Automated Paint Robot (APR)

2019: Announcement

At the beginning of March, 2019 the Dutch company Xyrec provided the robot capable to paint airplanes three times faster in comparison with the manual and semi-automated methods. Innovation under the name Automated Paint Robot (APR) was created together with the American aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus and the Southwest research institute (Southwest Research Institute).

The robotic device can clean the airplane from old paint, apply primer and paint with the subsequent drying. After this ARP applies on a fuselage the set drawing which, according to developers, can have any complexity. Also by means of this equipment it is possible to delete different pollution in maintenance time of the aircraft.

The robot accelerating painting of the airplane by 3 times is provided

Usually airplanes in paint and varnish workshop are painted manually, and from the moment of removal of an old covering and before the end of finishing processing about 16 days leave. The robot from Xyrec company is capable to perform these operations in five days in the automatic mode.

Creators say that the robot allows to reduce labor costs by 80% and also to save up to 30% of paint that provides ecological advantages. Besides, the robot offers higher predictability of result and quality of coloring.

By March, 2019 preorders on delivery of ARP are open, and clients will be able to receive the robots in 2020, however, at the time of the beginning of sales only the simplified devices not capable to print drawings will be available. Such function should appear in the 2021st.

The robot will receive technology of a digital inkjet printing which will allow to create more creative and difficult drawings on airliners, and doing it is much more effective in comparison with manual drawing and spraying of paint.^[1]

Robotics

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