Dürr Brasil not only delivers systems designed to ensure quality and safety in final assembly and in automotive painting, but is also known for its reliability and a deep understanding of the needs of its customers. Established in 1964, Dürr Brasil is a technology leader and supplies Dürr’s international plant engineering business with equipment manufactured in Brazil. Today, other business fields like environmental technology and energy efficiency have joined the automotive market as the main business area.
Roberto Tkatchuk, President of Dürr Brasil, is highly optimistic about the future and has a clear idea of where the developments in the area of coating systems are headed. “Our company history has brought us to 2024 with greater strength and stability than ever before. We have always endeavored to offer innovation and technology to our customers. Looking to the future, I am confident that we will continue to advance the concept of the paint shop of the future with modular solutions, carbon-neutral technology, cost efficiency, and integration with final-assembly and painting lines,” declares the CEO.
The past informs the future
It is not possible to tell the history of Dürr Brasil without mentioning the company Volkswagen, which began its activities in Brazil in 1953. As part of its expansion plans, Volkswagen set about a major project in the plant in São Bernardo do Campo in the early 1960ies that required the development of reliable partnerships. Dürr had already established an excellent reputation and was particularly well known for its significant contribution to earlier Volkswagen projects in Brazil. So, the company received its first commission to build a complete paint shop.
To be as close to the customer as possible, the German company founder Otto Dürr and his son Heinz decided to establish their own company in Brazil. As a result, Dürr Brasil – Industrial Equipment - S.A. was founded on December 11, 1964, initially as an engineering office for planning a paint shop for the Volkswagen plant based in São Paulo, and thus as the first Dürr subsidiary outside of Germany.
By 1970, Dürr had established itself as the market leader in Brazil. At the time, a local magazine reported the following: “Almost 80 percent of all new vehicles produced in Brazil are painted using the equipment of Otto Dürr KG subsidiary in São Paulo.” To this day, Dürr still receives major orders from companies including GM, Mercedes Brazil, and VW Brazil, and maintains its position.
Across borders
The same year, a massive fire destroyed wing 13 of the Volkswagen plant in São Bernardo do Campo. The painting line recently installed by Dürr was destroyed. The company proved its resilience in this crisis and made a major contribution to the reconstruction of the VW plant. A temporary pre-treatment line was set up, and spray booths were reinstalled simultaneously. Thanks to this collaboration, VW was able to resume painting operations on time in 1971.
In the 1980s, Dürr Brasil operated across national borders. Equipment for Mercedes-Benz, VW, and Siderca was delivered to Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela. At the end of the 1990s, a number of automotive manufacturers were building factories in Brazil, and Dürr was present at most of them, including Mercedes-Benz in Juiz de Fora, AUDI and Renault-Nissan in Curitiba, Peugeot-Citroën in Porto Real, among others.
In 2006, Dürr Brasil appointed Roberto Tkatchuk as its president. The new leadership faced a major challenge right from the beginning: a fire in part of the Dürr building. This episode demanded a high level of cooperation from everyone involved to overcome the difficulties associated with this catastrophe. Fortunately, no humans were injured in the fire. Thanks to the effective administration and management, Dürr recovered successfully, the building was renovated, and professional relationships between employees were strengthened as they were more determined than ever to commit to the company.
2011, after some difficult years, the Brazilian market experienced a comeback. Several automotive manufacturers decided to set up operations or expand their existing capacities in Brazil. Dürr Brasil responded to this with a strategic growth plan: The workforce was increased, additional competences and teams were created, the organization was made more efficient, and cooperation with other Dürr companies was intensified.
In 2016, Dürr Brasil signed a strategic partnership with a Brazilian truck manufacturer, and thus became the most important supplier of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for a fully automated factory for this customer. In the last ten years, the company has made history by carefully serving customers, especially during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, installing international factories, and integrating handling and assembly manipulators – robotic systems used to move, position, and assemble parts during the car painting process – into their global portfolio, supplying Dürr equipment all over the world.
While engineering excellence is anchored in the company's DNA, with a focus on technical progress and incorporating all the latest developments into its products, Roberto Tkatchuk, CEO of Dürr Brasil, sees another strength: “Dürr Brasil places great emphasis on honesty towards its customers, competence, and the ability to turn difficult situations into opportunities, offering a wide range of products, services and solutions.“
