A Study of a Fast and Precise Thickness Simulation of an Industrial e-Coating Process

Corrosion protection by employing the process of electro coating (e-coating) is one of the key processes in automotive industry. Here, achieving an optimal paint layer distribution on the bodies is typically an expensive and time-consuming process. Hence, there is a high demand for precise and fast simulation tools to optimize this process, which eventually can lead to severe energy savings and cost reduction. However, obtaining a fast simulation while maintaining its accuracy is a challenging topic. In this paper, key factors for obtaining a fast and precise thickness simulation in e-coating are thoroughly discussed. To that end, dedicated pre-processing based on lab experiments is included. These experiments are key to obtain the correct paint parameters and serve as a baseline for an accurate simulation tool. Based on these paint parameters, a precise description of the simulation of industrial e-coating environments is included. The proposed simulation software is applied to an industrial real-world problem using a state-of-the body in white. Correlation with physical measurements are presented, as well as how the software helped to optimize this industrial e-coating process.