This saves both time and money as well as protecting the environment.
Two-tone cars are more pleasing to the eye. It’s not difficult to see that two-tone paints will require masking to prevent overspraying. This means that an initial spray must be made and then the areas near the color boundaries need to be manually masked. The second layer will then be applied. This process can be time-consuming and may result in additional costs for the manufacturer. This is especially true for vehicles with contrasting colours, such as SUVs and crossovers or the Audi R8. Audi is aiming to fix this problem using its new, overspray-free paint process. This new process, according to the German marque, will allow for the completion of a two-tone car with one spraying process. No need to mask any parts.
You may be wondering how this works. This overspray-free painting process utilizes a robot-controlled, high-precision instrument that measures the laser-brazed seam in the roof and side panels frames before the painting process starts. The applicator will apply paint to the body using individual strips, with accuracy of up to 1mm. The applicator will place the paint strips with sharp edges and without any oversprays.
Audi is currently testing the technique in Ingolstadt’s pilot paint shop. The car roods are painted in contrasting black. The process requires less paint and does not require masking materials. This will allow for time and cost savings, as well as environmental benefits. This process will be put into production by the marque as soon as possible in 2019.