Imagine every car on the assembly line needs a precise bead of sealant along its joints to stay waterproof — and right now, workers do much of that by hand, which causes repetitive strain injuries and inconsistent quality. LICORNE built a robot system with a camera eye that applies, inspects, and self-corrects the sealing in real time, certifying every single vehicle automatically. It feeds all the data into a central system so the factory can spot slow drifts before they become defects. Think of it like giving the paint shop its own quality inspector that never blinks and never gets a sore wrist.
Car manufacturers still rely heavily on manual sealing operations in paint shops, where workers apply PVC sealant along vehicle joints to ensure waterproofness. This manual process causes musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among workers, delivers inconsistent quality, and makes it impossible to certify every single vehicle. When defects slip through, costly rework and warranty claims follow.
The project built two complete robotic workstations equipped with machine vision that automatically apply, inspect, and self-correct sealing beads on car bodies. The system integrates positioning, forming, and control into a connected data platform that detects slow quality drifts in real time and anticipates defects before they happen.
If you are a car manufacturer dealing with inconsistent sealing quality and worker injuries from manual bead forming — this project developed a robotized vacuum forming system with machine vision that certifies 100% of vehicles automatically. It was piloted at a PSA (now Stellantis) plant and designed for duplication to 3 plants in Europe after 24 months of validation.
If you are a tier-1 supplier providing sealing solutions to car manufacturers — this project built a self-adjusting robot workstation that works with standard PVC sealing compound and integrates positioning, forming, and control steps into one data-connected system. The detailed specification of the automatic vision and control system was published to enable testing of prototypes.
If you are a robotics integrator looking for proven applications in automotive finishing — this project delivered two complete workstations with robots and machine vision, demonstrated in an actual car plant. The system analyzes slow derivations in real time and communicates data between positioning, forming, and control steps, providing a replicable automation package.
The project data does not include specific pricing or per-unit costs. However, the system uses standard sealing material and was designed for industrial-scale deployment at existing PSA plants, suggesting it integrates into current production infrastructure rather than requiring a full line replacement. Contact the consortium for pricing details.
Yes — the project was explicitly designed for industrial scale. After 24 months of validation at the PSA pilot plant, the plan was to duplicate the system to 3 additional plants in Europe. The robotized operations are described as repeatable and 100% certified across all parts of the car.
The project included a detailed exploitation plan for further development of commercial prototypes and reproduction of the robots. A detailed specification of the automatic vision and control system was published to enable car manufacturers to test prototypes. Contact Stellantis or the consortium partners regarding licensing terms.
The system was designed as an upgrade to existing plants — the objective specifically describes installing it at a PSA plant to upgrade it to a Plant of the Future. It works with standard PVC sealing compound already used in production and integrates positioning, forming, and control steps through a connected data system.
The system autonomously certifies every vehicle, providing what the project describes as a level of quality guarantee not previously achievable. It delivers 100% certified robotized forming operations and can anticipate non-conformities before they occur by analyzing real-time data on slow derivations.
Based on available project data, the pilot workstation was delivered at month 26 of the project. The validation period at the pilot plant was planned for 24 months before duplication. Actual deployment timelines for new customers would depend on plant-specific integration requirements.
The LICORNE consortium has 6 partners from 3 countries (Germany, Spain, France), with a strong industrial orientation — 3 industry partners and 2 research organizations, plus 1 university. The coordinator is Stellantis (formerly PSA), one of Europe's largest car manufacturers, which means the technology was developed by an end-user with direct access to real production lines. The 50% industry ratio and the fact that this is an Innovation Action (not basic research) signals that the consortium was built around commercialization, not academic publication. For a business buyer, this means the technology was shaped by actual manufacturing requirements from day one.
Stellantis Auto SAS (France) — formerly PSA Group. Reach out to their manufacturing innovation or paint shop engineering division.
Want an introduction to the LICORNE team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people at Stellantis and the consortium partners. Contact us for a matchmaking consultation.
