Porsche adopts new production process using patches, not plugs; Taycan EV first
15 April 2021
Porsche AG has developed a new production process at its headquarters in Zuffenhausen in collaboration with Tesa SE. Using this process, the holes in the car body, which are necessary for corrosion prevention, can now be sealed much more effectively; these holes are required so that all of the body cavities can be accessed in the paint shop. The innovative solution uses sealing patches instead of plastic plugs.
The all-electric Porsche Taycan is the first car in the world to use this new process. A robot places more than 100 sealing patches automatically, quickly and reliably, thereby sealing the holes in the body and optimizing efficiency in Porsche production.
The robot places more than 100 sealing patches automatically on the car body.
Porsche Innovation Management saw to the adoption of the sealing patches, and by July 2020 more than two-thirds of the approximately 150 plugs in the Taycan paint shop had been eliminated. The paint shop at the Leipzig plant will also make the switch by summer 2021.
It’s important not to confuse our adhesive solution with Tesa tape, which everyone knows from their office supplies. Once the special Tesa sealing patches have been applied, they can only be detached again with a great deal of effort. They provide a durable solution that can also withstand the stresses caused by the motion of the vehicle, and last longer than the lifetime of the vehicle.
—Dirk Paffe, responsible for the implementation of innovations as Head of Planning for Paint Shop Processes
Above all, this innovative solution relieves considerable strain on employees. The adoption of the Tesa patches has eliminated a strenuous process step whereby up to 3,600 plugs per shift had to be pushed into the holes. This process also involved overhead work.
In addition, the new patches offer logistical advantages and reduce complexity, since one patch size can be used to cover all four hole types. Moreover, with a thickness of just one millimeter, the patches barely protrude at all, whereas the plugs extend up to six millimeters outwards from the body. The patches are reliably positioned by a special robot.
Comments