France – The company formerly known as Mecaplast – Key Plastics invested €8.5m ($10.1m) to build a 600sq.m extension equipped with the latest robotic technology. Novares said the facility will support six vehicle-makers in the region: PSA, Fiat, Volvo, Daimler, Opel and Renault.
“At Sainte Marguerite, we are producing references for the new Sedan and DS range for PSA. We are proud of our new painting line, which uses the latest technologies in the market today,” said Pierre Boulet, CEO of Novares.
The new paint line is capable of processing complex shapes for exterior parts such as spoilers, door protectors, handles and front grills plus interior components for the instrument panel and central console. The fully automated system consists of six robotised cabins with individual process monitoring and management.
The process uses solvent-borne paint and meets the latest EU regulations for emissions of volatile organic compounds. Novares says it also minimises energy consumption and “can be stabilised” in accordance with weather conditions. Moreover, the line “anticipates the standards to come” by using the latest electrostatic gun technology, which enables 3D parts printing.
Novares, which specialises in plastic injection and moulding, employs 139 personnel at Sainte Marguerite. The company expects the plant to turn over €32m by the end of 2017, equating to around 5.9m parts produced from 2,200 tonnes of plastic.
