Paint booth cleaning has evolved into a critical step in assuring customers of a high-quality finished product. Manufacturers must deliver this quality while meeting demanding production schedules and tight operating budgets. This has led to significant growth in the use of high-pressure water jetting as an alternative to the traditional methods of chemical stripping and incineration, or burn-off.
Improving paint booth
quality and productivity
with water jet cleaning
"The Leader in Water Jet Technology"
29830 Beck RoadWixom, MI 48393-2824Phone: (248) 624-5555Fax: (248) 624-0908
e-mail: nlbmktg@nlbusa.comwww.nlbcorp.comOver the past 25 years, paint booth cleaning has evolved from a basic maintenance function into a critical step in assuring customers of a high-quality ? nished product. To be competitive today, manufacturers must deliver this quality while meeting demanding production schedules and tight operating budgets. This has led to signi? cant growth in the use of high-pressure water jetting as an alternative to the traditional methods of chemical stripping and incineration, or burn-off.
The need for effective paint booth cleaning is well-documented. High-volume painting operations inevitably leave overspray on walls, conveyors, carriers, skids, and ? oor grates, as well as spray guns and related equipment. When dirt and paint ? akes fall into a fresh paint job, the ? nish is spoiled and expensive repainting is required. Also, paint build-up over time adversely affects precision (keeping hooks, chains, latches, etc. from moving smoothly) and forces motors to work harder, which can lead to overloads. Water jets thoroughly clean the top and sides of grates, in-place.
Many automotive companies and other high-volume manufacturers depend on high-pressure or ultra-high pressure water jetting (typically 10,000 to 40,000 psi) because it quickly and thoroughly removes paint build-up while minimizing downtime and operating costs. The operating pressure is provided by a dedicated pump unit, and the water is delivered through specially-designed nozzles. Water jet equipment can be manual, semi-automated or fully automated, to suit application requirements; some operations use it in-line and others off-line. The process eliminates a number of common steps, as shown in the following illustration.There are six major reasons to consider water jet paint removal.
Thorough cleaning
The process quickly cleans down to bare metal, yet does no damage to painted parts. Fast cleaning of carriers and grates shortens maintenance cycles and increases uptime. Also, removing build-up from spray booth equipment (conveyors, robots, etc.) helps keep it in good working order.
Versatility
Water jets remove virtually any type of ? nish, including E-coat, primers, high solids, isocyanates, enamels, and clearcoats. In other industries, water jets are commonly used to remove hardened resins, unclog heat exchangers, and even cut through concrete.
Labor-saving
Paint booth cleaning has traditionally been a very labor-intensive job, partly because grates must be removed from the booth and carried to a chemical bath or burn-off unit. Water jets clean grates in place, typically reducing man-hours by at least 25 percent and often by 70-to-80 percent (see chart). This is accomplished either with hand-held lances or with rotating jets mounted in semi-automated "lawn mower" Žstyle units. The best-known example of this is the SPIN JET , patented by NLB Corp. in 1977 and widely used in automotive paint facilities around the world.
78 Hours 67 Hours
Removal 24 24
Grate Cleaning Transport 8 8
Labor Comparison 9 HoursCleaning 46 35 9Water JetIncinerationChemicalWater jet grate cleaning has proven so effective that a 1995 study sponsored by the American Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Pollution Prevention Center recommended that it be a weekly practice. The rotating jets can also be directed robotically or mounted in cabinets to clean hooks, chains or carriers as they return from discharging freshly-painted components. (See Automated Systems, next page.)
Environmentally responsible
Since water jets use no chemicals or solvents, disposal is greatly simpli? ed. Also, the process produces no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions, eliminating the time and expense involved in complying with various regulations.
People-friendly
When grates are cleaned with caustics, operating personnel are exposed to chemicals. In burn-off operations, people are exposed to very high heat. Both can be hazardous. Also, both require that the heavy grates be lifted, transported out of the spray booth and replaced with a spare set. This work is very time-consuming, as previously noted, and n... [download for more]
