How to Increase Paint Spray Booth Efficiency? | JMC Auto

How do cars and boats get that shiny and perfect painted finish? You can thank quality tools, top-notch paint, and experts who put their time and passion into every project. These things are much easier to manage when you have a paint spray booth, something that every auto repair shop and auto body shop that provides paint jobs needs.

A booth will reduce the need to redo jobs, and consequently, the amount of energy you use. However, just having one to have one is not enough. You and your employees should also know how to set it up and use it efficiently.

What is a paint spray booth?

A paint spray booth is a clean and clear workspace designed to provide you with all the tools you need to give a quality paint job to every vehicle that comes into your shop—whether it be a truck, boat, plane, or even an appliance. The parts are driven, towed, or brought in on a conveyor belt.

Booths with open fronts ensure that overspray does not occur and help lower the risk of fires or explosions. Even better, booths that are enclosed on all sides provide a space clear of all humidity and air-bound particles, like dust and dirt.

Different airflow designs are possible; however, all will include exhaust systems to catch the air particles and vapors within the enclosed area. If any contaminants land on the paint while it is drying, the finish would be ruined—which would force you to start the process all over again.

In sum, a paint spray booth is used not only to produce a top-notch paint service, but also to help shops and their painters adhere to safety standards.

Ensuring efficiency

You can take the following steps to increase area, energy, equipment, and process efficiency within your booth.

Proper lighting

The lower the quality of lighting, the harder it is for painters to assess the quality of their work. Purchase higher caliber bulbs, such as LEDs, and place them strategically to light up the work area sufficiently. When you use less lights overall, you are cutting down on energy. The answer may be as simple as changing the angles or placement!

Frequent maintenance

Do not wait until your machinery is run down or even breaks down before getting it checked out. Being on top of equipment maintenance is key in a smooth running system—especially if you work on many large scale products daily.

One essential part of this is changing the system’s filter. Filters can get clogged from air and paint particles very easily, so you should clean it out about every 50-60 hours. Of course this all depends on your specific daily workload. Schedule regular check-ups throughout the year and at a rate that makes sense for your operations.

Controlling energy usage

The tools and machines used will naturally eat up large amounts of energy. How do you cut down on this to save money and help out the environment?

One way is to use energy efficient tools and set timers for paint jobs. Another tip is to get a control panel to manage the space and the tools inside the booth; with one, you can easily keep track of bake hours, temperature, and information about the paint recipes and equipment. Panels will even keep an eye on when filters need changing.

Space and layout

When it comes to space, you are going to need a lot of it. This is especially true for auto repair shops that work on pieces and products that are large in size. Additionally, the speed and efficiency of the workers largely will depend on how much room they have to move about and reach the product with ease.

Ask yourself: Will you have to extend ceiling space to accommodate lifts? The goal is to make it as compact as possible, but without jeopardizing operation efficiency. You will also need to add a storage area for tools, as well as paint and cleaning supplies. These considerations are for both convenience and safety.

Finally, what is the entire layout of your shop? For the cleanest results, have your booth positioned onwards from the prep and sanding station.

Purchasing the right equipment

Always aim to research and invest in the latest designs in equipment and tools. Educate your workers properly on how to use them safely.

JMC Automotive Equipment sells a variety of paint spray booths, equipment, and prep and paint mixing rooms. With their help, auto shops can decide which kind of setup is best for them.

Every shop is unique, so finding the right tools to execute the smoothest process will be different for everyone. What JMC Equipment can assure is that an upgrade in how you paint will be beneficial for both you and your customers!