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Mercedes paints cars with inkjet tech -- no masking required for specialty designs

ABB's PixelPaint technology can recreate even the most intricate designs on automobiles with unprecedented precision. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

 

 

 

 

Want something super personalized on your next vehicle paint job, such as your monogram emblazoned as a repeating pattern on your new Benz? ABB's innovative PixelPaint technology can do that. It has been deployed at the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant in Germany, where it complements the site's conventional painting processes by enabling the precise and efficient application of intricate paint designs. The sustainable and resource-saving technology began operation in 2025 as the luxury manufacturer develops new personalized options for its most exclusive models.

Mercedes-Benz is using ABB's PixelPaint technology for the first time on its ultra-exclusive Mercedes Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of ABB Robotics]

 

 

 

 

"PixelPaint uses an award-winning paint head similar to an inkjet printer that can apply large areas of color as well as precise details with complete accuracy," said Joerg Reger, managing director of ABB Robotics Automotive Business Line. "In an entirely automated process that requires no manual intervention, the technology opens new possibilities for vehicle manufacturers."

ABB's 3D vision system enables a high degree of repeatability using the PixelPaint technology. This ensures that each painted panel appears identical to the next. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

 

 

 

 

PixelPaint consists of a paint head with more than 1,000 tiny, individually controlled nozzles, mounted on an ABB robot such as the IRB 5500 paint series. Combined with ABB's 3D vision system and coordinated by ABB's RobotStudio planning and programming software, the head tracks very closely to the vehicle body to ensure that 100% of the paint is applied to the car with no overspray or airborne misting. This eliminates the need for labor-intensive masking and repeat trips through the paint shop, resulting in zero waste, reduced environmental treatment requirements, and lower emissions overall.

The PixelPaint technology can recreate even the most intricate designs with unprecedented precision, while ABB's 3D vision system enables a high degree of repeatability. This ensures that each painted panel appears identical to the next.

VIDEO: PixelPaint personalized patterns for Mercedes Maybach. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

"With PixelPaint, we are setting a new benchmark in painting technology," said Arno van der Merwe, head of Production Planning at Mercedes-Benz AG. "The combination of the highest design and quality precision with innovative technological solutions is a milestone for the painting of our top-end models at the Sindelfingen site. This forward-looking technology raises us to a new level in individual coatings. It enables exclusive product results for our demanding customers."

Mercedes-Benz's first use PixelPaint is on the Mercedes Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series. To further enhance the exclusivity of this model, the obsidian black hood is available upon request with an intricate Maybach monogram-like pattern in contrasting graphite grey. This striking design would be exceptionally challenging to achieve with a traditional process.

PixelPaint can created incredibly intricate designs with no masking or de-masking required. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

 

 

 

 

Capable of handing incredibly intricate designs, the PixelPaint solution was first recognized as a groundbreaking innovation with a "Technology" award at the SURCAR annual conference in Cannes in June 2019. SURCAR is a forum for the global car body-finishing community. The ability to paint complicated images, including two-tone or customized paint jobs of lines, swirls, or pretty much anything you can thing of, with high resolution easily and efficiently could prove especially useful in an era when consumers want a touch of customization added to mass-produced products.

VIDEO: The new PixelPaint function package from ABB Robotics makes producing two-tone and bespoke paint jobs faster and more efficient. Because there's no overspray, there's no wasted paint. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

PixelPaint is just one example of how ABB's smart technologies are transforming the paint process, completing the final piece of the puzzle in digitalizing automotive manufacturing. Together with solutions such as the RB1000i-S digitally enabled atomizer -- which achieves up to 99% transfer efficiency, meaning less paint and materials are required -- ABB is making manufacturers more sustainable, efficient, and competitive.

VIDEO: ABB Robotics unveils world's first robot-painted art car. [Credit: ABB Robotics]

Source: ABB

Published May 2025

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