Automation has come to automotive paintshops

Like the whole of the automotive industry, the automotive paint sector is constantly changing and new technology is creating new opportunities to work smarter and easier. One of the companies that has been driving this trend in recent years is PPG Industries, which has installed over 25 automatic mixers at its customers, for use with the Nexa and PPG paint brands.

Nexa is constantly working with its customers to make the automotive painting process as efficient as possible. One of the steps toward this goal has been to install fully automated mixers for mixing the automotive paint used for refinishing vehicles. Nexa was the first player to be able to offer these machines, in partnership with French Fillon, and recently installed its 25th system in Scandinavia.

Profitability in focus

“We are in the privileged position of having gained many new customers in recent years. I believe one of the reasons for this is our focus on increasing profitability for our customers,” says Farah Mourali, Sales Manager for Nexa’s direct sales channel in Sweden.

The Daisy Wheel automatic mixer supports Nexa’s goal of helping its customers earn more money by freeing up valuable time which can be spent on other activities in the workshop that add more value. The mixer is also more precise than even the most skilled auto paint technician, resulting in fewer re-painting operations due to much smaller colour deviations.

Time is the most important resource

Nexa focuses on time in several ways. The company has developed a special LEAN training course which focuses on minimising wasted time in the workshop, and helping customers to remove workshop processes which do not create value and therefore do not pay for themselves: “Our LEAN courses have been very popular. All the courses held in 2017 were fully booked. We even had to organise extra courses to meet demand. The popularity is due in part to the increasing pressure on accident repair centres to run workshops with the lowest possible cost base, in order to survive in an industry under enormous price pressure," notes Farah Mourali.

Nexa reports that the current attention on helping customers best utilise working hours will remain a key focus in the years ahead, in relation to product development, LEAN training and refining the IT process management program (Process Manager).