Industry Overview - Electric Heating in Automotive Coating

Automotive paint shops are adopting electric ovens and IR modules to enhance temperature uniformity, reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency. Intelligent thyristor power control enables coordinated multi-zone profiles, stable ramps without overshoot, and verifiable process data - helping OEMs and end-users raise finish quality and throughput while managing energy demand.

E-coat cure ovens & heated tanks
Powder coating tunnels & flash-off
IR dryers for primer/base/clear

Spray booth heaters & make-up air
Composite & plastic component curing
Sealers/adhesives preheat stations

Process Machinery & Applications

Typical areas using electric heating and SCR power control in automotive and paintshop processes.

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E-Coat Tanks & Cure Ovens

Electric ovens and heated tanks for electrodeposition (ED) coating and body cure stages.

Common pain points:

temperature uniformity
recipe changeover
energy peaks

Recommended controllers:

REVO PC

REVO PN

REVO C

Powder Coating & Curing Tunnels

Electric and IR ovens for powder coat flash-off, gel, and full cure on bodies and components.

Common pain points:

fast response
line speed sync
overshoot

Recommended controllers:

REVO PC

REVO PB

Primer / Base / Clearcoat IR Dryers

Infrared drying modules and hot-air sections for high-quality finish and reduced cycle time.

Common pain points:

finish defects
colour consistency
energy control

Recommended controllers:

REVO PB

REVO S

Spray Booth Heating & Make-Up Air

Electric duct and inline heaters for booth temperature and humidity stability.

Common pain points:

airflow balance
safety interlocks
downtime

Recommended controllers:

REVO PC

REVO C

Plastic & Composite Component Curing

Ovens and IR modules tailored to lightweight substrates and adhesives.

Common pain points:

lower cure temps
profile stability
traceability

Recommended controllers:

REVO DPU

REVO C

Sealers, Adhesives & Mastic Preheat

Inline preheaters and heat-soak stations for seam sealers and structural adhesives.

Common pain points:

start-up spikes
temperature drift
maintenance

Recommended controllers:

REVO PB

REVO S

Pretreatment / Phosphate Rinse Heating

Electric immersion or inline heaters for degrease, phosphate or zirconium rinse tanks prior to coating.

Common pain points:

chemical compatibility
tight temperature control
tank stratification

Recommended controllers:

REVO C

REVO PN

Flash-Off & Final Oven Zone Control

Low-temperature flash-off and final zone balancing ovens between coating stages.

Common pain points:

airflow uniformity
zone drift
energy peaks

Recommended controllers:

REVO PN

REVO PC

Typical Pain Points & How We Solve Them

Finish Quality & Temperature Uniformity

Uneven heat or overshoot risks orange-peel, runs or insufficient cure.

Solution: REVO-PC master with REVO-S / REVO-C zone control provides coordinated profiles and smooth power delivery, helping maintain uniform cure conditions across the tunnel or oven.

Energy Demand & Electrification

Paintshops are energy-intensive; uncontrolled starts raise demand and cost.

Solution: Demand-limit, staggered starts and appropriate firing modes (burst, single-cycle or phase-angle) via REVO-PN or REVO-PC reduce peaks and support electrification projects.

Line Speed Synchronisation

Changes in conveyor speed can disrupt dryer/oven profiles.

Solution: Fast single-cycle/burst control with setpoint tracking on REVO S / REVO PB helps keep thermal profiles aligned with conveyor speed and production rate.

Recipe & Changeover Control

Multiple colours and substrates require reliable, repeatable profiles.

Solution: Digital recipes and ramps in the PLC, combined with SCR control (typically via REVO-PC with fieldbus comms), enable quick, verified changeovers for different body styles and components.

Unplanned Downtime

Heater or terminal faults halt coating lines and cause scrap.

Solution: Per-zone diagnostics such as open/partial-load detection and current feedback from REVO S / REVO C (or via REVO-PC) support preventative maintenance and faster fault-finding.

Sustainability & Emissions

Electrification targets drive a shift from gas to electric curing.

Solution: Electric ovens with intelligent SCR control help improve efficiency compared with simple on/off systems and eliminate combustion emissions at the point of use.

Snapshot: Electric Powder-Cure Tunnel Upgrade

Problem: existing gas-fired / contactor-switched powder tunnel suffered from slow heat-up, variable cure temperature across the conveyor width and high electrical demand on restart after line stoppages.

Solution: conversion to an electric tunnel using a REVO-PC master with REVO-S zone control for each resistive heater zone. Zones were split left/right and grouped into temperature sections. REVO-PC provides Profinet communications to the existing line PLC, demand-limit and staggered soft-start. Smaller IR boost sections at the tunnel entrance use REVO PB single-cycle control for fast response.

Result: more repeatable cure temperature along the tunnel, improved surface finish consistency, faster recovery after colour changeovers and a smoother electrical load profile with reduced demand peaks (potential outcomes reported on similar projects).

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Why CD Automation?

REVO-PC master with REVO-S / REVO-C zone control for ovens & dryers
Open comms: Modbus, Profinet, EtherCAT via REVO-PC
Firing modes: burst, single-cycle, phase-angle for different heater types
UK field service, commissioning & retrofit support
OEM integration for new paintshops and upgrade projects

Automotive Manufacturing, Paint Shops & Coating Lines

Industry Overview - Electric Heating in Automotive Coating