ABB PixelPaint Delivers Flawless Duo-Tone to DS N°8 Flagship
Stellantis’ renowned Melfi plant in Italy will deploy ABB PixelPaint with Nippon Paint’s mono-coat to craft the refined duo-tone paintwork of DS Automobiles’ upcoming DS N°8 flagship.
From the second half of 2025, the fully automated process will run at scale, marrying efficiency with sustainability and reinforcing the French brand’s distinctive flair. “PixelPaint is increasingly being recognised by some of the world’s leading automotive designers who are seeking to create extraordinary finishes for their customers,” said Joerg Reger, Managing Director of ABB Robotics Automotive Business Line. “Traditionally, the deep-black duo-tone paintwork of DS N°8 – extending from the roof, down the hood, and into the front grille – would require complex manual masking and multiple trips through the paintshop, making it both labour- and energy-intensive. PixelPaint eliminates this, enhancing efficiency, saving energy, and substantially reducing emissions. And with two robots working in coordination, this precision finish can be applied without delaying the line or the need for manual intervention.”
PixelPaint’s head houses over 1,000 individually controlled nozzles on an ABB IRB 5500 robot. Guided by 3-D vision and programmed in RobotStudio, it tracks the bodywork closely, applies every drop of paint, and eliminates overspray. The waste-free technique slashes environmental treatment needs and supports DS Automobiles’ ambitious sustainability targets. “DS N°8 redefines the French Art of Travel. Its sleek contours are an invitation to cover long distances in serene, all-electric comfort. At the same time, the extended duo-tone paintwork with its sharply-defined lines is an ultra-modern reinterpretation of historic French coachbuilding,” said Silvio Licitra, Head of Paint Process Engineering at Stellantis.
“ABB’s PixelPaint enables this meeting of design and sustainability, an expression of technological excellence fused with the refined aesthetics synonymous with our avant-garde heritage.” ABB, Stellantis and Nippon Paint announced their collaboration at SURCAR Europe in Cannes, where judges honoured the project with the Innovation Award, underlining PixelPaint’s influence on sustainable automotive painting.
