Automotive Paint Line Handles High Pressure with New Pump Lower

CUSTOMER: Automotive manufacturer

GRACO EQUIPMENT: Viscount II Pump, Sealed 4-Ball Plus Lower

CHALLENGE: When a leading car factory first set up its paint kitchen, Viscount I pumps with 1500cc lowers were enough. About 12 years and 12 applicators plus robots later, replacing pump lowers was too much the norm.

To keep up with rapid production, paint line operators were running pumps as high as 50 cycles per minute – more than four times faster than the recommended rate of 12 cycles per minute. This pace wore out the pump lowers, requiring replacements – and downtime – every three to four months.

Replacing exhausted 1500cc lowers with 2000cc Sealed 4-Ball Lowers helped the old pumps work at more maintainable speeds. But they could not reach the 10 bar pressure needed to circulate paint at the volume per minute required for the busy paint line.

SOLUTION: The paint line manager decided to try a larger pump with a larger pump lower.

They installed a Viscount II with the new 3000cc Sealed 4-Ball Plus. The required 10 bar pressure was achieved by running the pump and lower at only 16 cycles per minute – below the recommended rate of 20 cycles per minute.  

RESULT: More than eight months later, the Viscount II and Sealed 4-Ball Plus consistently provide 10 bar pressure at no more than 16 cycles per minute. The large pump and lower have no problem keeping pace with rapid production.

No routine maintenance nor replacements required, meaning no downtime.