Automotive
Contamination Removal in Automotive Production
Enhance quality, increase productivity and improve manufacturing consistency
by controlling static electricity and contamination throughout your automotive manufacturing processes
Issues relating to static charges within the automotive industry are vast and can occur at multiple stages throughout manufacturing process.
Problems arising from static and ensuing contamination (such as dust build-up) are particularly common in both injection moulding and blow moulding, as well as vacuum forming, part spraying and extrusions.
Other processes such as painting, sealing, and coating vehicle bodies and components also require the surfaces to be dust and contamination free. If not, then static charges can lead to defects such as blending issues, shading and uneven application; resulting in failed quality checks, slowed production rates, and increasing costs.
Meech Static Eliminators Ltd, offer an advanced range of static control, air technology and surface cleaning technology solutions designed to neutralise static charges and remove surface particles, enabling clean and contamination free production.
Our Zero Faults Forward Approach
We have identified a number of manufacturing applications within the automotive industry that are prone to contamination on the line. By applying the right solutions at these points, you make sure there are no weak links to your production chain. We explore these below and demonstrate our solutions:
Automotive Manufacturing Applications
It is critical that static electricity is controlled during the manufacturing of automotive supplies. Below are some of the main areas affected by static charges during production, and our solutions to remove static charges and other contaminants
Removal of surface contamination from automotive bodies and parts, prior to the primer application stage
Problem: Automotive bodies and car parts are often covered in contamination from previous production processes and because static charges are inherent in plastic components, this causes more contamination to be attracted. The neutralisation of any static charges on the parts and removal of surface contamination is vitally important prior to the parts entering the paint booth. The cost of a poor-quality paint finish includes the cost of rework and rejection and reduced productivity.
Solution: Use of an air knife surface cleaning system that uses a powerful blade of fan blown ionised air to remove unbonded surface contamination from the target area.
Cleaning car bumpers prior to painting
Problem: After arriving from injection moulding, bumpers are covered in particles and other manufacturing deposits left over from the process. To compound the problem, the static charge that is inherent in plastic products causes more dirt to be attracted to the surface. Bumpers need to be thoroughly cleaned and neutralised before undergoing painting.
Solution: The Meech JetStream ionising air knife system is installed at the start of the bumper paint procedure to clean and neutralise the bumpers before they undergo the primer application stage. The air knives move over the total component shape at approximately 100 – 150mm distance from the surface to provide the best possible static neutralisation and contamination removal. The unique design of the JetStream system ensures that dirt does not
re-circulate and re-contaminate painted bumpers.
Static neutralisation and cleaning of automotive light clusters and other 3D components, prior to assembly
Problem: In automotive manufacturing, high-spec 3D components such as interior trim, housings, and structural parts easily attract dust and fine particles. Contamination on complex surfaces leads to defects, rework, production delays, and refection rates increasing overall manufacturing costs.
Solution: The Meech IonWash is a fully integrated system that incorporates powerful 12kVDC ionisation. High-volume blown, ionised airflow is delivered through multiple (up to 36) manoeuvrable nozzles, which are directed at the target component to neutralise static charge and remove contamination from the 3D component. The IonWash incorporates a fully enclosed cleaning chamber with high-volume, blown ionised airflow and negative vacuum airflow, which undergoes advanced filtration.
Explore our range of resources covering the automotive industry, including brochures, application guides, and industry specific application problems-and-solutions, designed to help you understand static issues, improve product quality, reduce defects and optimise manufacturing processes.
Automotive Industry Related Brochures:
- Static Control: Hyperion
- Static Control: 900 & 200 Series Control
- Web Cleaning
- JetStream
- Air Technology: Air Efficiency Range
- Air Technology: Vortex Cooling Range
- IonWash
Automotive Industry Application Guides
Automotive Industry Applications
* All images are for illustrative purposes only. The position of the static control solutions most suitable for your process will depend on certain factors of your application.
Surface Cleaning Solutions
it is critical to maintainin clean, contamination-free surfaces throughout automotive manufacturing. From injection moulded and interior trim components to exterior body panels and painted surfaces; even the smallest particles of contamination can lead to costly defects, rejections, quality issues and production delays. Surface cleaning technology plays a crucial role in ensuring components meet the extremely high quality demands set out by automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
Meech’s range of surface cleaning technology combines static control, ionisation, compressed air, vacuum extraction and advanced cleaning systems to remove contamination from automotive components before key processes such as painting, coating, laminating and assembly.
Could we help improve your automotive manufacturing process?
