10 NOVEMBER 2026
Reducing waste is part of how we work at Scania and a key part of the Scania Way. When the paint booth at the Transmission Factory in Brazil was due for renovation, Industrial Process Engineer Richard Carnoto saw an opportunity to improve its filtration system.
The project replaced wet filtration with a dry solution, eliminating the booth’s use of around 13,000 litres of water per month. By later finding a local supplier for the cardboard filters, the team also reduced costs and simplified how replacement filters were delivered and stored.
The project began in 2019, when Scania planned a retrofit of the paint booth. In discussions with the supplier, Richard and his colleagues identified the filtration system as an area where they could improve the process.
Around 30 colleagues from Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Safety and Environment at Scania Latin America took part in the discussions and development work.
Before that, water curtains captured paint particles generated during painting. The wastewater was collected with paint sludge and had to be treated before disposal, adding both water use and cost to the process.
The new system filters the air without water. Cardboard filters installed beneath the grating that covers the booth floor capture the paint particles. The filters work together with the booth’s exhaust and air supply systems, which renew the air during painting.
Scania’s dry filtration system captures paint particles in the booth without using water.
The filtration change also revealed another opportunity to improve the process. The cardboard filters were initially imported and delivered disassembled. This increased acquisition costs, made storage more complicated and meant the filters had to be assembled locally before use.
Richard identified a supplier in Brazil, and the team tested the locally sourced filters for three months. After validating the results, they approved the solution. The filters now arrive ready to use, making replacement simpler.
Since 2023, the use of around 40 filters per month has generated annual savings of approximately €26,100. These savings come from localising the filter supply and are separate from the water reduction delivered by the dry filtration system.
“For me, it was a learning experience to see what we thought through and developed together with the working group now in use. It gives me great satisfaction,” says Richard, who celebrates 35 years at Scania in 2026.
The project shows how collaboration and continuous improvement can turn an opportunity identified during a renovation into a lasting change in the way work is done.
