The new paint shop by Dürr.
Dürr
Dürr is constructing a modular and largely automated paint shop for the Saudi Arabian electric car manufacturer Ceer. The project combines flexible production concepts with energy-efficient technologies and digital control systems.
Dürr is building a paintshop for CEER, the first electric vehicle brand founded in Saudi Arabia, which addresses key development directions in automotive manufacturing. The contract was awarded in 2023 and is currently in the installation phase at the production site in King Abdullah Economic City. The facility is expected to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2026. According to the company, the aim is to create a fully automated, scalable, and energy-efficient paintshop that can be flexibly adapted to different vehicle models.
Modular paint concept for flexible vehicle production
The core of the concept is the paintshop of the Future developed by Dürr. This replaces traditional paint lines with fixed cycle times and modular paint booths. In these “EcoProBooth” boxes, robots paint the bodies inside and out in one station. Driverless transport vehicles manage the material flow between workstations and a high-bay warehouse. The AGVs transport the bodies as needed and allow production capacities to be gradually expanded or new models to be integrated at short notice.
About Ceer
Ceer is the first automotive brand founded in Saudi Arabia and is positioned as a pure electric vehicle manufacturer. The company is building a greenfield plant in King Abdullah Economic City, designed from the outset with modern production and factory concepts in mind. The vehicle production is intended to be scalable and utilise a high degree of automation and digitally controlled processes.
In its production strategy, Ceer relies on modular plant layouts, automated material flows, and flexible production systems to integrate different models and variants. This approach follows a pattern observed in other young electric vehicle manufacturers, who design their plants for variable production volumes, short start-up times, and high customisation.
In its approach to setting up manufacturing ecosystems, Ceer collaborates with international technology and plant partners. Instead of fully developing production expertise in-house, the company leverages the know-how of established suppliers to bring industrial processes, automation solutions, and digital control systems to series production level.
Lars Friedrich, CEO of Dürr Systems AG, emphasises that innovations are a key driver for efficiency and sustainability in vehicle production. According to Friedrich, the paintshop of the Future enables high flexibility as well as increased energy and paint efficiency. Additionally, the concept opens up new possibilities for customised vehicle paintwork.
Energy-efficient drying for electric vehicle bodies
A central element of the facility is the new generation of dryers, “EcoInCure”. The body is heated from the inside, allowing even massive structural components to be specifically targeted. This is particularly relevant for electric vehicles, as they have reinforced body structures due to battery integration. At the same time, overheating of thin-walled components can be avoided. According to Dürr, the heating time of the body can be reduced by up to 30 per cent, which lowers energy requirements.
The exhaust air from the drying process is cleaned by an electrically operated exhaust air purification system based on the principle of regenerative thermal oxidation. As the process does not require an open flame, no unwanted combustion by-products are produced, according to the manufacturer. This approach is part of a growing number of projects where OEMs and suppliers are increasingly relying on electrified and energy-optimised processes in painting.
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Overspray-free painting and customisation
For colour application, CEER uses the overspray-free system EcoPaintJet Pro, among others. This allows bodies to be painted in two colours in the same process without the need for masking. This reduces paint consumption as well as the use of plastic films. The technology can also be used for complex designs such as lettering or logos, thus supporting the trend towards greater customisation of production vehicles.
The system is controlled by digital solutions from Dürr’s DXQ product family. The underlying manufacturing operations management system is based on a microservices architecture and includes numerous functions for planning, monitoring and optimising production. Analytical applications make it possible to assess the condition of system components or to establish connections between process parameters and quality results. Such digital platforms are also gaining importance among other car manufacturers and plant builders to make complex production systems more transparent and robust.
Our goal at Ceer is to establish a world-class production facility that sets new standards in efficiency and sustainability.
James DeLuca, CEO of Ceer, said the goal is to build a production facility that combines efficiency and sustainability. With the new paintshop, the company aims to set standards in regional vehicle manufacturing and offer its customers a high degree of customisation. The manufacturing process is to be made more environmentally friendly overall.
In parallel with the project in Saudi Arabia, Dürr is strengthening its presence in the region organisationally. In autumn 2024, the company founded the subsidiary Dürr Systems Arabia LLC in Jeddah. This step follows a pattern also observed with other plant manufacturers who secure their activities in emerging automotive markets through local structures. Against the backdrop of global investments in electromobility and new production concepts, the project illustrates how painting technology, automation, and digital production systems are increasingly interlinked.
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