Besides the painting robots, Dürr is also supplying the complete application and paint supply systems, featuring high-tech products such as electrostatic high-speed rotating atomizers, paint-saving color changers, and software. The scope of supply also includes robots for welded seam sealing and for applying underbody protection. In addition to the luxury SUVs Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and bodies for the Porsche Cayenne, the new compacts Volkswagen up!, ŠKODA Citigo, and SEAT Mii are produced in Bratislava. It is planned to increase production capacity to 400,000 vehicles this year.
Ralf W. Dieter, Dürr AG’s CEO, commented: “We won the order from VW on our good technical performance, in terms of quality of finish, paint consumption, and total cost of ownership. Bottom line, our technology increases production efficiency in Bratislava measurably.”
The Application Technology division, in which Dürr concentrates its robot and application systems activities, aims to grow its sales revenues from € 407 million to over € 500 million in 2012. Sales were already increased by 52% in 2011. The driver is the buoyant demand in the automotive industry, which has continued so far in 2012. Among the main investment motives in the automobile industry are the need for additional production capacity and the increasing automation of the painting process. For the group as a whole Dürr expects sales revenues in excess of € 2 billion in 2012.
