The most common challenges when spraying waterborne materials using electrostatics

Electrostatic waterborne paint spraying is a complex process that involves several safety precautions and often requires additional investments to deal with the inherent challenges. Most inconveniences can, however, be addressed by investing in innovative equipment. What challenges do operators face and how can they be eliminated?

Most challenges faced by operators using electrostatics for spray painting can be categorised as quality and productivity concerns on the one hand, and safety and control issues on the other. Let’s take a closer look at these obstacles.

 

Quality & productivity

Quality and productivity are major reasons to consider electrostatics in the first place. This innovative technique provides higher transfer efficiency. So what are the focus points and the main challenges in this area?

• Ensuring quality
  How can you make sure that the final result meets the high quality standards expected by the customer? Using the wrong pressure or the wrong gun can easily result in paint overspray. Investing in the correct equipment is key.

• Optimising productivity
  Spray systems typically waste a lot of material in situations where different colors have to be used or when the equipment needs to be purged. The combined waste quickly adds up and leads to a high business cost. This can be avoided by the use of a controllable system.

• Reducing costs
  Electrostatic spray systems typically involve costly and fragile mix rooms that take up a lot of space and are difficult to maintain. Isolating these systems and the equipment is an expensive business. Investing in innovative solutions may well save you money in the long run.

• Limiting paint overspray
  It is crucial that operators use the correct guns to avoid overspraying and ensure maximum control in the painting process.

Safety & control

Electrostatics provide significantly better results in spray painting, but this technique involves certain safety risks. It is therefore essential that the necessary precautions are taken and that the operator is in control of the process at all times.

• Operator safety
  How can you protect the operator when they need to carry out tasks like purging the system or refilling the paint? A safer work environment can be obtained by reducing interaction between the operator and the system.

• Process control
  The human factor always entails a certain risk. The closed electrostatic batch system, combined with the ease of managing and adjusting the equipment’s system parameters, allowing them to control the process from start to finish.

 

HydroShield^TM: The next generation of electrostatic spray systems

Graco’s search for a solution to all these obstacles resulted in a revolutionary off-the-shelf spray system using electrostatics for waterborne materials: HydroShield. Unique control makes the HydroShield one of the safest and most operator-friendly solutions on the market.

What makes the HydroShield stand out? These are just some of its features:

• Suitable for any kind of low- or high-pressure paint spraying application.
• Semi-automatic refill: Significantly less wasted material thanks to an innovative pump system with a light tower to indicate the material level.
• High transfer efficiency: The system can be used with a wide range of equipment and its parameters can be easily adjusted for any type of application, ensuring that the right amount is sprayed and hardly any material is wasted.
• Safety features: Thanks to its transfer efficiency, operators are less likely to be exposed to VOCs and PAHs, and the isolation cabinet and semi-automatic refill feature reduce interaction between the operator and the system.
• Convenient control module: Using a compact display, the operator can easily control the system’s processes and adjust its parameters.

Its impressive efficiency and versatility make the HydroShield an exceptionally appealing investment that will reduce operating and maintenance costs for your business.