CASE STUDY
2026Pretreatment and painting of industrial and quarry vehicles: a state-of-the-art plant for customized finishes
Customer
CANTONI & C. S.P.A., MARCALLO CON CASONE (MI)
Objective
- Optimize production in pretreatment and painting departments with advanced technologies and customized solutions.
- Improve the management of complex machining operations through the systemic control of process parameters.
- Increase operational safety in the handling and processing of large artifacts with automated loading and transport systems.
Challenges
Rationalize a complex, high-tech plant to integrate process technologies and customized solutions.
Impact
Water-based painting: three booths, one application system
The Eurotherm installation consists of three twin oven booths for manual liquid painting, equipped with a specially designed mixing system that allows products of different chemical nature to be managed through a single centralized interface, maintaining constant mixing parameters and monitoring the ongoing process. The system independently regulates the two paint cycles (primer and enamel), ensuring constant flow rate, pressure stability and process reliability, even under intensive use conditions.
Double-layer application
In fact, the coating cycle involves a dual-layer application, with two-component epoxy primer followed by two-component polyacrylic topcoat, a process tested to produce optimal results in terms of substrate adhesion, application uniformity and aesthetic quality.
The cycle also guarantees high performance in chemical-physical resistance, certified by salt spray (ISO 9227), humidistat (ISO 6270) and weathering (ISO11507) tests.
Automated hydraulic lift
The three Eurotherm-designed spray booths operate under high pressure using Wagner pumps and spray guns, and each mounts its own mixing system for maximum operational autonomy.
An automated hydraulic lift makes it possible to handle heavy loads and allows parts to be painted from multiple angles in order to ensure optimal film distribution even on complex geometries and uneven surfaces.
External AHUs, air handling units
Painting and film drying are handled in a single operating environment: 80,000m3/h of air is moved inside each booth with a constant temperature of 20°C during painting, and 80°C during baking.
Each oven booth is served by its own AHU for air filtration and recirculation, installed outside to facilitate cleaning, maintenance and replacement of filter elements.
Technology integration and operational synergy for system efficiency
The design of the new paint line includes the substrate preparation phase, with the integration of the pretreatment technologies previously installed on site.
The automatic blast booth for the main operation and the second manually operated booth for any retouching and extraordinary situations are placed in relation to the Eurotherm painting line via an automated shuttle that transports the tipping bins from the blast machine to the painting area.
Here, a lift station lifts the part and hooks it up to the overhead transferor so that it can be transferred to the assigned booth according to the planned schedule.
Performance and aesthetics: how the truck industry is changing
The heavy equipment industry, once concerned exclusively with the strength and resilience of equipment intended for heavy-duty applications, is shifting its focus to the aesthetic qualities of coatings, which need to be attractive as well as performing.
Color customization and color matching between cabin and caisson meet the institutional image, meet brand recognition needs, and make each production alignable and aligned with the customer’s specifications.
The new paint plant designed for the purpose fits into an already highly technologized environment and moves in the direction of the promise Cantoni & C. S.p.A. makes to its customers: to offer flexibility and advanced performance, continuity and process advancement.
Plus
“Thanks to the plant built, the products used – from abrasives to water-based paints – and the advanced application system, we have a coating department that not only makes us proud but also allows us to position ourselves on a high quality standard, guaranteeing the coating’s consistency of application.
Customers’ expectations have grown significantly, particularly in the Italian market, and are set to increase further: this investment is our concrete response to that trend.” – Andrea Cantoni, Sales Director