For a renowned European car manufacturer, Plasmatron was selected for the joint between the roof and the side panels. International projects, such as in France, Slovenia, Turkey or even Korea, were also undertaken here.
The galvanisation of the components proved to be a big challenge here. To compensate for the cathode wear due to the zinc vapour, an separate automatic cathode changing system (AKS) was developed for the Plasmatron. With this, it is possible to replace consumed cathodes within a few seconds in-line in an automated manner. Production and the cycle time are not influenced by the replacement process, as the replacement cycle takes place during parts handling. An operator only needs to intervene and insert a pre-equipped disc with new wear parts after 24 cycles.