In a quiet automotive paint booth just outside Montreal, steel and fiberglass meet a new kind of auto body technician: a robot.
That future has now arrived at Fix Auto Dorval A.M., which recently became the first collision repair facility in Canada to install and integrate the PaintGo PG-90E intelligent spray painting robot. Fix Auto Décarie and Fix Auto Trois-Rivières are scheduled to follow, extending the rollout across Quebec and marking a significant milestone for the network’s focus on consistency, safety and operational excellence.
The PaintGo Intelligent Spray Painting Robot is quietly redefining a craft long dominated by human hands, promising higher quality, greater safety and a glimpse at the future of autobody repair.
The system most widely deployed today, the PG-90E, combines machine vision and artificial intelligence to autonomously plan and apply paint to any vehicle type — from compact cars to SUVs — without the need for a human painter inside the booth. It relies on a database of more than 1,000 vehicle models and parts, including complex sheet metal surfaces that are difficult to complete manually. Spray paths are generated automatically in seconds, with no need for spray booth renovations.
Beyond the spray gun
At its core, PaintGo uses a suite of cameras and AI algorithms to build a precise 3-D model of a vehicle’s surface. From that model, the system generates an optimal spray trajectory, translating decades of human technique into digitally controlled motion paths executed by a robotic arm.
According to PaintGo engineers, the goal was never to remove craftsmanship from the process, but to standardize it. The robot is capable of operating continuously, producing up to 1,600 painted pieces per month.
“We studied how expert painters move — the angles, the overlap, the distance from the surface,” said Liang Chen, a senior robotics engineer involved in the system’s development. “The robot doesn’t guess. It executes those best practices exactly the same way, every time.”
That consistency is already producing measurable results at Fix Auto Dorval A.M. Owner Karim Zaidane notes the optimized spray patterns and automated processes have reduced paint cycle times, increasing production capacity without compromising finish quality.
“For us, adopting this technology isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about setting a higher standard for collision repair,” Zaidane said. “Integrating the PaintGo system allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality finishes while improving safety for our team.”
Workplace safety and labour shifts
The technology also addresses a persistent industry challenge: technician safety and the ongoing shortage of skilled refinishing labour. By keeping operators outside the paint booth during application, exposure to chemicals and particulates is significantly reduced, lowering the risk of work-related illness.
Rather than eliminating jobs, proponents say intelligent paint systems reshape them. Painters shift into supervisory, quality control and finishing roles, while shops create new opportunities for upskilling as advanced tools become central to modern repair environments.
As Fix Auto Décarie and Fix Auto Trois-Rivières prepare for installation, the network is positioning itself at the forefront of automated refinishing in Canada, supporting franchisees as they invest in technologies that elevate quality, safety and customer experience.
