Virtual PaintShop - Simulation of Oven Curing

Purpose and goal

The paintshop is often a bottleneck in production and the processes are fine-tuned based on testing on numerous prototypes. To meet the future demands there is a great need to improve the product preparation process. The project aim was to develop methods, techniques and software, and supporting measurement methodology, for simulation of paint curing in convective ovens. The goal was to assist the industry to further develop and optimize their surface treatment to be more energy and cost efficient; to have a shorter lead time in product development; and to give a higher product quality.

Expected results and effects

The main result from the project is a state-of-the-art software for oven simulation that can be used to assist the industry to further develop and optimize their surface treatment to be more energy and cost efficient; to have a shorter lead time in product development; and to give a higher product quality. The industrial case studies show that the developed simulation tool is able to accurately predict the temperatures in the paint ovens. The project results will be commercialized as a module on the platform IPS Virtual Paint.

Planned approach and implementation

The project was performed by a consortium consisting of the institutes Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre and RISE IVF, and the companies AB Volvo, Scania, Volvo Cars, Electroheat AB, and Industrial Path Solutions Sweden AB. In the project RISE developed measurement methodology and performed measurements, while FCC implemented models and algorithms, and integrated then in software. The software was verified in both a lab oven at RISE and in the companies production ovens. A number of educations were arranged during the project and the software is now ready for industrial implementation.