The modern facility will utilize automation, robotics, and advanced technologies to enhance the quality of car protective coatings. It will paint both internal combustion engine vehicles and models on electric platforms. It will also enable the application of two-tone paint and matte finishes.
The new paint shop aligns with Škoda Auto’s goal of achieving carbon-neutral production at its Czech plants by 2030. Along with reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, CO₂ emissions in the painting process will decrease by 28%.
The new building will measure 301 meters long, 131 meters wide, and 32.5 meters high, comparable to a seven-story building. The total floor area will be 118,000 square meters, equivalent to over 16 football fields, and the conveyor system will extend over 15 kilometers. The facility will be built on the site of the current finished vehicle parking lot, next to the recently opened Laurin and Klement bridge.
The Mladá Boleslav plant currently has two painting shops, with the original operating since 1996. This old shop will be completely replaced by the new one, which offers additional features such as contrasting roof colors and matte finishes. The second paint shop began operation in 2019.
Painting is one of the most important stages of vehicle production, as it ensures long-term aesthetic quality and comprehensive protection from external factors. The coating process involves several stages: cathodic anti-corrosion coating, applying PVC to vulnerable areas, followed by a primer and a base coat of paint applied using the "wet on wet" method.
In the new shop, Škoda will launch a process for the first time where the decorative base coat is applied directly on the cathodic layer without baking the primer layer, reducing costs without compromising quality. A transparent lacquer and wax coating are applied at the end, resulting in a total thickness of the protective coating of about 100 micrometers (0.1 mm).
Source: Škoda
