Automotive
SolvAir's bespoke systems and engineered Air Solutions provide advanced drying for a diverse range of automotive parts.
Decoma UK, part of the Magna Group, makes plastic automotive parts in Liverpool, where inefficient drying in its paint preparation area was causing unacceptable paint job rejections and high rework rates. SolvAir solved the issue with a bespoke three-stage drying system powered by twin 15kW blowers and integrated with the existing Air Force 1 system.
Decoma UK, part of the Magna Group, experienced inefficient drying of plastic automotive parts in their paint preparation area, where the parts are washed and degreased before passing through the existing Air Force 1 system. That system and the additional compressed Air Nozzles introduced failed to achieve the required drying level, resulting in unacceptable paint job rejections and high rework rates.
The inadequate drying process led to increased production costs, reduced efficiency, as well as potential quality issues in the final painted products, and the additional compressed Air Nozzles also created high energy costs. The challenge was compounded by the variety of parts moving randomly through the production line, meaning consistent drying was difficult as it was hard to cover all parts from all angles.
SolvAir supplied a bespoke three-stage drying system, including a pre-drying stage ahead of the existing Air Force 1 system and a final spot drying stage after it. The pre-drying stage uses strategically placed SV10 Nozzles, with two top manifolds of ten nozzles each set in a V formation and two side manifolds of four, to remove as much water volume as possible straight away.
The final spot drying stage uses 26 individual Cone Nozzles, each with a 10mm outlet, which can be positioned to target any area where a water droplet remains. Each of the two new stages is supplied by its own 15kW blower in a Blower Enclosure, and the system effectively eliminated all previous drying inconsistencies.
Our multi-stage drying system for Magna demonstrates SolvAir’s commitment to innovation. By integrating our three-stage system with existing equipment, we eliminated paint defects and optimised energy efficiency.
Chris Davies Managing Director | SolvAir UK
Could this work on your line? Talk it through with a SolvAir engineer.
Trusted by automotive manufacturers across the globe, SolvAir's Air Knife Systems are proven across the world's most demanding production lines.
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Talk it through with a SolvAir engineer. If compressed air is anywhere in your cleaning, drying or blow-off process, the savings case usually writes itself.
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