“Today, we will set an example for the world: with boldness, with confidence and relentless optimism”. In accordance with the company’s guidelines, the Indian car manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, is maintaining its sustainable strategy for production facilities. This is the reason Mahindra has contracted the German plant manufacturer, Durr, to install an innovative and environmentally-friendly painting line in Pune, India. After the first year of production the résumé now is: the expectations have been met. The new line includes the first time installation of Durr’s EcoDry X cardboard filter box system which ensures cost and energy efficient overspray separation.
Following the start of production in November 2015, the plant was ramped up to its maximum annual capacity of 91,000 units. The scope of supply consisted of a painting line including spray booth, air handling equipment, oven and conveyor. In order to meet Mahindra’s goals of simplicity, reduction of resources and energy consumption, as well as the reduction of the company’s water footprint and paint sludge, Mahindra set a new standard for the top coat line. This was done by choosing the latest Dürr Eco+Paintshop products such as Eco+Layout, EcoSmart AC and EcoDry X.
With the Eco+Layout it was possible to create a simplified and more compact building design by placing the spray booth air recirculation unit which is operator-friendly on the ground floor. The add-on of the EcoSmart AC to the regular air conditioning control system in the spray booth air handling units optimizes energy consumption during production, especially in start-up times and extreme weather conditions. The improved control of the process window leads to major energy savings in cooling and heating, including a reduction of CO2 emissions.
With the selection of the cardboard filter box system EcoDry X from the Dürr dry separation family, Mahindra avoids all coagulation chemicals and water in overspray separation and resulting paint sludge. EcoDry X is a semi-automatic filter system consisting of a filter trolley equipped with six filter boxes. The disposable cardboard filter boxes can be swiftly replaced with minimum effort using the filter trolleys – even during production, if necessary. The system is simple and robust and can be easily operated.
With more than one year in operation, the performance of the cardboard filter boxes during their first application has exceeded customer expectations when it comes to handling and filter box consumption. The filter boxes of the EcoDry X set a benchmark in paint separation capacity and filter costs. This efficiency is based on the principle of the technology: No impact separation, but filtering is the order of the day. Further highlights are the EcoClean and the top coat heat exchanger. EcoClean is a feather duster unit at the start of the top coat line for the improvement of the exterior surface cleaning quality. The installed air-to-air heat exchanger at the exhaust duct of the top coat oven preheats, depending demand, the recirculated air to the air supply unit.
As provision for future sustainable technology, Mahindra designed the roof of the building for the installation of a solar-thermal oven pre-heating system. This will help the customer to reduce the heating energy and CO2 emission even further.
Due to the good and energy optimized performance of the new TC-Line, Mahindra has contracted Dürr to increase the capacity of the line to up to 120,000 units per year.
The Dürr Group is one of the world’s leading mechanical and plant engineering firms with outstanding automation expertise. Products, systems and services offered by the Group enable highly efficient manufacturing processes in different industries. Dürr supplies not only the automotive industry but also other sectors such as the mechanical engineering, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and – since the takeover of HOMAG Group AG in October 2014 – the woodworking industry. Dürr has 92 business locations in 28 countries. With 15,200 employees, the Group generated sales revenues of € 3.57 billion in 2016. The Group operates in the market via five divisions:
- Paint and Final Assembly Systems: paint shops and final assembly systems for the automotive industry
- Application Technology: robot technologies for the automated application of paint, sealants and adhesives
- Measuring and Process Systems: balancing equipment as well as assembly, testing and filling technology
- Clean Technology Systems: exhaust-air purification systems and energy efficiency technology
- Woodworking Machinery and Systems: machinery and equipment for the woodworking industry
