A spray booth is an essential component for powder coating. However, there are so many options and features available that choosing the right powder coating spray booth for your needs can seem overwhelming. To simplify the process, consider the following options so that you can be clear about what you’re looking for before ordering your booth.
Construction
Powder coating spray booths can be made with a variety of materials, including painted steel, stainless steel, glass, and polypropylene. Stainless steel is often recommended as it’s durable, smooth, and easier to clean than many other options.
The walls can be made as thick or thin as you wish, and they can be insulated. You can also choose between solid or filtered doors.
Size
Your booth needs to be large enough for the biggest part you intend to spray. It also needs to provide you with the space you need to move around inside of it. You can choose from standard-size booths or have one custom-built for your needs.
Manual or Automatic
You can choose between a manual or automatic powder coating spray booth, depending on how you will apply the powder. If you plan to apply it manually, your booth will need to have better airflow and filtering to reduce hazards.
Fire Suppression
Powder coating is generally not a fire hazard, but it can be when it is electrostatically charged or exposed to a flame. You can choose a booth with a fire suppression system that helps ensure you can put the fire out if one does occur.
Reclamation System
Any time you spray, a large portion of the powder does not stick to the object you spray. Unfortunately, this can lead to waste and additional operating costs.
If you want to be more cost-efficient, choosing a booth with a reclamation system is a good idea. It can recover the excess powder, allowing you to reuse it later.
A reclamation system can be useful whether you typically use one color or several. However, each color requires you to use a different cartridge. This means that you will need to change the cartridge as you change colors. If you plan to spray multiple colors at once, the reclamation system isn’t effective.
Lighting
Many people believe that a powder coating spray booth needs to be extremely well-lit in order for work to be completed properly. This is actually not the case as a light that is too bright can cause a glare, hindering the sprayer’s vision. Instead, you want a booth with mid-level light for the best results.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that lights mounted on the wall can prevent a decent view, too, as the coater moves around the object. Look for a booth that has lights on the ceiling instead of or in addition to wall lights.
The key to choosing the best spray booth is to fully consider how you’ll be using it. Once you have clarified this, you can much more easily determine what construction and features you need to help you get the job done.
