ur modern Paint Shop located in our Plant in Pozna-Antoninek was officially commissioned in May 2001.

Painting Process Most of the painting processes is performed with the use of specialized equipment and robots. Manual painting is only used in the vehicle cab interior and some not easily accessed places. The use of water-thinned paints, protective clothing, helmets with equipment for the protection of the upper respiratory tract and oxygen respirators together with strictly controlled circulation of air in the painting booths guarantee the work safety of the employers. The car body is transported directly to the paint shop via an above-ground connection between the two buildings. Here begins a complex process as a result of which the car body is given the colour previously chosen by the customer. Moreover, protection is applied against corrosion, dust, water, moisture and mechanical damage. The first thing carried out in the paint shop is the initial treatment the purpose of which is to prepare the car body for the further painting processes.

Then, on the electrophoresis line, the car body is submerged in huge tanks where the first protective layer of paint is applied in order to ensure protection against corrosion.

The next process is coarse and fine sealing of all welds and places where sheet metal is joined together. In the next stage, four robots apply a protective layer on the bottom of the car body, which protects the chassis against the atmospheric influences. Most of the painting lines are fully automated, thus ensuring the perfect quality of the final product. After these initial treatments, further layers of paint are applied on the car body, i.e. priming paint, interlayer paint, topcoat paint (base paint) and additional layer of colourless paint which ensures the gloss and additional protection to the car body. All these layers of paint area applied in the Clean Room, i.e. a separated and closed area of the paint shop where severe regulations concerning the cleanliness of premises and protective clothing are in force. Each subsequent layer of paint is subject to scrupulous quality control. The process of application of the priming paint is very interesting: first, on the EMU equipment, real ostrich feathers with antistatic properties are used to clean the external parts of the car body, then the workers manually apply paint to some places in interior of the car body which are not easily accessible, and finally an ESTA equipment applies paint, using electrostatic method, onto the external surfaces of the car body. Before the base paint layer is applied, the car body is subject to three cleaning operations: first, using brushes, and then using two cleaning robots, and finally the third step occurs in which the car body is drained at the tilting station.

The last two stages of painting are performed similarly: the paint is sprayed by robots, while in places which are not easily accessible the paint is applied manually by the workers. Some types of colour paint require to be applied in two layers of topcoat paint. After the application of topcoat paint the car body is slightly dried, and after the application of the colourless paint layer it is thoroughly dried again. At present, our customers have a choice of 25 standard colours and up to 144 special colours. In 2008, our painting line was modernised so as to be able to use the most advanced application technologies available.

After painting, the car body paint coating is subject to detailed quality control before the final acceptance.

After final acceptance the car body is equipped with rubbing strips and make emblems.

Randomly selected car bodies are checked for the paint coating thickness, its actual hue and structure in accordance with the concern's quality requirements. The final stage of the painting process is preservation of internal surfaces, during which pressurised liquid wax is sprayed through special nozzles so

as to protect the car against corrosion. At last, the painted, glossy and protected car body is transported on the plant internal conveyor lines to the assembly hall. Before leaving the paint shop, in so called M100 point, vehicle identification number is scanned and transferred by the computer system to the logistics department. Information coded with this number are the basis for ordering appropriate subassemblies and making arrangements for their delivery to the assembly lines under the "just in time"