Blog Watch a Tesla Paint Robot Spray the Model 3

Elon Musk has has pointed to Tesla’s paint shop as one of the areas that has slowed Model 3 production. In fact, he said in a letter to employees in June that the paint shop needed “radical improvements.”

Nearly two months later, it seems Tesla is proud enough of its paint shop to show it off. The company shared a video Wednesday of a robot spraying paint on a Model 3 in production.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1027234042876321792

Musk has mentioned the paint shop a few times in describing the depths of Model 3 “production hell.” During his around-the-clock stays at the Tesla factory, it seems he was spending quite a bit of time in the paint shop. Perhaps, it was the lurking bossman that helped kick the shop into gear and solve the bottleneck.

In an interview last month with Bloomberg, Musk sad, “The reason people in the paint shop were working their asses off was because I was with them. I’m not in some ivory tower.”

 

[broncobilly]

That paint sprayer looks "utterly ridiculous"!

Shouldn't that be "UDDERLY ridiculous"?

 

[AviP]

They missed a spot! And add the fact that Eon Musk spends so much time there, his potty mouth explains a lot of the contaminants that M3 owners are complaining about.

 

[Tozz]

Shouldn't paint be one of the easiest things to automate? Am I missing something here?

I've questioned the same thing. Tesla does things different from other manufacturers, I get that.

But painting cars is something that has been done by robots for many many years. Even by Tesla for the S and X.
Does anyone know what in particular is so difficult when it comes to painting a Tesla M3?

Is it just the volume? If that is the case, wouldn't just adding a second paint booth solve the issue?

 

[MS 60]

I saw the pictures you posted of your car. Unbelievable! Hopefully this machine is to replace the rattle can system they were doing in the parking lot for yours. Tesla should really give you a new car. Repainting a whole car to factory quality is not practical. Maybe they can sell it CPO as the the first $35k Model 3

 

[MS 60]

Actually, that is not true. My M3P was red, and when I picked it up, it was covered (on every surface and panel) with “fisheyes”.
For those not in the Autobody business, that means there was dust specs on the car while it was painted. Now, most quality body shops hose down the floor, and turn on huge vacuums which suck any loose particles and dust out of a spray booth, so that doesn’t happen. I do not know how Tesla does it, but my car needed a complete repaint job. Tesla sent it to a local shop in Cranford, NJ where it was done, and it looked amazing!
Of course, they gave me a new MS 85 as a loaner, so I was not inconvenienced too badly. It did take more than a few weeks, but I was happy with the final result!

 

[Gaspipe1]

Actually, that is not true. My M3P was red, and when I picked it up, it was covered (on every surface and panel) with “fisheyes”.
For those not in the Autobody business, that means there was dust specs on the car while it was painted. Now, most quality body shops hose down the floor, and turn on huge vacuums which suck any loose particles and dust out of a spray booth, so that doesn’t happen. I do not know how Tesla does it, but my car needed a complete repaint job. Tesla sent it to a local shop in Cranford, NJ where it was done, and it looked amazing!
Of course, they gave me a new MS 85 as a loaner, so I was not inconvenienced too badly. It did take more than a few weeks, but I was happy with the final result!

Where in Cranford, I'm local and it's good to know.

Thanks!