Renault 4 E-Tech Breaks New Ground with Jet Print Paint Innovation

Starting in the year 2025, the Mobeuge plant will begin production of the Renault 4 E-Tech electric vehicle, marking a significant milestone for the Renault brand. This shift also brings a revolutionary innovation in the painting process: a new method for applying two-tone colors, where the roof is painted a different color through a process entirely separate from the standard body paint procedure.

In this case, the iconic Renault 4 takes center stage, now equipped with the Jet Print Paint technology. This innovation enables the precise application of two-tone paint, especially on the roof and hood of the vehicle.

Traditionally, to achieve a two-tone effect on a car, the body is first painted entirely in one color. Then, a manual masking operation is carried out to cover the areas that are not meant to be painted with the second color. After this, the vehicle goes through a second round of the painting process to apply the second color, usually on the roof. This old method is quite energy-consuming, requiring two full baking cycles on the paint line.

Jet Print Paint, however, employs a completely different approach and materials. Unlike traditional painting, which sprays a mist 30 to 45 centimeters wide using compressed air and high voltage, Jet Print Paint prints a narrow line of paint between 1 millimeter and 50 millimeters wide, allowing for much more precision and control.

With two robots working in the booth, the technology can apply a high-quality two-tone paint job in less than six minutes. This extreme level of precision makes it perfect for applying the second color in a flawless manner.

Integrated fully into the production line, this innovation eliminates the need for masking, thus reducing the consumption of plastic sheets, tape, and paint. The result is a process that operates at one hundred percent efficiency with zero waste, making it much more competitive. One of the key benefits of this technology is its energy efficiency—saving one point seven gigawatt-hours each year and preventing the release of three hundred thirty tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of three hundred fifty households.

In addition, this technology opens new possibilities for personalized paint options, both for professional fleets and individual customers. Jet Print Paint delivers such high-quality results that it is expected to have a promising future within the Renault group. It’s safe to say that Jet Print Paint is a groundbreaking innovation in the automotive industry.