Case Study: Frame & Cargo Body Coating Line, Kazakhstan
Summary
A coating line for frames, chassis parts and cargo bodies at a vehicle assembly plant in Kostanay, Kazakhstan, which has assembled a Chinese automaker's vehicles since 2016, added body welding and painting on site in 2017 and also builds commercial vehicles such as ambulances and postal vans. The line is an overhead conveyor on a steel-structure platform, sized for long frames and cargo-body panels, carrying parts through pretreatment, spray booths and curing in one continuous flow, with the conveyor loop routed above the booths to save floor space. Exhaust treatment is included. The line coats parts for vehicle assembly in Kostanay in 2026.
Project Background
The client is a vehicle assembly plant in Kostanay, Kazakhstan, which has assembled a Chinese automaker’s vehicles since 2016 and added body welding and painting on site in 2017. It also builds commercial vehicles, including ambulances and postal vans. MUSI supplied a coating line for frames, chassis parts and cargo bodies.
The plant assembles vehicles for several brands, including JAC, Kia, Chevrolet and Hyundai, with a Kia line planned at 20,000 vehicles a year and a 30,000-vehicle Chevrolet programme, according to government and industry reports.
The Challenge
Frames and cargo bodies are long, heavy steel structures that carry the load and face road salt, gravel and long, harsh winters. The coating has to protect every weld and inside corner, and the line has to handle parts far larger than typical car components.
MUSI's Solution
MUSI supplied an overhead conveyor line on a steel structure platform, sized for long frames and cargo-body panels, carrying parts through pretreatment, the spray booths and curing in one continuous flow, with the conveyor loop routed above the booths to save floor space.
Equipment Scope
- Pretreatment for frames and cargo bodies
- Overhead conveyor on steel structure platform
- Spray booths
- Curing oven and cooling
- Exhaust treatment
Results
The line coats frames, chassis parts and cargo bodies for vehicle assembly in Kostanay.
Selection logic: why this configuration
An overhead conveyor on a steel platform was chosen over floor transfer because frames and cargo bodies are long but hang well, and routing the return loop above the booths recovered floor space in an existing hall. Pretreatment was specified for road salt and gravel exposure through long winters, with coverage of every weld and inside corner as the acceptance criterion.
Scope of supply and key components
| Item | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment | For frames and cargo bodies | |
| Overhead conveyor | On steel-structure platform, loop above the booths | |
| Spray booths | Sized for long frames and panels | |
| Curing oven | With cooling | |
| Exhaust treatment |
Key components
Key components are available from international brands, configurable per customer specification, so that spare parts can be sourced locally over the life of the line. Brand names below are the usual options for this type of equipment; the brands actually fitted are fixed in the contract specification.
| Component | Brands available on request |
|---|---|
| Automatic liquid guns, pumps and 2K proportioners | Graco ProMix 2KS, Sames Airmix, WAGNER AirCoat, Nordson, Binks (Carlisle Fluid Technologies) |
| Automatic powder guns and powder feed | Gema OptiGun, Nordson Encore, WAGNER PEA-X1, Sames (formerly SAMES KREMLIN) |
| Oven and dryer gas burners | Riello RS series, Weishaupt monarch WM-G, Baltur TBG, Honeywell Maxon OVENPAK, Eclipse |
| PLC and HMI | Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500, Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R, Schneider Electric Modicon, OMRON NX, Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley |
| Variable-frequency drives | ABB ACS580, Siemens SINAMICS G120, Danfoss VLT, Schneider Electric Altivar, Yaskawa, Mitsubishi Electric |
| Conveyor gear motors | SEW-EURODRIVE, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, Bonfiglioli, Siemens, Sumitomo Drive Technologies |
| Pretreatment pumps and chemistry | Grundfos CR, KSB Etanorm, Xylem; Henkel BONDERITE, Chemetall Gardobond, PPG Zircobond, Nippon Paint |
| Sensors and temperature controllers | SICK, Pepperl+Fuchs, OMRON E5CC, Honeywell UDC, Yokogawa UT, ifm, KEYENCE |
Not included in the scope of supply
- Civil works, foundations and pits
- Building services up to the battery limit: power supply, gas, compressed air, water and drainage
- Local permits, emission approvals and third-party inspections
- Paint or powder supply, unless stated in the contract
Services included with every line: engineering design, manufacturing, shipping documentation, installation supervision, commissioning, operator training, warranty and spare parts.
Typical programme
The durations below are typical for equipment of this class and are given for planning; they are not the recorded schedule of this project. A complete line usually runs 90–180 days from contract to acceptance, a single unit 30–60 days.
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Site survey and workpiece review | 5–10 days | Remote review of drawings and photos, or an engineer visit |
| Layout and detail design | 15–30 days | Layout drawing, utilities list and specification sign-off |
| Manufacturing | 45–90 days | Booths, ovens, conveyor, pretreatment and controls built and pre-assembled at the works |
| Shipping | 20–45 days | Sea freight; equipment shipped in sections for on-site assembly |
| Installation | 15–40 days | MUSI supervision with the client's installation crew or MUSI crew |
| Commissioning, training and acceptance | 7–15 days | Trial runs on the client's parts, operator training, acceptance record |
Applicability and limits
The layout suits frames and cargo bodies that hang from an overhead conveyor within the platform's load rating; complete truck cabs or very heavy chassis assemblies may need a floor-based system. Winter corrosion performance depends on the coating system specified by the vehicle maker.
Results shown in this case study reflect the stated operating conditions and should not be interpreted as guaranteed performance under different feed, production, environmental, or site conditions.
After-sales and spare parts
Warranty on a MUSI coating line runs from acceptance: 12 months on the complete line excluding consumables, 36 months on critical components such as motors, drives and the PLC, and 60 months on structural parts such as steel structure, ducting and oven bodies. Failures within warranty, excluding misuse, are repaired free of charge.
Support starts remotely: the service line is staffed around the clock, a preliminary diagnosis with recommendations is given within 2 hours, and where a site visit is needed an engineer reaches any major city within 72 hours. A spare-parts inventory is held at the Changzhou headquarters with same-day shipping, and customers can keep a dedicated parts stock at MUSI for emergencies. Details are on the after-sales service page.
FAQ
Why route the conveyor above the booths? To recover floor space in an existing hall: the return loop runs on a steel platform above the booths instead of beside them.
What parts run on the line? Frames, chassis parts and cargo bodies for the vehicles and commercial variants assembled at the plant.
How is corrosion from road salt addressed? With pretreatment sized for heavy steel and full coverage of welds and inside corners, followed by the coating system the vehicle maker specifies.
Which brands does the plant assemble? JAC, Kia, Chevrolet and Hyundai among others, according to government and industry reports on the Kostanay plant.
Is the line running? Yes, coating frames, chassis parts and cargo bodies for assembly in Kostanay.
Next step: a configuration proposal for a similar line
If your parts, volumes or plant conditions are close to this project, MUSI can return a line configuration and layout proposal. To prepare it we need four things:
- Photos and dimensions of the workpieces, with weight and material
- Required output (pieces per hour or per day, and shifts)
- Number of colours and how often colour changes are needed
- Available floor space and ceiling height, with the utilities on site
Message us on WhatsApp with these details, or use the quotation form.
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-09-30 · Last technical review: 2026-09-30
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Provided by Lin Cong, Technical Director, MUSI Technology