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Since
2008, our customers have created over a thousand jobs in
paint finishing, opened new facilities, expanded existing
ones, and brought millions in production back to the USA.
Improved paint finishing operations have added greater
than $60 million to their businesses. The average
NAPaint project ROI is less than 5 months. Annual
benefit can exceed $10 million. |
PAINT SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
The
operational efficiency of paint application systems and the level
of product finish quality achievable in any process are strongly impacted by the
paint supply and distribution system.
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At the applicator,
whether rotary, air, air assisted, airless, HVLP, or other, paint
supply conditions strongly impact the level and uniformity of
paint atomization. This affects finish quality and
consistency in every way.
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In flow controls systems, paint supply
conditions strongly impact the dynamic and steady-state control
accuracy. This affects atomization, overspray, material
usage, and the film build distributions across the part.
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In the booth, paint supply conditions strongly
impact levels of paint overspray and cleanliness.
Paint supply conditions
can and do contribute directly to poor finish quality on the final
product, creating or exacerbating orange
peel, low gloss, color mismatch, dark or uneven metallic effects,
and non-uniform film build. Paint supply conditions can and
do contribute to increased levels of booth overspray,
contamination and related dirt, and decreasing paint transfer
efficiency. Because of this, if the performance of the paint supply system is
not compatible with the application process, your business will
incur increased costs associated with operation, quality, rework,
and scrap, and these issues may very well begin to weigh heavily
with your
customers.
A
paint supply and distribution system must provide paint to the
applicator in accord with process requirements. Depending on
the application, the general criteria can include,
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To
supply paint at a steady and controllable rate, free of
pulsations and fluctuations, and responsive to the dynamic
system demands.
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To
supply paint per the manufacturers recommendations for
application temperature, viscosity, and other mechanical and
chemical properties including mixing and solid suspension.
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To
protect the paint from moisture, oil, corrosion, dirt, and
other forms of contamination.
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To
provide a continuous and maintainable supply to meet
production needs with due regard to occupational health and
safety.
When
material contains metallic flakes, paint supply systems should be
designed to minimize flake degradation. Other systems
require the flexibility to supply more than one material, with
many changeovers each hour. All systems should be compatible
with the material and the application.
Some
of the various types of paint supply systems are discussed below
and in Flexible
Color Paint Supply Systems. You are welcome to contact
us should you feel we can help you design or
install a new paint supply system, or evaluate, modify, or upgrade
your existing system.
OIL
FREE PAINT SUPPLY SYSTEMS
Historically,
all paint supply systems have used oil for lubrication of system
components, especially for pumps, agitators, and other air motors
used in the paint kitchen. Frequently, the supply of
compressed air to the paint kitchen and paint processes contains
oil or oil vapor. Oil in paint processes is a significant
potential source of contamination and defects in the paint finish.
Today,
paint process components are available that do not require
external sources of lubricating oil. The use of these
specialized components allow paint kitchens and paint storage
areas to be oil free, eliminating this substantial source for oil
contamination.
DEAD
HEAD PAINT SUPPLY SYSTEMS
When
material does not require continuous mixing beyond its place of
storage, it can be supplied
direct from the pump with a single or branched feed terminating at the point
of use. Many clear coats and catalysts are supplied in this
way.
Such
systems should achieve a level of performance to efficiently
support paint application process requirements. We can help
you design and specify the most efficient and the most economical
deadhead paint supply system available.
RECIRCULATING
PAINT SUPPLY SYSTEMS
When
material does require continuous mixing beyond its place of
storage, it can be supplied direct from the pump to the point
of use, or to one or more color selection valves, and then loop
back to the point of supply, continuously recirculating within
this circuit. Many paints that contain solids or are
otherwise prone to separation of ingredients are supplied in this
way.
Such
systems should achieve a level of performance to efficiently
support paint application process requirements. We can help
you design and specify the most efficient and the most economical
recirculated paint supply system available.
REDUCING
PAINT SHEER
Some
paints, and especially those with metallic content, physically
degrade when exposed to continuous mechanical forces of a
recirculated paint supply. This happens in metallic paint,
for example, when the flakes become deformed and damaged by high
sheer, by collisions with pipe or other system components, or as a
result of pumping action.
There
are many ways to increase the lifetime of this category of
coatings and we can help you design and specify the most efficient
and the most economical methods for achieving this.
SYSTEM
EVALUATION
We
will gladly discuss with your business the benefit of efficient
paint supply systems. Efficient and effective implementation
of these systems require a special knowledge paint processes.
We
can recommend modifications to existing systems or design new
installation. We can provide designs for your use or we can
offer turn-key services. We promote a paint
system audit for a
comprehensive assessment of paint system operational efficiency.
This audit can focus on efficient methods for paint reclamation
but often identifies other areas where significant efficiency can
be realized.
This
service offers enormous potential value to North American
businesses and their communities. We also recognize that a
healthy, efficient paint shop is good for your business and ours,
and therefore make every effort to keep audit costs low.
If
you value such an audit, contact
us. For even small paint shops, payback for
our audits are generally measured in hours or days. While on
site, we can also document as-built system installation and
provide for a very reasonable fee, quick turn-a-round on as-built
pneumatic, affluent, or electrical drawings and flow schematics.
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