German engineering major Dürr has unveiled a significantly upgraded version of its RoDip electric rotational dip process, aiming to make paint shop planning simpler, more flexible, and more space-efficient. 

 

The new generation, called “Ezy” — short for “easy” and referencing its cycloidal gearbox-driven rotation system — replaces the RoDip E model while retaining the proven core process used for pretreatment and cathodic electrocoating.

 

At the heart of the redesign is a full rethink of key hardware. The trolley, rail system, energy transmission, and control architecture have all been re-engineered into a more compact, easier-to-install package. 

 

The rotating drive now uses a compact cycloidal gearbox already proven in industrial robotics applications. A standardized trolley concept supports multiple vehicle classes, from passenger cars to vans, without changing the underlying system.

 

One of the biggest structural shifts is the elimination of traditional turntables. Instead of rotating platforms, RoDip Ezy trolleys can now navigate smooth right- and left-hand curves directly along the line. This removes mechanically complex turntable units, cutting down on engineering effort and increasing layout flexibility.

 

The result is a more adaptable production line design, including options for both two-loop systems and simplified one-loop configurations that use shared trolleys across pretreatment and cathodic electrocoating. That reduces the need for additional conveyor elements, rails, and transport hardware, streamlining overall plant design.

 

The system is also built for modern production constraints. “RoDip Ezy is suitable for both new plants and for modernizing existing factories,” says Klaus Heinsohn, product manager at Dürr AG. 

 

“Since RoDip Ezy can navigate curves of 180 degrees or more, it means we can adapt the routing to challenging spatial conditions or different distances between the process steps as required.”

 

Material changes reinforce the simplification strategy. The new rail system uses lightweight standardized aluminum profiles already deployed in other Dürr applications, including final assembly lines. These replace heavier steel structures, making installation faster and reducing the need for fine adjustment during setup.

 

The company says the system builds on major industrial scale experience: more than 100 million vehicles worldwide have already been processed using RoDip technology. Known for its space-saving design, the process rotates car bodies during treatment, enabling shorter immersion tanks for dipping, flooding, and draining operations.

 

With RoDip M continuing as the mechanically robust option and RoDip Ezy introducing a more flexible, programmable alternative, Dürr is positioning its latest platform as a new benchmark for adaptable automotive pretreatment and coating line design.