Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine May/June 2022 - 25

INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: SPRAY BOOTHS AND FILTERS
THE SCIENCE OF THE
SPRAY BOOTH
W
hether a spray booth is designed for powder or for
liquid paint, certain basic principles underlie the
way it is put together. With paint, stray particles
could contaminate the air of the plant, and
gradually coat the walls and floors. With powder, every particle
lost reduces the cost-effectiveness of the process, so the ability to
recapture what doesn't adhere to the part being coated is critical.
" At Gema, we consider the overall powder management of
powder coatings within a booth system as very important, " says
Jeff Hale, the company's marketing director. " Our EquiFlow
Technology built into our Magic Series fast colour-change booths
allows our customers to easily and quickly recover oversprayed
powder, while maintaining the necessary airflow for proper
containment and for optimum coating.
" The single extraction slot positioned in the middle of the booth
floor, facilitates immediate recovery of oversprayed powder and
places it back in process for re-use. By minimizing the amount of
powder that is in process, the customer will ultimately consume
less powder and make colour changes fast and easy. "
Gema's booth walls are made from a high quality, durable plastic.
The resultant 'sandwich wall' construction is, Hale explains, ideal
for resisting powder from accumulating on the walls and ceiling.
With less powder in the booth cabin, the cleaning process is then
much easier and faster.
" Another design element that improves and simplifies the
cleaning process is to remove the operator openings from the sides
of the booth cabin and placing them at the entrance and/or exit of
the booth cabin, " he says. " This reduces the overall size of the cabin,
thus reducing the cleaning time. Plus, locating the operator(s) at
the entrance/exit offers greater visibility, better containment, and
a greater range of motion for improved coverage. "
To facilitate improved performance and reduce installation
time, Gema has redesigned the Cartridge Filtration Units that are
used in conjunction with its Cyclone units. It has also introduced
a new cyclone design offering high efficiency in powder recovery
over a broader range of airflow volumes, and more flexibility in
height adjustments due to lower ceiling heights.
Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) makes a complete range of
booths, for booth liquid paint and powder applications. One of
its specialties is general-purpose booths that, the company says,
offer cost-effective solutions for manufacturers that need to
paint equipment, utility vehicles or trucks that are too large for
traditional automotive refinishing booths.
" Our large equipment paint booths are designed for longlasting
performance and constructed of heavy-duty materials
for unrivaled structural integrity, " the company states. " Our
recirculating paint booths provide accurate control of climate
and airflow, while providing the most efficient operating system
possible. This type of booth is often used in conjunction with
temperature and humidity controls, regenerative thermal
oxidizers and other VOC abatement equipment. "
GFS also offers small, non-recovery booths for powder
applications. Featuring a primary and redundant filtration
system, these capture high volumes of powder overspray, and
have an open-front design to save floor space and allow for easy
transportation in and out of the booth.
The company's powder recovery booths feature an integrated
powder collection module with high-efficiency cartridge filters
for capturing powder overspray, and a load-triggered filter pulsing
system, which cleans filters for a longer life span.
" The space-saving design features cartridge filters staggered
in two rows, reducing the overall width of the module, " GFS says.
" With models available in four CFM ranges and two exhaust
orientations, the complete line of powder collection modules
accommodates various production levels and shop space
restrictions. "
All GFS powder recovery booths feature high-efficiency,
MERV 12-rated cartridge filters and MERV 13-rated redundant
filters. Pre-punched booth panels and nut-and-bolt assembly
remove the guesswork from booth installation, and provide more
structural integrity.
Therma-Tron X Inc. (TTX) designs its liquid spray paint booths
using 18-gauge galvanized steel panels and a heavy-duty steel
framework. These can feature recirculated air systems, side-draft,
cross -draft or down-draft air flow, multi-level filtration, powered
man-lifts, conservative air flow, high efficiency dry filter or water
wash filtration, high intensity lighting, paint sludge separation,
and similar options.
They are designed for use with robots, and can be configured
for a combined spray and cure. There is a VFD-controlled fan, and
air flow control.
" High
efficiency water-wash
booths
capture
the
paint
particles with more than 99 percent effectiveness, " TTX says.
" Recirculating air systems, automatic VFDs, and lower explosive
Venjakob Ven Spray booth
May/June 2022
25
Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine May/June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine May/June 2022
