Flavors Technology Incorporated

Slide 21 of 24

The original PIM application selected by General Motors to beta test the PIM was not the paint shop scheduler, but rather a paint control application. As an on-line controller, the PIM was used to control three aspects of the paint application; paint flow, fan air, and atomization air. These parameters were controlled for 40 robots. It was also used to control environmental conditions in the paint shop.

The three parameters mentioned vary according to the booth environment and the type of paint (color, manufacturer, etc). The application goal was to control the parameters such that as thin a layer of paint as possible could be applied to a truck while still producing a high quality paint job. Agents were used to tune the parameters according to inputs from the air supply houses and the paint rooms.

The application was developed using Paracell in a matter of weeks by a process engineer. It was turned over to a union electrician for maintenance and enhancement. By General Motors own internal report, agent-based control of the robots and environment improved yield from the shop to over 90%, and resulted in a $1.5M paint savings. Indeed, the year following the installation, GM Truck & Bus won the J.D. Power Quality Award for the best fit and finish in the auto industry.