3 tips for limiting paint overspray of electrostatic spray guns

By reducing the paint overspray of your electrostatic spray guns, you can save on paint and maintenance costs.

In order to increase the transfer efficiency optimisation of your electrostatic spray guns, it is critical that you understand what materials can be sprayed and which coating you should use.
 

1. Understand what materials can be sprayed

Almost any material can be sprayed using electrostatic spray guns. As long as the charged paint ‘sees’ a conductive grounded surface, it will be attracted to it and can be painted in this manner. Though metal is often the first material people think of, wood, plastic and rubber can also be sprayed electrostatically. Even non-conductive items can be sprayed with electrostatic spray guns, as long as they are placed between the applicator and a conductive grounded surface or are sprayed in advance with a conductive primer.
 

2. Determine the correct coating

To determine the correct coating to use with your electrostatic gun, you must consider its ‘resistivity’. The materials, solvents and reducers used in the coating determine the ‘resistivity’ of the coating. This can be measured with a paint probe meter, which measures megohms per centimetre of resistance. The best electrostatic results are achieved when the resistivity of the coating is between 25 and 50 megohms per centimetre. Getting the manufacturer to specifically formulate the coating for electrostatic use is the best solution.
 

3. Get the full benefit of electrostatic guns 

If you are not seeing the full potential of your electrostatic system, make sure that you, or someone on your team, understand how to optimise the transfer efficiency. There are a few items and factors you can check to achieve the best result in your spray booth. Manufacturers often offer training that might help to increase the transfer efficiency of your spray guns.

To obtain transfer efficiency rates as high as 95 percent, consider adding rotary bell atomization to electrostatic finishing by using Graco’s ProBell rotary atomiser.

Looking for a spraying solution for waterborne materials that provides the great results and the very high transfer efficiency? Be sure to check out the HydroShield^TM system, the safest and most operator-friendly electrostatic spraying solution on the market.