Manufacturer Improves Cleanliness, Cuts Downtime in Robotic Paint Booths

CUSTOMER: General industrial manufacturer

GRACO EQUIPMENT:  ProBell rotary bell atomizer

Upgrading from old automatic electrostatic spray guns to Graco ProBell rotary bell atomizers quickly proved worthwhile for a general industrial manufacturer. Transfer efficiency increased by 30 percent in their robotic paint booths, where they coated metal pipe flanges of varying sizes.

CHALLENGE: Although happy with the ProBell’s quick ROI (return on investment), the plant manager noticed material building up in the air cap. This didn’t seem to affect transfer efficiency, but having to remove rotary atomizer air caps at least three times a week for cleaning became a nuisance.

As the robotic paint booths went into downtime, they switched to manual spraying. This slowed production and took employees away from other responsibilities.

SOLUTION: When the plant manager voiced his concerns, Graco answered with a more efficient rotary bell design. The new ProBell air cap uses blended shaping air to minimize paint accumulation and maximize spray quality.

RESULT: After using the new air caps for several weeks, the plant manager found noticeable improvements.

• Weekly cleaning became one-third of what it used to be, ending annoying downtime and speeding up production. 
• With less air cap buildup or clogging, their ProBells’ already high transfer efficiency increased.

Big or small, Graco aims to meet their customer’s needs through product quality, customer service and new product development. The new ProBell air cap proved Graco’s commitment to continuous improvement to this general industrial manufacturer.