The 3M™ Finesse-it™ Robotic Paint Repair System has been recognized by SURCAR for innovation. The team behind the automated paint repair system was awarded "The Award for Technique" at the 2022 SURCAR Shanghai Congress. SURCAR is an automotive body finishing community, leveraging the experience of its members to provide insights, share ideas, and best practices on surface finishing.

“Customers continue to demand increased automation as part of their quest for the 'lights-out' paint shop, said Carl Doeksen, director, 3M Abrasive Systems Division. "This new system improves productivity and quality in automotive manufacturing. We have completely digitized this critical operation, which allows for continuous real-time analysis and improvements via the vast amount of data generated in the automated process."

After years of research and testing, the system was commercialized earlier in 2021. It is centered on proprietary software that fixes defects, identified by a qualified vision system, by providing robots the right repair process to enable them to sand and polish the vehicles using 3M abrasive products. It's the latest innovation from the 3M Abrasives System Division, which has developed numerous robotic abrasive processes, across several industries, that use automation to help increase productivity, consistency, and cost savings, benefits made even more critical by a shrinking workforce.

For more information, visit: https://www.3m.com/.