Dürr Will Manufacture a Paint Shop for Coating the Rear Centre Tank of the Airbus A321XLR

Date: 01/08/2024
a photo of the tank of Airbus painted with Duerr coating plant

The upcoming coating system from Dürr will enable Airbus to paint the rear centre tank of the A321XLR aircraft with enhanced energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions.

The German engineering company Dürr has taken on its most significant individual project to date for the Airbus Group's division, Premium AEROTEC. The project involves constructing a state-of-the-art paint shop in Augsburg (Germany) for coating the new rear centre tank of the Airbus A321XLR, crucial for the aircraft's long-range capability, extending its reach by 8,700 kilometres.

The paint shop will be a turnkey system, incorporating cutting-edge technology to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Notably, it will feature an all-electric exhaust purification system, marking a first for Premium AEROTEC’s facilities. This system, based on regenerative thermal oxidation, promises to significantly minimise CO2 emissions.

Advanced Surface Protection and Energy Efficiency

The project will cover the entire coating process, from pretreatment to sealing and painting. The new paint shop will include sealing, cleaning and painting booths, as well as surface and leak testing areas. High standards for corrosion resistance and diffusion will ensure that the tank surfaces withstand extreme conditions without corroding.

Moreover, to achieve these high standards while maintaining energy efficiency, Dürr is implementing a component-specific air ducting system. This system reduces the amount of air needed for conditioning – thus lowering energy consumption. The energy recovery systems will also recycle up to 65% of the energy from the exhaust air, further enhancing efficiency.

Sustainable Pollutant Removal

Premium AEROTEC’s commitment to sustainability is underscored by its adoption of Dürr’s Oxi.X RV all-electric exhaust purification system that operates without an open flame, resulting in very low nitrogen oxide emissions. In addition, it is designed to run on green electricity, eliminating additional CO2 emissions.

Dürr’s Oxi.X RV system also includes a Sorpt.X CD unit that concentrates the exhaust air streams to enhance economic efficiency, reducing the volume and increasing the solvent concentration. This allows the downstream Oxi.X RV unit to be smaller and operate without additional heating energy, optimising the cost-benefit ratio.