Dürr has successfully constructed a state-of-the-art paint shop to significantly reduce CO2 emissions at one of Volkswagen Group’s largest manufacturing plants. The facility, located in Puebla, Mexico, was officially opened in January 2025. This turnkey solution features two identical painting lines, equipped with electrified systems, such as an electric drying system, to enhance environmental sustainability. Dürr has also integrated key elements of its innovative “Paint Shop of the Future” concept, including a high-bay warehouse and driverless transport systems.
Since its inauguration in January 2025, the Puebla plant has been painting 90 vehicle bodies per hour, accommodating a variety of different models. Dürr secured the contract in 2022. The cutting-edge paint shop is designed to adapt to future technologies and new vehicle models seamlessly.
This flexibility supports the plant’s high production output, thanks to a central high-bay warehouse and the EcoProFleet driverless transport system. The DXQ software controls the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) specifically designed for paint shops, optimizing the sorting of bodies in conjunction with the warehouse and ensuring precision when transporting them to the correct workstations. By reducing rigid production lines, Dürr’s approach shortens the overall process, tailoring it to each vehicle’s unique production time, which results in significant CO2 savings.
The two painting lines feature a total of 170 robots for sealing and painting, designed to handle the wide variety of Volkswagen models in the future. One of the standout innovations is the EcoRS Clean F, which combines the thorough cleaning capabilities of a feather roller system with the flexibility of robotic technology.
This system is particularly effective for lines that need to accommodate multiple vehicle models with complex shapes. The scope of the project also includes the full supply of paint and PVC materials, along with software solutions featuring AI-driven applications from Dürr’s proprietary DXQ product suite.
A key factor in reducing CO2 emissions is the body drying process, which consumes the most energy during painting. By using regenerative energy, such as green electricity, to power the ovens, the CO2 emissions of the system are reduced by around 40% compared to traditional natural gas-powered paint shops.
“This was a primary reason why Volkswagen chose the EcoInCure electric drying system,” says Bruno Welsch, COO Automotive at Dürr. “Additionally, its specialized air duct system heats the bodies from the inside out, leading to more uniform temperature distribution and reducing the body heating time by 30%, especially for hard-to-reach areas like rocker panels.”
To further minimize CO2 emissions, the electric ovens are linked to an electric exhaust air purification system. Dürr is the sole provider of this combined solution, which pairs the EcoInCure with an Oxi.X.RV, an electric exhaust aftertreatment system.
This system purifies the exhaust air through regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO), without the use of an open flame, ensuring no additional CO2 is generated. The process is energy-efficient, achieving autothermal operation even with small solvent quantities by utilizing the energy released during the solvent oxidation to maintain the system’s temperature.
Dürr also implemented an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly system for separating paint overspray. The EcoDryScrubber uses limestone powder as a natural binder to capture paint overspray. High-efficiency HEPA12 filters remove any remaining particles from the air, while the saturated limestone powder is automatically disposed of without interrupting the process. This dry separation system reduces the need for fresh air, maximizing the amount of recirculated air and lowering energy consumption in the paint booth by over 60% compared to traditional wet scrubbing methods.
