China also has its cultural benefits. ”The work force here is used to a different intensity. People take great pride in doing their job. And the prouction technology has the same high international standards as we are used to,” he claims. ”Our new robot line increases our competitiveness by allowing us to deliver faster to Chinese customers. In addition, our new local team can quickly respond to requests for spare parts and after sales service,” says Nerseth. The high-tech robot line is designed to produce 1,200 units per year. It will primarily serve Asian customers, but eventually also other customers worldwide. The first two paint robots were delivered to Flextronics Dongguan. Andy Yan Tao, Ryan Cai YongPin and Michael Mao JianRong during their preparation in Norway. This ABB Paint Application Magazine is published by ABB Robotics Paint, Norway LOKOMOTIV. Photos: ABB, Bitmap, Corbis and Getty Images. www.prosessen.no The project of Flextronics Zhu Hai