Case Study: Hardware Robotic Flexible Coating Line
Summary
A robotic flexible coating line for a lock and metal hardware manufacturer in Pune, India, running 200+ SKUs with automatic program changeover in under 3 minutes and 20,000–25,000 pieces per day. Twelve ABB robots (6 spraying, 4 loading and unloading, 2 inspection) work with Cognex vision and 2-axis part manipulators, and the line is order-driven through MES integration. Film uniformity is held to ±3 μm, first-pass rate rose from 86% to 99.6%, and manning fell from 32 to 6. Figures as reported after commissioning in 2024.
Project Background
The client is India's leading lock and metal hardware manufacturer, producing 200+ SKUs. Their existing manual coating line had high labor costs and inconsistent quality. They engaged MUSI to bring robotic flexible automation to their facility in Pune.
The Challenge
Lock products span 200+ SKUs with 20-30 product changeovers per day. Traditional fixed-program automatic lines lacked the flexibility needed. Lock structures are complex (cores, handles, decorative parts), with many recessed coating areas.
MUSI's Solution
MUSI designed a robotic flexible coating solution: ABB IRB1410 robot for vision-guided loading, 6 ABB IRB52 spray robots working in coordination, paired with 2-axis workpiece manipulators for full-coverage coating. Full MES integration enables order-driven program selection.
Equipment Configuration
| Robots | 12 ABB units (6 spray + 4 load/unload + 2 inspection) |
|---|---|
| Vision system | Cognex In-Sight 8000 series |
| Product SKUs | 200+ lock products |
| Changeover | ≤3 minutes (auto program switch) |
| Daily capacity | 20,000-25,000 pcs |
| Film uniformity | ±3 μm |
| Manning | Originally 32 people, now 6 |
| MES integration | Order-driven flexible production |
Equipment used on this line
- Automatic spray coating lines — overhead chain, floor belt and robotic flexible lines
Implementation
4-6 month timeline: 30 days design, 90 days manufacturing, 20 days installation, 40 days robot offline programming + commissioning. Robot commissioning was the critical phase — MUSI's senior engineers worked alongside ABB India's tech team.
Results
Labor reduced 81%, per-unit cost down 42%, film pass rate from 86% to 99.6%. The transformation moved the client from 'traditional hardware factory' to 'smart manufacturing operation' — recognized by India's Ministry of Heavy Industries as a smart manufacturing demonstration project.
Client Feedback
"The investment was significant, but the returns far exceeded expectations. Robots are more stable and precise than manual operators, and we no longer worry about labor shortages."
— Project Manager, Client Side
Selection logic: why this configuration
Robots were chosen over a fixed-program reciprocator line because locks change 20–30 times a day and each SKU has recessed areas that a reciprocator cannot reach. Vision-guided loading replaced dedicated fixtures so that changeover became a program call rather than a tooling change. Six spray robots in coordinated pairs, rather than three larger cells, keep the takt when one cell is being cleaned.
Scope of supply and key components
| Item | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spray robots | 6 × ABB, paired, with 2-axis part manipulators | Offline programming, 200+ programs |
| Handling robots | 4 × ABB load/unload, 2 × inspection | Cognex In-Sight vision guidance |
| Spray booths | Robot cells with overspray extraction | |
| Curing | Oven matched to lock substrates | |
| MES integration | Order-driven program selection, data logging |
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 |
|---|---|
| Painting robots | ABB IRB 5500, FANUC P-350iA, Yaskawa MOTOMAN MPX series, KUKA, Kawasaki |
| Automatic liquid guns, pumps and 2K proportioners | International tier-one spray gun, pump and 2K proportioner brands |
| 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 |
| Booth ceiling and intake filter media | Freudenberg Viledon, AAF SureStop, Camfil, MANN+HUMMEL |
| Sensors and temperature controllers | SICK, Pepperl+Fuchs, OMRON E5CC, Honeywell UDC, Yokogawa UT, ifm, KEYENCE |
| Pneumatics | Festo, SMC, Parker Hannifin, Norgren |
| Oven and dryer gas burners | Riello RS series, Weishaupt monarch WM-G, Baltur TBG, Honeywell Maxon OVENPAK, Eclipse |
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 |
Results: before and after
Figures are those published on this page; measurement party, sample size, test date and method are not on record here and are left blank rather than estimated.
| Metric | Before | After | Change | Measured by | Single / average | Samples | Test date | Method / instrument |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-pass film rate | 86% | 99.6% | +13.6 pts | |||||
| Manning per shift | 32 | 6 | −81% | |||||
| Cost per unit | baseline | −42% | −42% | |||||
| Changeover | manual | ≤3 min | — |
Applicability and limits
The 3-minute changeover and 20,000-piece daily rate apply to small hardware with a stable SKU library and offline-programmed robot paths. New SKUs still need programming and trial parts before they run at rate, and plants without a local robot service partner should plan for training of their own maintenance team.
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
When does a robotic line pay off over a reciprocator line? When SKU count is high and changeovers are frequent, or when part geometry has recesses that fixed guns miss. This client changed products 20–30 times a day, which is where robots earn their cost.
How is the 3-minute changeover achieved? Each SKU has a stored robot program and vision reference. The MES sends the order, the robots load the program and the vision system confirms part position, so no fixtures are swapped.
How many people run the line? Six per shift after the project, down from 32 on the manual line: robot operators, a line supervisor and quality staff.
Who programmed the robots? MUSI engineers wrote and tuned the programs offline and commissioned them with ABB India's technical team during the 40-day programming and commissioning phase.
What was the overall project timeline? Four to six months: 30 days design, 90 days manufacturing, 20 days installation and 40 days robot programming and commissioning.
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.
Provided by Lin Cong, Technical Director, MUSI Technology · Published 2026-05-02 · Updated 2026-09-30 · Last technical review: 2026-09-30
QQuestions buyers ask before ordering
quotation · price · lead time · installation · warranty
What information do you need to prepare a quotation?
Send part drawings or photos, the largest part size and weight, the material, the required output per shift, the paint or powder type and number of colours, and the available floor space, ceiling height and power or gas supply. MUSI engineers reply within 24 hours; a recommended configuration and quotation follow once your part data is complete.
How much does this equipment cost?
Budget depends on part size, throughput and the level of automation. Indicative ex-works ranges are published in our complete coating line cost guide; a configured quotation is prepared from your part data. Published indicative ex-works ranges: a complete powder coating line is roughly USD 75,000–230,000 semi-automatic, USD 200,000–600,000 for a standard automatic line and USD 600,000–2,000,000 for a high-throughput automated plant.
What is the lead time?
Standard configurations ship in 30–60 days from contract signing and down payment; custom configurations take longer. The delivery date is fixed in the contract.
Do you install and train operators overseas?
Yes. MUSI engineers carry out on-site installation and commissioning and give 3–5 days of operator and maintenance training. MUSI has delivered 800+ coating lines to customers in 36 countries.
What warranty and after-sales support are included?
12 months full-machine warranty, 36 months on critical components and up to 60 months on structural parts. International customers get 24-hour phone response and 72-hour on-site arrival; spare parts ship from the Changzhou headquarters.
Can the environmental equipment be supplied with the line?
Yes. VOC treatment (RTO, RCO, activated carbon, zeolite rotor), dust collection and paint wastewater treatment are supplied with the coating line under one contract; MUSI has equipped 50+ coating facilities whose projects all passed local environmental compliance reviews.
Get a Similar Solution
If your industry and requirements match this case, contact MUSI to schedule a free consultation. We'll design an optimal solution based on your specific workpieces, capacity, and facility.