If you coat objects for a living, there are certain measures you must take to ensure efficiency and safety. One of the most common measures used in the industry is the integration of a spray booth in a workshop. A spray booth is an enclosure that helps manufacturers isolate expelled vapor that is produced when coatings are applied to a metallic surface.
Spray booths come in a variety of styles. One style which has been historically popular is the water wash spray booth. Today we are going to examine water wash spray booths: asking what they are and how they work.
What Exactly Are Water Wash Spray Booths?
When a manufacturer is spray painting or powder coating an item, overspray can occur and fumes are generated. To ensure finish consistency and safety in the workplace, manufacturers seek the support of items such as spray booths. A water wash spray booth, therefore, is a purpose built enclosure that relies on water to collect and filter overspray. When a sprayer uses a water wash spray booth, paint, dust and fumes are expelled from the air. This creates a safer working environment, and allows for the technician to capture consistent results.
How Do Water Wash Spray Booths Work?
As previously stated, a water wash system uses water to capture and filter contaminants. Water continuously circulates through the system, and air pushes spray particles into multiple water curtains. This is how the system effectively traps and collects contaminants, which are then discharged into a collection tank. This type of system is often made using high grade galvanised steel which makes them highly resistant to corrosion and easier to maintain.
The water used in this type of system is chemically treated so that captured particles are able to bond. Paint compounds may either float to the surface of the collection tank or sink to the bottom and become sludge. The paint compounds which are collected should be defined as hazardous waste, and dealt with accordingly.
The Importance of Maintaining Water Wash Spray Booths
The sludge that is broken down and collected in reservoirs needs to be disposed of properly and regularly. The maintenance of your water wash spray booth is important for both your staff’s well being and workplace efficiency. For example, if this paint sludge is not removed from your system’s reservoir regularly it can become a breeding ground for aerobic bacteria. Legionella is an example of this, which can lead to the sometimes fatal Legionnaires’ disease.
Not only will properly cleaning and maintaining your systems help to eliminate unsafe working conditions, but it will ensure your machinery is working properly.
What Are The Benefits of Using a Water System?
There are a number of key benefits you will be able to enjoy by using water wash spray booths over dry filtration systems. Some of the most notable benefits include:
- The potential for lower operational costs. When you are using a dry booth, you will need to both purchase and change filters consistently. If your business has high production rates, this can soon add up. You will need to assign someone to service filters regularly, and will also have to forfeit revenue to cover filter costs. A water wash spray booth eliminates this.
- The collection by this type of system is clean and efficient. If you operate in a high volume workshop, this is hugely important. As a manufacturer, operations must be seamless. Using a water wash spray booth allows the user to perform their task quickly and without disruption. Although water wash spray booths tend to be more expensive to install, they may benefit a large commercial operation more.
Are There Any Negatives?
So, we are now aware of how a water wash system can benefit high production industrial businesses. But are there any drawbacks to using this type of spray booth? Whilst there are no negatives, as such, there are things to consider. These include:
- Higher installation and maintenance costs in comparison to a dry filter system. Although they may help in a high production environment, you will need to forfeit more money to get this type of system up and running.
- They require a sludge removal system which can be automatic or manual. In either case, you will need to allocate part of your workforce to ensure this is done correctly. The sludge collected is hazardous waste, and needs to be handled carefully and removed regularly.
- The water which this system uses needs to be treated with chemicals, which can further expand operational costs. You may also need to allocate part of your workforce to ensure this task is completed, which may slow down operations.
As you can see, there are additional costs associated with water wash spray booths. If you are a large commercial enterprise though with high volume operations, this type of system will certainly be the best one for you.
If you believe your commercial workshop would benefit from the introduction of a water wash spray booth, the team at Extractly can help. Their water wash spray booths are manufactured in a variety of sizes, and are built to the highest industry standards.
