Prima Additive and Comau develop automated coating system for brakes

The Italian companies Prima Additive and Comau have jointly developed a fully automated system for coating brake discs for Stellantis. The system uses the so-called dual-layer laser cladding process, which makes it possible to coat brake discs with resistant steel and composite materials. This coating not only increases the service life of the brake discs, but also reduces emissions by up to 80 percent.

This solution was presented for the first time during the Stellantis Factory Booster Day on 18 September in Turin and is intended to help the car manufacturer meet the requirements of the Euro 7 standard. This standard requires a 27 per cent reduction in particulate emissions from brake discs by the end of 2026.

Comau and Prima Additive combined their expertise in robotics and laser technology to develop an efficient and sustainable solution. The robotic cell is based on a high-precision laser additive manufacturing process in combination with fast, robot-assisted arms. A particular innovation is the complete integration of the Comau robots with the Siemens SINUMERIK platform, which enables direct control without an external robot controller. This increases the flexibility of the production cell, which is also equipped with adjustable grippers to process brake discs of different sizes, from cars to trucks.

“At Prima Additive, we believe that collaboration and innovation are the driving forces shaping the future of manufacturing,” explained Paolo Calefati, CEO of Prima Additive. “Our collaboration with Comau joins two companies with deep expertise in their respective fields to develop a truly cutting-edge industrial solution in automation and advanced laser systems for material processing. More importantly, the laser system developed for the brake disc coating application is one of the most profitable and sustainable cases of laser additive manufacturing/laser cladding technology applied in mass production for automotive.  This solution not only contributes to improving the performance and the durability of automotive brake discs, but it also plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability by reducing the overall environmental impact of motor vehicles.”

The new system is expected to be operational at the Stellantis factory in Septfonds, France, by the end of 2024 and marks an important step towards automating the coating of brake discs in line with Euro 7 specificatio

“This robotized solution represents a great example of innovation, led by two Italian companies who have developed advanced technologies to meet important sustainability targets”, added Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau. “In working together to safely automate high-speed laser cladding, Comau and Prima Additive are helping meet a growing demand in Europe and beyond for flexible, turn-key solutions that will help reduce particle emission pollution in response to recent regulations. We are confident there is significant market potential for this type of solution”