First-Ever Robotic Paint Repair Solution on a Moving Automotive Line

General Motors, like many automotive manufacturers, has traditionally relied on manual inspection of top-coat finishes. Using highly skilled operators, some of which may inspect up to 140 vehicles per shift, can create a number of challenges, including varying consistency in the finishes, inspection and repair, plus this type of manual labor can require a large footprint and high energy consumption.

To deliver the best ROI, an automated paint repair system would need to deliver consistent results while reducing production costs. Incorporating FANUC's reliable robots, 3M developed cutting-edge software, hardware, abrasives and compounds to create the 3M™ Finesse-it™ Paint Repair System. The system is a critical part of a complete automation solution that enables robots to efficiently and reliably sand and polish automotive finishes, making adjustments in real time on a moving line.

Inovision’s SMARTInspect™ system was developed to provide accurate and detailed information about paint inconsistencies in the manual or automated repair process. Together with 3M, Inovision initiated a joint development to robotically process the repairs and eliminate nearly all manual intervention. While 3M focused on developing sand and polish tools, dynamic process software, and a controller that utilizes stream motion to provide custom repair trajectories, Inovision was challenged with creating programs for the robots that position the tool 100mm above the vehicle surface, and within +/- 5mm of the area of concern. To achieve this level of accuracy, FANUC’s Karel programming language was utilized to control robot motion on the fly.

Because the production line was actively moving, Inovision engineers integrated technology to account for vehicle motion through the process. Plus, Inovision created software to manage the robotic line, which then seamlessly interfaced with the 3M Finesse-it Robotic Paint Repair System.

As a result of 3M and Inovision's work using FANUC robots, the automated system created a cost-efficient solution for GM that relies less on manual inspection and repair processes for a consistent finish every time.