Robotic Paint Line Fire – Asia

The insured, a global manufacturer of automotive components, experienced a fire within an automated painting line at one of its facilities in China. The incident caused significant thermal damage to the paint line, including robotic painting systems, and resulted in widespread fire-related contamination throughout the production area.

Envista Forensics was engaged to:

• Assess the extent of thermal damage and identify items requiring replacement.

• Determine the extent of fire contamination throughout the facility and recommend appropriate decontamination measures.

• Evaluate replacement equipment to confirm that no betterment would result from reinstatement.

Envista’s Approach

Envista Forensics conducted a comprehensive site assessment that included identifying the thermal damage zone and performing chemical analyses to map the extent of contamination. This contamination mapping enabled the team to:

• Quantify the full extent of fire and smoke impact.

• Recommend specific items requiring replacement due to thermal damage.

• Define targeted reinstatement methodologies for affected areas.

Envista also reviewed specifications for proposed replacement robotic systems and confirmed there was no betterment compared to the original thermally damaged equipment.

Results & Impact

Through Envista’s technical assessment:

• The scope of replacement work was clearly defined and agreed upon with the insured.

• The contamination extent was found to be less than initially anticipated, reducing overall reinstatement costs and downtime.

• Insurers received assurance that the replacement of robotic systems did not result in betterment.

The facility was able to resume production efficiently, minimising disruption to operations and financial impact.