Auto body shops are quickly discovering that using waterborne paint can do wonders for their business. Not only are employees breathing in cleaner air, they are jazzed about the high-quality finish and the need for less paint per vehicle. A key element to waterborne success is updated technology in paint booths.
“The ultimate goal of a paint booth is to provide a safe, contaminant-free environment in which to paint your car,” says Jonathan Barrick, marketing manager for Global Finishing Solutions. “Painters need an environment that allows coatings to dry in the best possible way.”
Here, Global Finishing Solutions offers some insight into new paint booth technology that is driving the success of waterborne automotive painting:
• Contamination control: Multiple layers of filtration keep contaminants away from fresh waterborne paint. This is important because technicians require fewer coats of paint for optimum results, and any dust or dirt will be more visible.
• Heat system: An energy-efficient heat system moves large amounts of pre-heated air through the paint booth cabin. Variable frequency drives (VFD) inside the booth regulate the flow of electricity to motors and help the control panel switch to economy mode during a pause in work. This can slash energy and fuel consumption in half.
• Nerve center: A programmable control panel, with digital graphic displays and automated drying cycles, takes the guesswork out of setting airflow speed and temperature to provide the optimum drying conditions.
• Accelerated air flow: This system creates an environment similar to a convection oven. Accelerating the air inside the paint booth and redirecting it to wet surfaces draws out water much more efficiently—speeding drying times by as much as 50 percent.
