May 18, 2018—A brand new, fully legalized and certified robotic paint drying machine will be installed this weekend at Beal’s Auto Body & Paint in Prescott, Ariz.
Tim Beal, owner of Beal’s Auto Body & Paint in Prescott, Ariz., and Byron Davis, owner of Auto Body Specialists in Springfield, Ore., have developed the Phoenix curing system. FenderBender reported on the equipment back when it was in its early stages in 2017.
The Phoenix is a robotics paint drying machine that uses infrared light, said Beal. The machine is able to dry a vehicle’s panel within three minutes, he claimed, allowing it to be painted and polished within the same day.
Beal was an early American adopter of robotic paint drying, which made it’s way into the U.S. in late 2014. Yet, while several companies in the industry that specialize in robotic paint drying have obtained their UL certifications and made their products readily available in the U.S. market, adoption hasn’t exactly been widespread.
Within the last year, Beal and Davis had to hire an independent company to certify the machine to become Class 1 Division 2 based on the National Electric Code NFPA 70, a certification for paint drying equipment in a vented spray booth, Beal said.
During an annual inspection by the local fire marshal, Beal was made aware that his previous paint drying equipment was not legal in the shop. The equipment also had limitations on its height, width and ability to rotate, Beal said. These factors contributed to Beal and Davis developing their own equipment and making it fit electrical engineering standards.
New additions to the machine include a weather station, which allows the machine to know the current temperature and humidity in the ambient air, he said. Phoenix also has a preheat feature for colder regions of the U.S.
Unlike other equipment on the market, Beal claimed, the machine is fully automated. The equipment costed about $2 million to make and will sell for approximately $249,000.
