When planning and designing your paint line, we naturally consider all aspects of environmental management and energy reduction. Of course, we can also retrofit your existing system with the latest environmental technology, for example with a new wastewater treatment system or dynamic climate control.
Exhaust air purification
We design and integrate highly efficient exhaust air purification systems compliant with TA-Luft and the German Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) into paint lines. Our focus is on energy-efficient system design, aiming to thermally purify VOC-containing emissions autothermally, i. e. without additional energy input, and to recycle the energy released back into the process.
Exhaust air purification technologies used in b+m paint lines
- Thermal oxidation (TO) for dryers of paint lines
The VOC-containing dryer exhaust air is cleaned via thermal oxidation. The energy released during the burning of the solvent is used for heating the dryer.
- Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO) for paint lines in circulating air operation
In modern automated paint lines, recirculated air streams are concentrated to a solvent content of approximately 2 to 3 g/m³. Under these conditions, the RTO operates autothermally, making it the most cost-effective exhaust purification method. The system can be optionally equipped with a heat exchanger to generate hot water.
- Concentration of VOC-containing exhaust air via Zeolith rotor with downstream thermal oxidation (TO) or regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) for paint lines in supply/exhaust air operation
Large exhaust air volumes with low VOC content from manual painting or older systems are concentrated using a Zeolite rotor. The concentrated VOC stream is then purified in a TO or RTO system. The energy released during this process is used for desorption during concentration.
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment for direct or indirect discharge
- Buffering of waste water depending on composition prior to treatment
- Detoxification of individual wastewater streams, if required
- Coagulation of paint-containing wastewater streams, if required
- Neutralization and precipitation of heavy metals
- Sludge filtration to reduce waste volume
- Post-filtration with multi-layer filters
- Chemical storage for consumables in transport containers and storage tanks
- If required by wastewater composition, post-filtration can be equipped with selective ion exchangers.
Wastewater treatment for water recycling
- Buffering of wastewater depending on composition prior to treatment
- Purification of wastewater using vacuum evaporators
- Distillate treatment with oil separators and activated carbon filters
- Distillate treatment with closed-loop ion exchange units
Water treatment
Water treatment for producing deionized water (DI water)
- Ion exchange systems for fresh water operation
- Ion exchange systems for recirculating operation
- Water softening systems
- Reverse osmosis units
Bath maintenance measures to avoid wastewater
- Ultrafiltration units
- Hydrocyclone with belt filter
- Chamber filter presses and pressure belt filters
- Centrifuges and separators
Energy efficiency
In paint line planning, we particularly focus on minimizing overall energy consumption. This is achieved through the consistent use of high-efficiency motors, fans, and pumps. Fans and pumps operating under varying load conditions are typically equipped with variable frequency drives.
Additionally, within economic limits, we strive to recover as much energy as possible from exhaust air streams. This often enables waste heat from the paint line to be utilized elsewhere on-site, such as for hot water production.
Information on the energy consumption of the paint line can be provided during the quotation and planning phase and different system concepts can be compared with each other in terms of energy efficiency.
For further information, please refer to the VDMA standard sheet no. 24378 "Projection of energy consumption of painting plants".
