Revolutionising Vehicle Manufacturing: The Role of Electrostatic Rotary Atomisers in Achieving High-Gloss Finishes

March 19, 2025  283  283   

Achieving a flawless, high-gloss finish on vehicle bodywork has always been a critical part of car manufacturing. In the early days, this process was costly and time-intensive, with significant material waste. But the introduction of electrostatic rotary atomisers in the 1980s and ’90s changed everything.

Rotary atomisers (also known as paint robots) are advantageous because they use material economically. Thanks to the high-voltage paint charge, 90 percent of the paint is applied directly onto the bodywork and is no longer wasted. Rotary atomisers of this kind merely require a rotating disc.

Also known as paint robots, these advanced systems revolutionised the industry by maximising efficiency and minimising waste. With a high-voltage charge, up to 90% of the paint is applied directly to the bodywork, reducing overspray and ensuring a uniform finish. A simple rotating disc atomises the paint into fine droplets, controlled by speed and directed by a nozzle ring—allowing for precise, consistent application in any position.

The paint to be atomised forms a film on the disc that becomes increasingly thinner towards the edges and dissolves into droplets whose size is controlled via the speed of rotation. A nozzle ring is required around the atomiser to direct and shape the paint jet. The atomiser can, therefore, be operated in any position and used for external and internal finishings. This type of rotary atomiser is, therefore, ideal for the car industry.

Intrinsically safe pressure transmitter for the spray head

KELLER supplied intrinsically safe pressure transmitters and intrinsically safe temperature sensors to a client who produces paint robots for the car industry.

How are they intrinsically safe? Even though non-flammable water-based paint is usually used on bodywork parts, the mist created during atomisation can take on a flammable state. Although hazards only occur in the rarest case during paint spraying, rotary atomisers must be equipped with explosion-proof technology.

Some pressure transmitters are fitted in the robot's spray head. They measure the spray pressure in the paint spray system and detect quick pressure changes caused, for example, by placing hoses. The pressure transmitters are located in a high-voltage field and communicate with the robot control mechanism via a fibre-optic cable. In contrast, additional pressure transmitters and temperature sensors monitor the dosing system and the pumps of the axes. These pressure transmitters communicate with the control system through conventional analogue via copper conductors.