Mahindra & Mahindra Selects ABB Ltd’s PixelPaint for Electric Vehicle Facility

On July 3, 2024, ABB India Limited announced via a stock exchange filing that Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M), India’s leading SUV manufacturer, has chosen ABB’s PixelPaint technology for its new electric vehicle paint facility.

The company stated that this technology utilises a sophisticated paint head resembling an inkjet printer equipped with over 1,000 individually controlled nozzles. Integrated with ABB’s RobotStudio® software and 3D vision system, the paint head closely tracks the vehicle’s contours, ensuring precise paint application without overspray or misting. This innovation eliminates the need for labour-intensive masking and repetitive paint shop visits, resulting in zero waste and faithfully reproducing intricate design details.

The adoption of PixelPaint by M&M underscores ABB and Mahindra’s collaborative effort to enhance vehicle personalisation options, particularly in the luxury segment. M&M became the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in India to deploy PixelPaint technology, which includes 42 robots from ABB’s IRB 5500 series for painting contrasting roofs and pillars.

Moreover, ABB’s systems autonomously handle complex tasks such as interior painting and sealing, ensuring precise application and eliminating manual masking, thereby saving time and materials. Additionally, ABB’s RB1000i digitally-enabled paint atomisers improve efficiency by 10% and reduce paint waste by over 30%, further enhancing sustainability in the painting process.

Commenting on this development, the Managing Director of ABB Robotics Automotive Business Line, Joerg Reger, said, “Our revolutionary PixelPaint technology can apply large areas of uniform colour as well as the tiniest details with complete accuracy, without delaying the production line or the need for manual intervention. By deploying PixelPaint-equipped robots in dedicated cells, Mahindra’s paint shop will be able to apply finishes such as contrasting roof and pillar treatments on its new line of EVs in a completely automated process.”

On July 3, 2024, the share price of ABB India Ltd opened at ₹8,536.00, touching the day’s high at ₹8,642.70, as of 12:53 PM on the NSE.

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