Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant Wins Award

Photo credit: Stellantis

The Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant (WAP) won the 2021 Canada Region Energy Project of the Year from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). The winning project reduced energy usage in the plant’s paint shop by 20,250 gigajoules or eight per cent annually of the topcoat process.

“Our energy management team at the Windsor Assembly Plant has once again risen to the challenge with their dedication and leadership in eliminating energy losses and enhancing eco-friendly efficiencies within our plant and throughout our company overall,” said Jon Desjardins, WAP Plant Manager. “I’m very proud of their continued efforts in creating a positive and sustainable environmental footprint.”

WAP builds the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Chrysler Grand Caravan and Chrysler Voyager, with a new vehicle coming off the production line every 48 seconds. Out of the approximately 27 hours to finish a vehicle, eight to 10 hours of that are spent in the paint shop.

“I’d like to congratulate Stellantis on their recent Regional AEE Energy Project of the Year award in the Canada Region,” said Melanie Claus, Membership Director of the AEE. “Identifying top energy losses and developing solutions that can be standardized is a perfect representation of what AEE members are doing to further advance the energy efficiency industry.”

The booths have 18 air houses that pump in fresh air and 20 exhaust fans help create an equilibrium to maintain a steady temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit and required downdraft. Three paint booths are each divided into eight zones. In the “observation zone,” the team optimized the downdraft airflow from the air houses by reducing the rate of fresh air in that zone, while maintaining the required airflow and temperature in the other zones. They were able to do this without compromising the plant’s paint application quality and performance.