Newsletter_03-2024_EN

PaintExpo:
Exhibitors Pave the
Way for Low-Emission
and Low-Resource
Coating Processes
Copyright: Fraunhofer
Sustainability and efficiency are central topics at the upcoming
edition of PaintExpo from 9 to 12 April 2024 in
Karlsruhe. To protect the environment and save resources,
numerous suppliers of paints and coatings, research institutes
and recycling companies as well as manufacturers of
process chemicals for metal and plastic coatings are looking
into meaningful ways of reducing pollutants and recycling
waste materials. For exhibitors at PaintExpo, such considerations
inevitably also include taking a look at optimising
coating processes in terms of economic and technical efficiency.
Visitors to this year‘s PaintExpo can expect to receive in-depth information
on how to reduce pollutants, use fewer resources, intelligently
recycle materials and much more at the exhibition stands of
paint suppliers and research institutions as well as companies from
the chemical and recycling industries. The Fraunhofer Institute for
Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Geholit+Wiemer
and Karl Bubenhofer, Kluthe, Nelco and Sherwin-Williams, for
example, will be bringing new ideas for greater sustainability and efficiency
in the coating process to the world‘s leading trade fair for
industrial coating technology in Karlsruhe.
Reducing CO2 Emissions and Increasing
Digitisation and Automation
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation
IPA in Stuttgart, Germany, the Coating Systems and Painting
Technology Unit is studying ideas for more efficient, sustainable
use of resources and developing solutions specifically designed for
use in the paint processing industry of the future.
The current focus is on reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.
To this end, the unit is researching practical applications for new
forms of energy in coating processes as well as examining ways to
improve material efficiency, develop alternative material concepts
and optimise the use of resources in production processes. Innovative,
sustainable solutions are being developed for new and existing
coating processes, with the aim of working with paints and coatings
companies to overcome current environmental and economic challenges.
Fraunhofer IPA is also working on simulation projects for the
speedy implementation of new automation concepts. These involve
systematically optimising processes, establishing more sustainable
production methods and improving economic efficiency. One approach
here is to increase the degree of automation in companies
that work with a wide variety of parts and geometries. The institute
is therefore developing tools that use 3D models of components and
products to create a coating programme within the simulation itself
and, in the spirit of the motto #simulateinsteadoftrying (“#simulierenstattprobieren“),
eliminate the need for the complex teach-in
process for robots.
Under the three main themes of digitalisation, sustainability and
automation, Fraunhofer IPA will be presenting new processes, concepts
and technologies at PaintExpo 2024, inspired by a bat, a crab
and a drone.
Saving Energy with Liquid and Powder Coatings
As system providers of powder and liquid coatings, Geholit+Wiemer
and Karl Bubenhofer traditionally present their latest innovations
together at PaintExpo.
In liquid coatings, the focus is currently on high-solids coating
materials with a solids content of more than 70 per cent. These reduce
both energy consumption and costs in production processes.
The lower VOC content results in decreased material consumption.
Coupled with faster drying times, high-solids coatings form the basis
for an efficient coating process. In practice, many users have already
switched to these kinds of systems, moving away from multi-layer
to single-layer coating applications. In addition to cutting out entire
work sequences, this transition also eliminates the drying times between
individual layers, thus saving a considerable amount of time,
energy and money.
The choice of materials also plays an important role in improving
the carbon footprint of powder coatings. Here, Karl Bubenhofer
actively supports companies in transitioning over to the Polyflex
PES-165-NT-GU system. Most importantly, this move leads to burnin
times, thus reducing energy consumption. The quick-reacting
polyester powder is suitable for outdoor use and has good degassing
properties. When combined with the right primer, this powder is
easy to use with no additional preparation. The bottom line is that
www.reinraum.de | www.cleanroom-online.com NEWSLETTER | Edition EN 03-2024
page 28/33