Automated with flying colours!

Turkish Aerospace is currently building one of the most high-tech production facilities ever seen in the aerospace industry. 16 robots from Dürr will coat more than 50 different components in two highly automated paint shops in the future.

Dürr developed a new solution for this which, for the first time, enables both water-based and solvent-based 2C and 3C paints to be metered and mixed directly in the robot – economically and with high precision. Dürr received the order in September 2020

A lot of work in aircraft production is still done by hand, with up to 95% of all components still being coated manually. Turkey’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries is set to change this with its new highly automated paint shops. In the two new paint shops, Turkish Aerospace will manufacture large numbers of components for Airbus and Boeing.

High coating requirements

Freezing cold temperatures at high altitudes, roasting hot temperatures when landing in a desert: the coatings used in the aviation industry have to meet high functional and safety requirements because of the temperatures and weather conditions they are exposed to.

There is also the aesthetic consideration, given the important contribution made by the colour scheme to an aircraft’s brand recognition. The range of main colours, hardeners, and thinners stipulated by Turkish Aerospace is very extensive, and requires a complicated colour supply system. To meet these challenges, Dürr took its tried and tested system for water-based and solvent-based 2C paints out of its standard automotive painting setting and enhanced it.

The system at Turkish Aerospace meters and mixes all three of the necessary components so that the incompatible water-based and solvent-based paints can be processed directly in the robot without coming into contact with each other. This is the first time that such a complicated metering and mixing technology has been mounted so close to the atomisers. This minimises paint and solvent losses when changing colour and saves time.

Large areas, tight nooks

The Dürr EcoGun spray guns used are extremely precise and, with their area performance, perfect for painting large components like fuselage sections or wing components up to 10m in length. This is faster than manual coating processes, and produces a higher-quality result and less overspray. Recirculated air can be used in the fully automated paint booths, saving the energy that would otherwise be needed to condition the fresh air.

The sixteen EcoRP E133 painting robots will be installed in two new buildings on Turkish Aerospace’s site in Ankara, and programmed using DXQ3D.onsite. The Dürr software is the universal toolbox that enables operators to configure the process parameters and robot paths of the application robots. Specific consumption data for paints, solvents, energy, and air will also be meticulously recorded so that Turkish Aerospace can match them to the individual components in the future. This data will make it possible to optimise manufacturing processes. The data acquisition is also important in meeting the high safety standards in the aviation industry. DXQ3D.onsite offers scope for future expansion, opening the door for additional modules like the DXQequipment.maintenance tool.

The general contractor for the construction of the two paint shops is Turkish plant manufacturer, VIG Makina. The company is specialised in surface treatment and painting systems, as well as manufacturing of aluminium production machineries and has an excellent reputation across all industries.

“With Dürr, we had deliberately chosen the leading application manufacturer as our system supplier,” states Vedat Güngören, VIG Makina’s chairman of the board. “The innovative and customised concept for this special challenge convinced us. The cooperation with Dürr is characterised by the on-time coordination and the professional integration of the scope of supply. Setting new standards in automatic surface coating for the aviation industry is our common goal, with completion on schedule and full customer satisfaction being our top priorities.”

www.durr.com