Sime Motors has further expanded Inokom Corporation’s (Inokom) automotive manufacturing capabilities with the addition of a new painting facility, Paint Shop 3 (PS3), at Inokom’s 200-acre site in Kulim, Kedah. Constructed with an investment of RM300 million, the new paint shop was launched by the minister of investment, trade and industry, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The introduction of PS3 adds a substantial production capability to Inokom’s operations, including production requirements for the Mazda brand while providing capacity and flexibility for other CKD customers. The facility is able to accomodate diverse vehicle models and colour specifications, offering the flexibility to scale production volumes and accommodate future requirements.
Based on a two-shift operation, the facility is designed to support up to 50,000 painted vehicle bodies per year, at a rate of 15 units per hour, coupled with the capability of plastic parts painting. The addition of PS3 increases the total combined paint shop capacity at Inokom to 100,000 painted vehicle bodies per annum.
Most of the facility’s operations are automated, anchored by a fully automated pre-treatment and electrodeposition (PTED) line, advanced spray booths and an integrated conveyor system.
The PTED line features a 1,053 metre fully automated conveyor network, comprising electric monorail systems, roller beds, lifters and turntables to support smooth and continuous movement throughout the painting process, enabling stable production and reliable throughput.
Thirty two painting and sealant robots enable consistent, high precision paint application across exterior and interior surfaces as well as plastic components. Key automation features include a Cartridge Bell System (CBS) that enables rapid colour changes in under 10 seconds and supports up to 27 colour variants, reducing downtime and improving operational flexibility.
The painting plant also incorporates an energy-efficient three-coat, one-bake painting process, which enables three coating layers to be applied with a single baking cycle. This reduces energy consumption, shortens processing time and supports more sustainable manufacturing operations.
It also features a dry scrubber filtration system that eliminates water usage in spray booth operations, reducing environmental impact and maintenance requirements. In addition, PS3 has been designed with full waterborne paint readiness, enabling a seamless transition to more environmentally friendly coating technologies, in line with evolving industry requirements.
The development of PS3 benefited from a close collaboration with Mazda’s technical support team, providing Inokom employees with valuable knowledge transfer, training and technical guidance throughout the installation and commissioning phases.
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