[Bowling Green News - 6-21-04] Paint Set For Major Renovations

[Rob]

From the Bowling Green Performance Press:

Paint Set For Major Renovations
By Emily Gries

A number of changes will be made to the paint shop prior to and during the down time. These changes and improvements to equipment are needed to get ready for the C6 model and to ensure paint consistency and quality of finish, said plant facilities administrator Charlie Gries.

All of the carriers in the main paint system will be replaced with C6 carriers. About 350 of the C6 carriers are being stored outside the plant and will be swapped out with the C5 carriers during or prior to the shutdown.

Starting at body wash, additional shields will be installed to prevent oil from the conveyer getting on to the paint jobs.

Condensation has been building up in the ceiling area between body wash and the oven, so that area will be replaced with insulated panels to prevent any further condensation.

Many robots in the paint facility need improvements. The controls on the feather duster robots ahead of prime and color will be upgraded to allow better programming capabilities. The paint robot controls will be improved to have better fault alarms. Blackout robot controls and equipment will also be upgraded.

First color booth will undergo a major renovation, the main concern being improved air quality. Air vents on the ceiling of the booth will be widened to help increase air flow. The paint booth airhouses located above the paint booths will also be renovated, which includes replacing the mist eliminators, which remove moisture from the humidifier coils.

The airhouses will be cleaned, the piping and fans will be painted and the doors will be replaced. New doors will also be added to the clear booth to help maintain air balance.

A more visible change will be the many painted panel storage racks and delivery carts which will be modified or replaced with C6 carts and racks. Also, two new KARDEX units will be installed for additional fender storage because the C6 fenders are much wider than the C5 fenders and take up more storage space.

Finally, the controls on the paint circulating systems will be replaced so paint temperatures can be monitored and controlled from the control panels at each booth.

The paint shop improvements are being driven by the need to improve the paint quality level on both the XLR and the new Corvette.

By better monitoring and control of everything that affects the paint application process, we can get more consistent quality.

The corporation is funding projects, Gries said, in order to give us the tools we need to produce the best possible paint quality for our customers.

[Zippy]

WOW! Fantastic news, Rob...thanks for sharing with us!

I have a Machine Silver C6 coupe on order with a TPW of July 26th!

Zippy