Intelligent Paintshop



TKS offers the latest smart technologies into our paint shops, including:
IoT, Industry 4.0, Big Data, Predictive Maintenance, 4D Modeling, Laser Scanning, CFD Models, Real-time Data, and more.

Smart Paintshop

TKS offers new technologies and systems to gather and analyze plant data in real-time, a true Smart Paintshop:

  1. Internet of Things (IoT): a network of physical equipment, including fans, pumps, etc, that have sensors to gather real-time operating data and report back to the main data gather and analysis central hub. Each piece of plant equipment is connected and can exchange data over the internet or Ethernet.
  2. Industry 4.0: The Fourth Industrial Revolution involves automating many industrial or manufacturing tasks, for the reduction of manpower within the plant. The end goal being a "lights-off" operation, where the entire plant runs by itself and monitors itself. Using smart technology, TKS offers ways to automate some of the last remaining tasks that are still done by humans in the paint shop today.
  3. Big Data: TKS is continuously developing new ways of using the real-time manufacturing and operating data that our customers are collecting, to improve their efficiency, identify when problems are developing or maintenance is needed, and correlating factors to understand which parameters are leading indicators of future failures.
  4. Predictive Maintenance: using a variety of sensors (vibration, noise, temperature, humidity, etc) gather continuous real-time data to determine the current condition of all your in-service equipment, to estimate when maintenance tasks are likely needed based on performance and conditions, not just time elapsed.
  5. 4D Modeling: The latest design & engineering technique in major construction projects. TKS goes beyond a complete detailed 3D model, to simulate the construction of your new paint shop by showing how the pieces will be assembled over time, generating a "time-lapse" video of construction. The ultimate in construction interference avoidance, we use this model to show all parties the order of operations.
  6. Laser Scanning: Have an old plant and old 2D drawings? Not to worry, TKS offers our 3D laser scanning technology to develop a 3D CAD model of your paint shop or industrial process.
  7. CFD & Thermal models: TKS offers the latest in engineering simulation to accurately predict performance of equipment, systems, and processes before manufacturing a single piece.


Learn more about the entire Paint System See Completed Paint Shop Projects
3-D CAD rendering of industrial oven with nozzle slits
automated defect detection with robots and cameras

Smart Paintshop Technology:

In addition to the seven (7) core technologies above, TKS also offers these additional products and solutions for new paintshops and for some modification projects:

  • Smart Design: TKS offers our smart engineering & design solutions to reduce the time it takes to engineer a complete new paintshop. We have created 3D models of all TKS standard products and modules to utilize and drag and drop method to creating custom layouts and paintshops. These processes can reduce total time to delivery from 18-24 months down to 12-14 months in some cases. TKS and our group companies offer the fastest PO to SOP time in the industry.
  • Smart Energy Management: Our Industry 4.0 technologies allow the plant's IoT system to monitor production capacity, and adjust, adapt, and reduce energy consumption where possible. Rather than an always-on approach, use energy on-demand, when needed. Do you have a gap in production? We can turn down utilities to reduce energy usage. Are you shutdown for the weekend? We can systematically turn off some processes and turn down others. See estimated cost savings in real-time.
  • Defect Detection: Together with Encore Automation, TKS offers a fully-automated defect detection system that can work with paint lines of any speed or rate. Using a proprietary camera system mounted on robots, it uses sine wave patterns to detect anomalies in the surface. One uniqueness about our tech compared to other offerings is that it can detect how deep the defect is to generate a 3D model of the defect, which allows use to characterize the defect as hair, inclusion, crater, dip, sag, etc - which allows us to make an educated decision about how to robotically repair the defect.
  • Automated Sanding & Finesse: Using the above defect detection technology, we can use a proprietary robotic sanding system with sandpaper replacement heads to sand out major defects, or use a pad and polish system to spray on polish and buff out minor defects in our automated finesse system.

Taikisha's i-Navistar IoT Technology:

  • RFID & Geo-location: Each carrier in the paint shop is fitted with an RFID sensor that allows us to track each single body in the paint shop, and gather data for each vehicle body as it passes through each process, so we can analyze any defects and determine causality. Detailed geo-location data allows us to easily sequence color or body style or types as needed.
  • Production Flexibility: New paint shop designs allow for multiple parallel lanes through various process steps. Only running 30 JH instead of 60 JPH today? Then we can shut down one Topcoat booth down and one TC oven. Passed inspection with no defects? Then bypass repair and finesse deck. Two-tone? Then go to this special area. No body needs to take the same path. A custom manufacturing and painting process is possible.
  • AGVs: Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are the key to flexible production steps. Using independent shuttles to guide the wheel carriers is the new concept of body handling within the paintshop. A defined, linear conveyor track is not longer needed. It allows us to create systems with flexible layouts that are easily modified, thus allowing a production concept with highly flexible cells customized according to each product.
  • Other Misc Tech: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling, Discrete Event Simulation (DES), Parametric Modeling, Laser Scanning, and 4D Design and Models to simulate installation of equipment.
tks 3-d scan and point cloud rendering for CAD design

Smart 3D Design Practices Using Point Cloud:

For paint shop modification projects, verification of the current as-built condition is critical. Customer drawings are often out of date after multiple contractors have completed adds/changes, and drawings were never updated before or after the work. TKS offers our smart 3D design solutions to reduce the time it takes to engineer paint shop modifications. This process follows these three steps (as shown in the photo progressions):

  • 3D Scanning: First, a 3D scan of the customer's existing facility is completed using our new 3D scanning device.
  • 3D Point Cloud: Using the 3D scan data, a 3D point cloud rendering is generated to visualize the current plant layout in 3D.
  • Overlay in 3D: the 3D CAD design for the retrofit work can be overlayed on top of the 3D point cloud, highlighting any interferences prior to design approval and fabrication. Thus, avoiding expensive and time-consuming field change orders.

Bottom Line: instead of relying on archived drawings that might be out of date or trying to sort out 2D field pictures, TKS instead utilizes 3D point cloud scan technology. TKS is able to obtain an accurate, navigable 3D model of a customers facility in order to ensure retrofits can be completely quickly, efficiently, and with no surprises. By overlaying the new retrofit design on top of the 3D point cloud scan, all clashes and surprises can be detected and avoided. This smart design technology offered by TKS saves both time and money on retrofit projects.

tks 3-d scan and point cloud rendering