Painting Robots for Sale UK: Paint Robots & Robotic Painting Cells

A painting robot is an industrial robot arm that holds a spray gun, rotary bell or powder gun and applies paint or coating along a programmed path. Dedicated paint robots are explosion-protected for solvent-based spray booths, while standard industrial robots can be fitted with a spray gun for non-hazardous applications.

In the UK, a refurbished robot suitable for non-EX spraying costs from £8,500. Refurbished explosion-protected paint robots typically cost £20,000–£40,000+, and new paint robots start from about £45,000. A complete robotic painting cell usually costs £70,000–£150,000+. Try our cell cost estimator.

Yes. We keep refurbished ABB robots in UK stock that suit non-EX painting and spraying. Used explosion-protected paint robots come up less often, so we source them to order. Every robot is tested and supplied with its controller and teach pendant. Read why refurbished robots make sense.

You need one if the robot works inside a hazardous area, for example a booth spraying solvent-based paint. If your DSEAR assessment shows no explosive atmosphere where the robot works, which is often the case with water-based coatings, a standard robot with a protective cover may be enough. Zoning must be confirmed by a competent person.

Yes, for non-hazardous applications. Robots such as the ABB IRB 2400 and IRB 6400R are used for non-EX painting and spraying, sealing and release-agent application. Fit a protective robot cover to keep overspray off the arm.

Cobot painting uses a collaborative robot arm with a spray gun. You teach the path by moving the arm by hand, which suits small batches and job shops. Cobots are not explosion-protected, so they are for coatings sprayed outside hazardous zones.

Paint robots can carry conventional air spray, HVLP, airless or air-assisted airless guns, electrostatic guns, rotary bell atomisers and powder guns. Electrostatic bells put the most paint on the part (typically 80–90%+), while conventional air spray is closer to 25–40%.

Savings come from consistent gun distance, triggering the gun on and off at part edges, and better applicators. Many manufacturers see 15–30% less paint use when moving from manual spraying to a robot with the right applicator, but it depends on your parts and current process.

Yes. A robot-held electrostatic powder gun can reach recesses and complex shapes that fixed guns miss, which cuts manual touch-up. Powder clouds can be combustible, so the booth still needs a dust hazardous-area assessment.

Spray paths are taught with the teach pendant or created offline from CAD models. Offline programming adds new parts with less booth downtime. We provide robot programming for ABB, FANUC and KUKA robots, plus training for your team.

Often, yes. We check the booth size, extraction, hazardous-area rating and how parts arrive, then add the robot, applicator, guarding and controls. Reusing a booth can greatly reduce the cost. Send us details of your booth and parts.

A reciprocator moves a fixed gun up and down in one plane, which works for flat or simple parts on a conveyor. A painting robot follows the shape of the part in six axes, so it can coat edges, recesses and complex 3D parts evenly.

A robot added to an existing booth can be running in a few weeks. A complete cell with a new booth typically takes 8–16 weeks from order, depending on booth lead times and how many part programs are needed.

ABB, FANUC, Yaskawa, Kawasaki and Dürr all make proven paint robots. For refurbished robots in the UK, ABB and FANUC are the easiest to support because parts and programmers are widely available. We recommend the model that fits your coating, booth and budget rather than one brand.