With 50 years of experience, we have worked to enrich our range of painting products and solutions that can be adopted in various industrial sectors, including automotive, aviation, nautical, industrial, railway, Formula 1 team-specific requirements, and woodworking. Painting processes have specific characteristics depending on the material and type of application, and our paint booths cater to diverse industrial needs, adapting to different treatments.

A Brief Guide to Paint Booths Suitable for Every Industry

The industrial painting of a product is not only an aesthetic factor but also necessary to protect it from wear, corrosion, and improve the performance of its surface. Each industrial sector uses different types of paints, so the painting facility must optimally meet the specific needs of the production process and the required finish. Here are some examples:

Automotive sector

In the automotive finishing sector, our expertise in paint application processes allows us to create high-performance solutions such as booths, prep areas, and boxes, often co-designed directly with the customer for a tailor-made offer. Industrial painting in the automotive sector is a fundamental process to protect and decorate car surfaces. The paints used in this sector must meet rigorous standards of quality, wear resistance, durability, and aesthetic appearance.

Our products combine style and functionality in the highest sense of Made in Italy. For example, the Chronotech Supremacy paint booth is the preferred choice of Formula 1 teams and represents the ultimate expression of technology applied to the bodywork world. It autonomously sets the work rhythms, setting all the painting parameters, allowing you to paint as many pieces as desired with consistent and surprisingly rapid drying times.

Trains and buses

For the railway and bus sectors, we create large-scale painting facilities designed to ensure high standards of finishing and efficiency. The painting booths for the railway sector are specialized structures for applying paints and protective coatings to railway components such as carriages and locomotives; this is aided by operator lifts with triaxial movement for height painting. In addition to our standard models, we also produce custom extra-large solutions for trains and buses, tailor-made paint systems that can be configured as standalone units or integrated into existing production lines.

Furthermore, our high-efficiency systems and intelligent heat flow management ensure reduced consumption and consequent cost savings in processing, always maintaining high standards of reliability and safety.

Wood painting and finishing

For the painting and finishing systems of wood-working companies, from small facilities catering to artisanal needs to those for large-scale industrial production, we have developed tailored flexible solutions for every type of wood finishing. Open booths, multifunctional Prof-X areas, as well as paint mixing rooms, are used in the wood industry and are essential in ensuring a high-quality finish that enhances aesthetic appeal and durability over time. Whether it’s a standard product or a custom solution designed by USI Italia based on specific customer requirements, all our products ensure optimal working conditions for operators, elevated safety standards at every stage of the process, energy savings, and long-term reliability.

Our goal always remains to assist in producing superior quality finishes in the most efficient manner. Over the past decades, the wood industry has undergone a remarkable evolution due to technological innovation. One of the most significant developments is the introduction and proliferation of painting robots. These incredible devices are transforming the way serial, and thus repetitive, wood finishing operations are carried out.

Painting facilities for boats and aviation

For boats and aviation, USI Italia can provide the best painting and finishing environments: high-tech cabins, prep bays, and boxes designed for painting recreational boats, yachts, ships, business jets, commercial airplanes, cargo, and helicopters.

We offer the most advanced technological solutions for high-quality finishes, ensuring environmental compliance, operator safety, energy savings, and process efficiency. The design expertise we have developed over time allows us to create custom painting facilities based on the needs of each individual customer and offer a wide range of specific solutions for boats and aircraft.

Finishing solutions for industry and construction

For industrial and construction sectors, USI Italia has a long tradition in the design and production of painting and finishing facilities. Our designers can create working areas, booths, and boxes of compact dimensions that can be integrated into existing spaces, as well as large-scale solutions that meet the most specific configuration and usage needs of our customers.

Regardless of the size of the proposed solutions, USI Italia always guarantees the highest quality standards, safety, and comfort with a focus on energy savings and high productivity.

In the woodworking sector, achieving impeccable surface finishes is essential for producing high-quality and durable items. To achieve consistent and professional results, industry professionals rely on specialized paint and finishing booths that provide a controlled environment, ensuring safety, efficiency, and high-quality finishes.

Woodworking paint booths

In general, a woodworking paint booth must offer a place to apply finishes to three-dimensional objects of varying sizes. In the field of woodworking, different projects may require various finishes and coatings, such as paint, sealer, primer, glaze, powder coating (for MDF), or lacquer. For this reason, woodworking paint booths are specifically designed to enhance the finishing process of wood items with diverse shapes, sizes, and functions.

Let’s explore the essential requirements of a paint and finishing booth for the woodworking sector and the possible options to consider when making a purchase.

Ventilation and airflow

One of the main requirements for a paint and finishing booth is effective ventilation and airflow management. Particularly for a material like wood, adequate ventilation is essential to maintain a clean and controlled environment, preventing the buildup of harmful fumes, suspended particles, dust, and excessive overspray, ensuring a safe working space for craftsmen, and eliminating factors that cause major painting defects.

Additionally, a well-designed airflow system ensures that finishing products are applied evenly and that optimal drying and curing times are achieved.

Air filtration system

A fundamental part of any paint and finishing booth is a robust air filtration system. Woodworking generates a considerable amount of dust and other suspended particles that can damage the wood product’s finish. A high-quality filtration system effectively captures and eliminates these particles, ensuring a clean and dust-free environment inside the booth.

The filtration system also helps maintain the health and safety of woodworking operators by removing harmful contaminants present in the air. Particulate filters and activated carbon filters are commonly used to trap dust and fumes, respectively, ensuring that air quality is maintained at required safety and compliance levels.

Lighting and visibility

Adequate lighting is essential in a paint and finishing booth to ensure precise application and inspection of the wood product. Especially for a dynamic material like wood, high-intensity lighting devices with colour correction are preferred to accurately represent the actual colour of the paint or finish. Excellent visibility helps woodworking operators to identify any imperfections and make necessary corrections, ensuring impeccable finishes.

For finishing booths, evenly distributed lighting is crucial then to avoid shadows or irregular reflections on the wood surface. This ensures a uniform and consistent application of stains, paints, and sealants, giving a professional look to the finished product.

Compliance with safety regulations

Compliance with safety regulations is a fundamental requirement for any paint and finishing booth in the woodworking sector. These regulations often include guidelines related to fire safety, electrical systems, ventilation rates, and environmental standards. Compliance ensures that the booth functions safely and responsibly, protecting both workers and the environment.

Regular inspections and maintenance are necessary to ensure that the booth consistently meets safety standards and remains in optimal working condition.

Types of woodworking paint booths

Beyond the general requirements, there are two main types of woodworking paint booths: enclosed and open face. Each type has its pros and cons, making it more or less suitable for different woodworking needs.

In general, pressurized paint booths take up more space than open face models. You need to plan for space on all four sides of the booth, plus additional room for the doors to open. Closed spray booths tend to be more expensive, but this design makes it easier to control contaminants that can degrade the finish’s quality. With an enclosed booth, it is easier to control air pressure and airflow, and consequently, the finish quality.

Open face paint booths usually have three walls and a ceiling, with the fourth side open to the rest of the workshop. This design is generally more affordable than an enclosed model and takes up less floor space. In some cases, open face booths can be more versatile, especially when working with particularly long objects, such as cabinet doors. However, the nature of this type of paint booth can make it more challenging to isolate it from the rest of the workshop and eliminate contaminants that can negatively affect the finish.

Conclusion

In the woodworking sector, a well-designed paint and finishing booth are indispensable for achieving high-quality finishes, protecting the health of woodworking professionals, and maintaining a safe working environment. The essential requirements of these booths include efficient ventilation and airflow, a reliable air filtration system, adequate lighting for visibility, sturdy construction materials, and compliance with safety regulations.

Contact us to work together with our technicians to find a tailor-made solution for your woodworking paint and finishing needs.

The air pressure inside a painting booth is a critical aspect that must be carefully controlled to ensure a healthy working environment and the quality of the finishing. A pressurized booth is designed to minimize the movement of dust within the booth, so as not to compromise the final result of the pieces being worked on. Air pressure, in fact, affects overspray distribution, air filtration, and the prevention of external contaminants from entering, and it is influenced by multiple factors.

Air pressure in a painting booth: what you need to know

Here are some important points regarding air pressure inside the painting booth.

Positive or negative pressure

A painting booth can be designed to have either positive or negative air pressure compared to the surrounding environment. Positive pressure means that the air inside the booth is at a slightly higher pressure than the outside, while negative pressure means that the air inside is at a slightly lower pressure than the outside.
Controlling the airflow in the painting booth can change the way you paint and is crucial in maintaining the proper airflow over the object being painted.

Before the advent of digital technology in the finishing industry, pressure settings had to be manually adjusted. Older booths (and some still present today) have a pressure gauge and an overpressure damper positioned on the extraction motor, which acts as a bottleneck for pressure regulation. This damper must be opened manually and gradually over time to adjust the booth pressure. However, this method can be time-consuming and requires attention. Fortunately, in the last two decades, safety-conscious manufacturers like USI Italia have introduced digital control panels, frequency converters, and pressure transducers that allow for easy and rapid adjustment of the rotation of the two motors (inlet and extraction) and thus the pressure inside the painting booth.

However, despite the digitalization and automation of many painting processes, it is always important to know the basic principles of adjusting air pressure inside a painting booth.

Positive pressure

A booth with positive air pressure is designed to prevent the entry of dust and contaminants from the outside. The air, being generated by a supply motor more powerful than the exhaust motor, needs to be properly filtered, otherwise it will try to escape at the most sensitive points, namely through door joints. Positive pressure thus prevents the entry of external particles. This configuration is often used to protect the painting and finishing process from environmental contaminants and was required by the old UNI EN 13355 (before being replaced by the newer and more comprehensive UNI EN 16985).

Negative pressure

A booth with negative air pressure is designed to prevent the dispersion of harmful chemicals or vapors into the painting environment outside the booth. Air is drawn in by an exhaust motor more powerful than the supply motor, reducing the risk of operator exposure to hazardous substances or their dispersion in the workshop. This operating configuration, clearly adopted by regulations to protect operators’ health from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), is currently required by EN 16985.

Pressure balancing

Maintaining a proper pressure balance inside the painting booth is essential for the proper functioning of the air filtration and suction system. Improper balancing can lead to problems with air filtration efficiency and overspray removal.
Factors that can influence air pressure regulation in a painting booth include clogged filters, with the extraction fan having to work harder to remove air through those filters and out of the booth. In this case, over-pressurization can occur, leading to dust contamination inside the booth. Additionally, adding an object inside the booth also causes a pressure variation, as the object inside the booth occupies a certain volume. This is also an aspect that needs to be considered.

For these reasons, the air pressure inside the booth should be monitored and constantly adjusted to ensure it is maintained at the correct level, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, the paint manufacturer’s recommendations, and the requirements of safety regulations. Fortunately, today’s automatic control systems allow for continuous, precise pressure adjustment, independently of the operator.

Finally, accurate air pressure control is crucial to ensuring a safe working environment. Proper pressure management helps prevent the ignition of flammable vapours and reduces the risk of inhalation of harmful substances by painting staff.

Conclusions

In summary, controlling air pressure inside a painting booth is a key element in ensuring both proper application of paint or coating and reducing workers’ exposure to harmful substances, while maintaining a safe and clean work environment. Proper balance between positive and negative pressure contributes to optimizing finishing results, ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations, and reducing energy consumption in the painting facility.

When it comes to painting a car, a plane or any other large object, a spray booth is essential to ensure a high-quality finish. However, there are different types of spray booths, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The three main types of spray booths are crossflow, down-flow and semi-vertical flow. In this article we will take a closer look at each type and the characteristics that make them unique.

Cross-flow spray booths

The cross-flow spray booth is the simplest type of spray booth. It is equipped with a rear suction filter box, then on the bottom of the cabin, which sucks air from the filtering doors thanks to an extraction fan and directs it along the entire length of the cabin.

The air is then expelled through the filters at the opposite end of the cabin. This design creates an airflow that moves horizontally on the vehicle/or piece to be painted. Crossflow spray booths are generally the most cost-effective option (they do not require civil engineering), but they have some disadvantages. Since air does not flow directly to the vehicle, the over spray could settle on the newly painted surface, causing imperfections in the finish.

Downdraft spray booths

A downdraft spray booth is a step up from the crossflow booth. It provides excellent removal of paint over-sprays from the work area and minimizes the risk of cross-contamination between workpieces. It is suitable for applications that require a clean environment and high-quality standards, such as the automotive and aerospace industries. Such a cabin is equipped with an air inlet engine and an extraction motor. The air inlet motor conveys the filtered and possibly heated air into the circuit to the cabin plenum. The extraction motor helps the airflow going through the floor filters and then outwards.

This creates a flow of air that descends on the vehicle or element to be painted and then exits through the floor filters. The down draft design ensures that the over spray is sucked down and away from the freshly painted surface, obtaining a smooth and uniform finish that is always smooth. Downdraft booths are typically more expensive than crossflow ones, but are the preferred choice for high-end paint jobs.

Semi-Downdraft Spray Booths

As the name suggests, a draft or semi-vertical Semi-Down paint booth combines the features of both models, crossflow and vertical flow. It is equipped with a ventilation and exhaust system that passes from the ceiling filters of the plenum with reduced section and directs, first vertically and then at a slight angle towards the filters of the suction box.

This creates a flow of air that moves diagonally over the vehicle to be painted before being pulled down and ejected through the rear filters. Semi-down draft cabins offer a trade-off between the cost-effectiveness of crossflow cabins and the high-quality finish of down draft cabins.

Which type of spray booth is best for you?

The choice of the right type of paint booth depends on several factors, including the available budget, the type of work to be done, and the size of the objects to be painted. Cross flow booths are more suitable for small-scale activities with a limited budget or for painting small planes or jets, while downdraft booths are ideal for high-end body shops and other professional applications. Semi-downdraft booths offer a good compromise between cost and performance and are suitable for a wide range of applications, including wood painting.

Conclusions

In conclusion, when it comes to choosing a paint booth, it is important to consider your specific needs and budget. Additionally, there may be specific regulations and standards for certain industrial sectors that influence the choice of ventilation flow. Cross flow, downdraft, and semi-downdraft paint booths each have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to carefully evaluate the options before planning the investment.

Sandblasting is a widely used technique for cleaning and preparing surfaces for painting in various industries, from automotive to manufacturing Sandblasting involves the use of compressed air or water to push abrasive materials at high velocity onto a surface In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about sandblasting, including the process, equipment used, safety measures, and how to choose the right spray booth.

What is Sandblasting?

Sandblasting, also known as abrasive blasting, is a process that involves the use of compressed air or water to push abrasive materials at high velocity onto a surface. Abrasive materials can consist of various substances depending on the target surface, including sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide, steel grit, or walnut shells. Sandblasting’s purpose is to remove unwanted substances such as rust, paint, and scale from a surface and prepare it for painting, coating, or other treatments.

How Does Sandblasting Work?

Sandblasting is generally performed in a sandblasting cabin, an enclosed and sealed workspace designed to protect the operator and the surrounding environment from the abrasive materials and dust created during the process. The operator wears personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a helmet, goggles, gloves, protective suit, and respirator, to minimize exposure to abrasive materials.

The blasting equipment comprises a blasting gun connected to a source of compressed air or water and a hopper or container containing the abrasive material. The operator points the blasting gun at the surface to be cleaned or prepared and presses the trigger to release the abrasive material at high speed. The pressure and flow of the abrasive material can be adjusted according to the needs of the job.

Sandblasting is a versatile process that can be used on a variety of materials, including metals, plastics, ceramics, composite materials, and, under certain conditions, wood. It is commonly used in the automotive industry to remove paint and rust from cars and in the manufacturing industry to prepare surfaces for painting, coating, or bonding.

Safety Measures for Sandblasting

Sandblasting can be a dangerous process if proper safety measures are not taken. The abrasive materials used in the process can cause respiratory problems, skin irritation, and eye damage if they come into contact with the operator’s body. In addition, the high-pressure flow of abrasive materials can cause injury or even death if not used correctly.

To ensure the operator’s safety, blasting should only be carried out in a properly ventilated blasting cabin equipped with a dust collector to remove abrasive dust from the air.

The blasting equipment must be properly maintained and inspected periodically to ensure that it functions properly and does not pose a safety hazard. The operator must be trained in the proper use of the equipment and safety procedures before performing any blasting work.

Advantages

Sandblasting offers several advantages over other methods of surface preparation and cleaning. It is a quick and efficient process that can be used on a variety of surfaces and materials. It is also a cost-effective method, as it can remove multiple layers of paint and coatings in a single pass, reducing the need for multiple treatments.

In addition, sandblasting can provide a smooth and even surface, ideal for painting, coating, or bonding. It can also create a rough surface, ideal for bonding or improving traction. The versatility of sandblasting therefore makes it a popular and economical choice in a variety of industries.

Choosing the Right Spray Booth

The spray booth must be equipped with adequate ventilation systems, proportionate lighting, and a dust collection system that minimizes the risk of exposure to dust and debris as well as the dispersion of materials into the environment. The booth must also have sufficient space to allow safe movement of the operator and equipment.

Spray booths are essential in many industries: from automotive to furniture production; from industrial products to large vehicles such as airplanes, trains and ships. They provide a controlled environment for painting and finishing objects, but can pose a fire hazard due to the use of flammable materials and the potential presence of ignition sources. In this article, we will discuss the fire hazards that can occur in a spray booth and provide a list of tips and precautionary measures that ensure a safe working environment.

The use of highly flammable materials, such as paints, solvents and cleaning agents, inside a spray booth constitutes a serious fire hazard. If these materials come into contact with an ignition source, such as a spark or a high temperature, they can easily catch fire, causing considerable damage. In addition, the accumulation of “over spray” inside the cabin can generate a highly dangerous combustible mixture, which exponentially increases the risk of fire.

Fire prevention tips

Adequate ventilation and filtration

Proper ventilation and filtration are essential to reduce the risk of fire in a spray booth. Ventilation systems should be designed to suck air from outside and filter it to remove impurities and provide clean air for the painting process. Filtration systems should also be regularly maintained to make sure they are functioning properly.

Spray booths must be designed to prevent the escape of air containing vapors, sprays, or coating dust in order to avoid the formation of an atmosphere with dangerous concentrations of material in the workshop. The fire load inside the spray booth must be minimized by design and construction, maintenance, and operating procedures.

Spray booths shall be equipped with forced ventilation to limit the concentration of flammable substances below the specified percentage of LEL. LEL stands for “Lower Explosive Limit”. This term refers to the minimum concentration of a flammable gas in the air, below which the gas/air mixture is too “poor” to be flammable. Beyond this minimum concentration, called LEL, the mixture becomes increasingly rich in flammable gas. The concentration of flammable substances must be limited to:

• – 50 % of the LEL for automatic spray booths;
• – 25 % of the LEL for manual spray booths.
  All spray booths without a fire detection system on board the machine should also be equipped with manual fire extinguishers located near the emergency exits.

Use of non-sparking equipment

All equipment and tools used inside the spray booth must be suitable for use in flammable environments in zone 2, according to the ATEX classification.
Insulation of electrical equipment must be resistant to solvents and other fluids
and must comply with EN 60204-1:2006. All conductive parts must be grounded with equivalent potential to prevent static electricity build-up.

Proper storage of flammable materials

Flammable materials, such as paints, solvents and cleaning agents, should be stored in approved containers and cabinets designed for flammable liquids. These containers should be properly labeled and stored away from sources of ignition. Containers and cabinets should be kept closed and locked when not in use and checked regularly for damage or leakage. Flammable materials should not be stored in large quantities in undesignated areas. In addition, it is important that employees are aware of the risks associated with storing flammable materials and that they are trained on reporting any anomalies or incidents.

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Regular cleaning

Regular cleaning of the spray booth is a fundamental activity for fire prevention and staff safety. A dirty or neglected cabin can accumulate excess paint, debris and other flammable substances that can become a source of combustion when exposed to a spark or high temperature. This includes cleaning filters, ventilation systems and cabin walls.

Training

Training on safety and fire prevention protocols is of utmost importance to ensure the safety of all employees working in the spray booth or nearby. Training of operators and employees in general should therefore include safety procedures, precautions to avoid ignition sources, the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE),the correct handling of flammable materials, such as paints, solvents and cleaning agents, and response to emergency situations. This includes safe evacuation of the area and the use of fire-extinguishing systems, such as portable fire extinguishers. Operators should be able to recognize signs of a potential fire, such as a smell of gas or smoke, and know how to act promptly to prevent the spread of fire.

No Smoking Policy

The no-smoking policy is an essential measure to prevent fires in and around the spray booth. It is important to implement a strict no-smoking policy by prohibiting the use of lighters, matches and any other activity that could create sparks or flames. This practice should be communicated to all employees and visitors, and no-smoking signs should be placed in visible places throughout the area.
In addition, it is essential to educate employees about the consequences of ignoring the no-smoking policy and make them aware of the severity of fire risk in the spray booth. In case of violation of the no-smoking policy, appropriate disciplinary sanctions should be provided.

Conclusions

Fire prevention in a spray booth is essential to ensure a safe working environment. By following the recommendations described in this article, including proper ventilation and filtration, the use of spark-free equipment, proper storage of flammable materials, regular cleaning, employee training, and smoke-free policies, you can reduce the risk of fire in the spray booth and ensure the safety of employees and the surrounding environment.

Keeping dust, dirt, and debris under control, or even eliminating them completely, in the painting booth is a top priority for anyone working in the painting industry. Contaminants can ruin even the best executed work, and obviously, among the contaminants that can cause paint defects are dust and dirt. In fact, according to some analyses, up to 80% of the dirt present in a painting booth is brought in from outside, and preventing this contamination can prevent the headache of having to touch up completed work.

Tips for preventing dust and dirt in the painting booth

Let’s take a look at some practical tips for preventing dust and dirt in the painting booth, achieving impeccable results, and optimizing time and resources.

Dirt from outside

As mentioned, much of the dirt present in an environment where paint is applied comes from outside: shoes and tires, but also organic residues such as hair or dry skin, or the operation of mechanical parts or equipment. And often this type of dirt is not visible to the human eye. The solution can be the use of contamination control mats along with other products such as shoe covers and other appropriate PPE, as well as specific products to trap particulates carried by the air, such as sticky mats, dirt traps, films and coatings for booths, and covers for internal and external fans.

Textile fibers

Unfortunately, PPE can lose textile fibers, as can workwear and cleaning cloths. The solution is technical non-woven fabric products with low or no lint.

Processing residues

Many types and kinds of processing residues can enter a painting booth. The only solution to this problem is the use of high-quality filters with a nominal efficiency of over 90%. To learn more, it is necessary to contact the manufacturer of the painting booth and/or their official supplier of painting booth filters.

Processing residues inside the vehicle

The theme is always that of processing residues, but in this case even more specific: sanding or grinding dust may hide and nest inside parts of the vehicle such as doors, hood, trunk, or engine compartment, and contaminate the air later. In addition to using abrasives of the highest quality in terms of processing residue control, it may be useful to have localized suction tools.

Accumulation over time

Despite all the attention paid to the above points, it is inevitable that there will be some accumulation of dust, dirt, and debris in a painting booth over time, even imperceptible and not visible to the human eye. For this reason, it is essential to regularly clean the workspace thoroughly, as well as the surrounding areas and any additional machinery or equipment. A little extra effort that, however, reduces many problems later.

Disregarding suction systems

Different suction systems, or their peculiar configuration, may require following a certain work process to avoid overspray or other paint defects. Therefore, it is always good to read, know, and remember the manufacturer’s instructions for the booth.

Filters that are no longer efficient

The filters in a painting booth have very stringent specifications regarding their filtering capacity over time. Extending their use, without replacing them when required, reduces their filtering efficiency, resulting in contaminated workspace and paint defects.

The open spray booth is a very common tool for painting and finishing in industry as well as in small and medium-sized companies. Its versatility of installation, flexibility of use and cheaper cost compared to other paint systems often make open spray booths the first solution one thinks of when in need of a new paint system. However, like any equipment, open spray booths have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of using an open spray booth.

Open spray booth: different finish expectations

Before moving on to an analysis of the pros and cons of open spray booths such as our Open Booth, it is necessary to specify that this type of equipment cannot ensure the same quality of finish that can be achieved with a closed spray booth, where the air circuit is constantly filtered.

Pros

Economical: front-opening spray booths do not require excavation and therefore save on installation costs, one of the aspects to take into account when considering the purchase of a new spray booth. If equipped with inverters, you can also save significantly on consumption and increase the extraction capacity according to the clogging of the filters.

Versatility: due to their open front design, open spray booths allow great versatility of use when alternating between different products to be painted or types of work. For example, avoiding blocking the main painting system when applying primers or lacquering parts.

Reduced footprint: when faced with limited space in a paint shop, the solution is often an open spray booth that requires less space for installation and workflow.

Flexibility: the open design simplifies not only the replacement of the filter wall (which only takes a few minutes) but also the handling of workpieces within the department.

Cons

Contamination risks: as it is an open system, there may be greater risks of contamination, particularly in certain industries such as wood processing. For this reason, it is essential during the design phase to assess very precisely both the capacity of the ventilation and air filtration systems and the position of the other workstations within the production site.

Temperature control: taking into account the climate of the industrial site, and the possible variations in ambient temperature, is essential in the design of any painting system. All the more so for open spray booths where thermal insulation is not possible.

Conclusions

In general, there are many aspects to be considered when purchasing or replacing a spray booth, ranging from the industrial sector (and therefore the quality of the finish required) to the volume of work, from the space available (and the relative initial costs of the system) to the general costs of the industrial site.
This is why it is advisable to always rely on manufacturers who can provide design advice and solutions tailored to specific needs.

If you have any doubts or questions about open spray booths, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Buying a new spray booth is something you do only a few times in the life cycle of a business. A spray booth is indeed a major investment, and the only concerns cannot be price, delivery time or compliance with local laws for this type of equipment.

Of course, these are also important aspects in the final evaluation of a new spray booth. But often, in their haste, entrepreneurs forget to ask themselves essential questions to maximise their investment.

Buying a new spray booth: all aspects to consider

The first aspect to consider when considering the purchase of a spray booth is the reliability of the manufacturer. Turning to leading companies such as USI Italia means finding yourself in front of specialised professionals able to foresee every aspect from now until the end of the system’s life cycle, including the possibility of expanding or modifying the configuration of your bodywork over time.

In fact, not all booths are the same, and above all not all booths fit every workshop. That is why there are many aspects to take into account before placing the order.

Flow of the paint shop

Between a high-production workshop that works with more than four vehicles every day and one with a slower pace, requirements change significantly. For example, those on ‘downtime’ for drying or positioning vehicles.

A high-volume workshop might opt for a booth with an intelligent air heating system that speeds up the paint curing process.

The appropriate air filtration system with manufacturer-labelled and certified material can also affect air speed and quality and indirectly determine the smoothness or otherwise of the painting process. In addition, a booth with TOP-DOWN vertical air flow ensures a cleaner environment, less risk of paint defects, less downtime for cleaning the system and generally tighter work rhythms.

Work space in the bodyshop

If the working space, or rather the bodyshop structure and staff organisation, allow it, the pull-logic solution can also be ideal for optimising processing times and maximising profits. In a spray booth with side drive-through design, in fact, the cars to be processed follow a continuous and smooth flow, without loss of time due to moving many vehicles in a confined space.

Positioning the new spray booth

When thinking about the positioning of the spray booth within your bodyshop, you should not only consider the bare measurements. Those are only one part of the design process. Specialists such as the designers at USI Italia are able to consider every aspect relating to the positioning of a new spray booth: from the extraction system to the workflow, from additional components to other areas of work, from safety to environmental protection, from consumption to energy costs, there are many aspects to consider when imagining the positioning of a new spray booth.

Extra work on structure, electrical system, gas system, plumbing

A new spray booth could (conditional) also involve extra civil engineering work on the structure, electrical system, gas system and plumbing. Cutting concrete, for example, is a very costly activity, as is bringing an old electrical system up to standard or adapting it, or preparing the gas connection from scratch. These are all aspects that can weigh heavily on the economic investment and can often be minimised with intelligent planning.

Actual vs. initial cost

When looking to purchase a new cabin for your finishing operation, in some cases the cabin can be the cheapest part of the project. There is never just the cost of purchasing the booth and installing it. And while the design and construction costs remain broadly similar even for spray booths with purchase prices far apart, the calculation to be made is how much the booth affects the total project, and how much it makes sense to save in percentages to a figure for a system that will work and last for at least a decade.

Faced with skyrocketing energy prices, all companies are addressing the problem of reducing costs by increasing efficiency and saving energy in their production processes. Body shops and paint shops are no exception, considering that in car repair, painting is the most energy-intensive part.

Painting usually takes place inside a special booth and requires a high level of air filtration, both to ensure a healthy working environment for the operators and to avoid the dispersion of contaminants into the environment, and last but not least, to avoid contamination of the painted surfaces.

One of the steps of air filtration is overspray separation, i.e. that part of the sprayed paint that does not settle on the substrate to be painted. Wet overspray separation was the traditional method, and considering the life cycle of a spray booth, there are plants from 25 or 30 years ago that still use it. In the last decade, however, the dry overspray separation system has become the norm, and all operators who wish to contain energy consumption and improve plant efficiency are moving towards it, to reduce energy costs.

Dry separation and wet separation: the differences

Wet separation systems exploit the so-called wettability of particulate matter, preventing it from spreading into the workspace and outside. This is done through a water film fed by nebulizers and filters that separate water vapor from the air.

Conversely, booths with dry filtration systems have suction walls that, thanks to fans, force air through one or more layers of filtration, capturing smaller and smaller particles until the purified air is reintroduced.

The undeniable advantage of the water separation system is its consistency over time, whereas dry filtration systems present the problem of filter capacity decay due to clogging. One would think that in terms of efficiency, wet systems would still perform better. However, this is not the case.

Dry vs. wet: A comparison in terms of efficiency and energy savings

Dry filtration has now become the most popular option in many industries due to its flexibility, lower purchase and installation costs, ease of use and maintenance (no need for anti-foaming agents), and, last but not least, higher energy efficiency.

Modern dry filtration systems, such as the one in our Open Booth, can recycle up to 80 percent of the filtered air, reducing the energy needs for air conditioning and enabling a reduction in energy consumption of up to 60 percent compared to traditional wet filtration systems.