In the last days of 2012, Eisenmann secured an order worth millions from Isuzu for a dip-coating pre-treatment plant. By investing in Eisenmann’s E-Shuttle conveyor technology for dip-coating, the Japanese car maker will be able to uphold its commitment to continuous improvement. The new pre-treatment plant will come complete with control systems technology and electro dip-coating. A key factor in the purchase decision was in particular the flexibility of the Eisenmann system: the dip curves can be individually defined and the speeds configured for each type of vehicle, even in a mixed sequence. The Tokyo-based Japanese car maker will now replace its existing paint shop for truck cabs step by step. “This project gives us a valuable reference on the Japanese market and raises our profile,” said Dr. Matthias von Krauland, Chairman of the Executive Board at Eisenmann AG. The E-Shuttle features three freely programmable horizontal, vertical and rotation axes, thus enabling all types of body to be transported through the pre-treatment and electro dip-coating process with an individually defined dip curve that is precisely geared to each product’s needs. “We were impressed by the high level of flexibility of this plant,” said Yoshinobu Tamura, Senior Specialist, Paint Group, Isuzu. “Thanks to the lifting axis, which not only rotates but can also travel in a curve, we can define the ideal dip curves and the shortest process times individually for each body.” Isuzu will produce 50 units per hour on the new plant, initially painting two different types of truck cab in a mixed sequence. Other body types can be added later. Assembly of the plant will begin this year, and the first cabs are expected to roll off the production line in March 2014. In total, 260 E-Shuttle dip-coating systems are currently deployed in Asia and Europe as well as in North and South America.