As of June 18, 2010, autobody shops, manufacturers, and distributers in Canada will be required to use waterborne compliant auto refinish coatings or a similar solution to limit VOC emissions into the environment. Automotive body shops that have remaining inventory of non-compliant coatings will be able to use up their inventory as long as it was purchased prior to the implementation date. These new regulations will impact products in Canada as well as products being shipped to Canadian shops.
Waterborne Paint Conversion for your Auto Body and Industrial Shop
Waterborne conversion is coming soon! Auto Body Shop and Industrial suppliers will only be able to provide low VOC products after the conversion. Is your shop ready or do you need insight as to how to make your collision or industrial shop waterborne compliant? You might need paint equipment upgrades as well as additional training to ensure a smooth waterborne conversion.
What has your body shop done to get ready for the new standards?
When will your auto body shop convert?
Call or email Kelly for more information. KellyG@Standardtool.com
Paint Booth Fire Protection
NFPA-33 Spray Application for Flammable and Combustible Materials requires an automatic fire protection system for all spray booths. Here are some frequent questions about this paint booth issue. This information is offered as a guide; your local inspector and fire marshal will be experienced in their interpretation and local codes.
- Who do I buy this system from? – These systems are made by only a few certified manufacturers like Amerex, Pyrochem, Anzul and Badger. They can often be purchased through the spray booth seller.
- Can I do the installation myself? – No. Installation should be done by a licensed installer.
- What if I have a wet sprinkler system in the building? – A self-contained system is designed to extinguish a fire in the paint booth, plenums or ductwork, all areas that the building’s system will rarely reach. Some smaller, limited-use open-face paint booths may be approved by your local authorities as being adequately protected with the building’s wet sprinkler system. Consult your local inspector and fire marshal for that specific application.
- Are there size limitations to the booth? – Yes. Open-face spray booths should be no more than 12’ high due to the design limits of these systems. Higher open-face booths can be protected but at a significant cost. The larger the spray booth, the more ductwork and the greater number of fans all add to the cost of the fire protection system.
- What are the maintenance requirements? – After the initial installation, most system providers can be contracted for annual inspections. This annual inspection will include checking the pressure of the chemical tanks, the mechanics of the system, the fusible links (the automatic part of the system) and the control panel. They will apply an inspection tag much like a portable fire extinguisher’s. This contractor should be notified after any trigger event of the system or when any question arises about the system.
- What is the major difference in wet versus dry systems? – NFPA-33 allows either system. The dry system is designed using the same technology as restaurant fire protection system made to work on oil/grease fires, mush like the solvents found in most paints. A wet system simply works with water and may not stop a solvent-laden fire as quickly as the dry system. The dry system should work better in corners, ductwork and plenums. The dry system should be easier to clean up after a suppression event.
Fire protection is one of the main reasons to have a spray booth, along with providing a clean spraying environment, fume/overspray controls and safe lighting. A paint booth owner must complete the process of building a spray booth by making sure that a certified installer completes a pre-designed fire protection system and that the system is maintained.
Shop Paint Booths: Industrial Paint Booth, Woodfinishing Spray Booth, Automotive Paint Booth
System for Cleaning Paint Booth Air
Tools USA responded to a question on a Collision Hub Blog that we wanted to share on our blog.
The paint booth user needed to replace their system for cleaning air used in their spray booth. One company suggested they would need a refrigerated dryer.
Air refrigerators and air conditioners are equipment used for extreme environment conditions or super-sensitive spray applications. Some of these conditions may be very long periods of super-high humidity, very dirty air supplies, and nano-technology paint materials.
There are spray booths in all parts of the USA, spraying the vast majority of paints and powders, without using this expensive high-end equipment.
We recommend our most popular dryer “THE EVAPORATOR 10 LB DESICCANT AIR DRYER“. We sell a lot of these to shops for use on their paint booth just for cleaning the air prior to going into their paint gun.
Here are some of the benefits of this dryer.
• Oil-free air
• Super low relative humidity – 1.5%
• Can be mounted on wall or floor
• No electrical parts or motors to explode
• 95 times dryer than a MOTO GUARD filter
• 81 times dryer than a LAMANS Filter/Dryer
• 81 times dryer than a DeVILBLISS Filter/Dryer
• 26 times dryer than a REFRIGERATED Dryer based on 70 F entering air 100PSI
• FOR SHOP COMPRESSORS
• 3 YEAR WARRANTY
Fire Prevention in Spray Booths
Top 10 Really Bad Ideas for Spray Booths (or What a great way to have a fire!!)
- Using any electrical device in a paint booth.
- Thinking how cool it would be to have an electrical outlet in the spray booth wall.
- Smoking in a spray paint booth.
- Grinding or welding in a paint booth.
- Not using a licensed electrical contractor to wire the booth lights and fan.
- Not performing routine maintenance of cleaning the walls/ceilings/floor or changing filters.
- Not installing an automatic fire suppression system.
- Not assembling the spray booth as shown in the manual.
- Using your spray booth to store excessive paint or other combustible materials.
- Not training your booth operators about fire safety.
The NFPA-33 standard defines the safety requirements for spray booths. This standard is available through Techstreet. This is a good investment that will save you money, but you might not have that great fire story to tell your friends.
Shop Paint Booths at Tools USA.
Is your Auto Body Collision Shop “Going Green”?
Tell us about how your auto body shop is “going green”.
Post a comment to tell us what you are doing to help the environment.
There are several ways shops can participate in helping the environment and save on expenses.
1. Solar Power – Auto Body Shops should consider heating the shop with solar power. The shop facility will need to be located in direct sunlight away from shaded trees in order to benefit from this type of power. Installation of solar power panels can be costly but tax credits might be available to offset some of the cost.
2. Heated Shop Flooring – Auto Body Shops in colder climates should consider installing a water heated floor. This will allow the work area inside the booth to stay warmer for potentially less cost. As gas and electricity costs rise, heating a shop can become more expensive. Since hot air rises, heating the floor makes sense!
3. Recycle – Recycle scrap metal and other body shop materials some of which can be sold for income.
4. Energy Efficient Spray Booth Equipment – Install energy efficient new technology paint booth equipment.
Email KellyG@standardtool.com to inquire about the efficiencies in newer equipment.
Spray Booth and Paint Booth Filters
Spray Booth Filters need to be changed regularly to maintain operational efficiencies for your Paint Booth.
The following are the different type of paint booth filters:
1. Exhaust Filters – Trap any leftover pollutants prior to the air entering the atmosphere. These spray booth filters are typically changed after 50-100 working hours.
2. Intake Filters – Cleans the air coming into the spray booth.
Shop Paint Booth Filters at Tools USA.
For further questions, contact KellyG@standardtool.com or call 1-800-451-2425.
Should you Consider a Used Frame Machine?
If you are in the market for a frame machine you are probably asking if you should buy a new one or look for a used one.
A used frame machine can be a good alternative to purchasing a new frame rack if the unit is in proper working order. Most machines will need some repairs or replacement of hydraulics and chains which can cost thousands of dollars. Additionally, transportation costs of the frame straightener can be very costly depending on the distance the machine will need to be moved.
Purchasing a new frame machine could save your auto body collision shop money on future repairs as well mitigate any risk of problems with a used machine. Also, a new machine will come with warranties and support.
Spray Booth Maintenance
It is necessary to maintain your spray paint booth in order to have the booth operating efficiently and provide a high quality product for your auto body shop customer. Shop Paint Booths.
Maintenance of the following areas is important.
1. Lighting – Color and brightness inside the booth should be maintained. Over time, this will deteriorate and even though they may appear operational, the lights might not be in high working order. Consider replacing light bulbs on a regular basis or purchasing a light meter to test the lights frequently.
2. Spray Booth Motor – If you have a non-lubricating motor, you will need to grease the motor. Newer paint booths are sold with self-lubricating motors. Fan motor belts need to be replaced annually and inspected during the year.
3. Cleaning the Spray Booth – A powder coated booth is the easiest booth to clean since it can be washed off when overspray accumulates. The white finish allows dirt to be brushed off the interior walls and captured in the filters. The paint booth should be operating during the cleaning so the filters will capture dust.
4. Interior Paint Booth Temperature – Some paint manufacturers recommend keeping the spray booth between 68 and 70 degrees while the booth is operational. Paint booths with an air make up unit will come with a temperature gauge. Some paint booths will come with a temperature gauge. Adjustments may need to be made depending on the temperature of the object being painted and the air surrounding it. Spray booth temperature can be easily increased or decreased to accommodate changes.
5. Spray Booth Filters – The filters should be changed to prevent pollutants from entering and exiting the spray booth. Excessively dirty filters can lead to an imbalance of air flow in the booth. It is not recommended to clean the filters with air or water to try to make them last longer.
6. Paint Booth Air Flow – Maintaining proper air flow will enhance the paint drying time. Air flow can be tested by generating smoke inside the booth and watching the pattern and speed at which the smoke exits the booth. Keep in mind that the larger the item in the spray booth, the higher the air flow will be.
For more on Paint Booths, refer to our FAQ section.
Most Popular Frame Machines
Tools USA’s best selling frame machines are the Galaxy Series Galaxy ELITE 18′ Model Tilt Frame Machine and Galaxy 18′ Model Tilt Frame Machine. These frame racks will do the same work that more expensive machines do for a fraction of the price.
The most important part of buying a frame machine is to do business with a reputable company that will assist with warranty issues, replacement parts and support. Tools USA has been in business for 30 years and we have a dedicated frame machine specialist to answer your questions.
Winter season is quickly approaching so be sure to have your Frame Machine ready to go to service your auto body shop customers.