The truism about questions is that there are no dumb ones. That may or may not be the case, but it is definitely true that every question that arises should be asked with regard to purchasing and installing a new paint booth in your business location. Herewith is a fairly comprehensive list of questions for which you should get a satisfactory answer from your prospective paint booth provider.
Until a few short decades ago, the process for selection of any business partner was to look in the yellow pages under their specific category, give their number a call to make sure they are still in business and provide what you need, and then go to assess their operation in person. Now, in the age of the internet, that interaction may have changed a little, but the same due diligence is required to acquire a business partner who will deliver with the product you need and the installation it requires.
As initial gatekeeping operations, call the Better Business Bureau to see if they are registered, and whether they are or not, to see if any complaints have been filed about them. Other sources of customer reviews may not be authoritative or universally reliable, but they provide another insight into how this business is viewed within its business community. If your prospective paint booth provider passes this first round, the next concern is with the equipment they provide and the manner in which they provide it. Do their photos of the equipment look clear, complete, and professional? If they are not the manufacturer, are they licensed by the manufacturer as an authorized distributor? Can you call and talk to a live representative, just like in the old yellow pages days? You are going to want to do that when you discuss what they have to offer and how they can install one (or more) of their products in facility, providing you with a turnkey painting operation that will, in turn, generate products with optimum sprayed finishes.
If you are an experienced spray finish purveyor, either independently or as a component of your manufacturing processes, you may already know what configuration you want for your installed paint booth(s), but your conversation with the paint booth vendor/installer should reveal all of the current options and help you choose the optimal arrangement for your operation.
The primary distinctions between the varieties of paint booths are the patterns of intake and exhaust airflows. The consideration of what else is going on in the space immediately outside the booth should have an impact on the choice you make. The pitted downdraft model may provide the most “secure” arrangement, in terms of protecting the object being sprayed from overspray or airborne contaminants – but it also carries the substantial price tag of creating a concrete pit below the floor of the paint booth. To oversimplify the other alternatives, there are: 1. in through the front corners, out through the rear corners (crossflow); 2. in through the ceiling, out through the rear corners (semi-downdraft); and 3. in through the ceiling, out through the side walls. All of these options should be discussed with the prospective vendor, both to verify the extent of their expertise and to determine the best alternative for your application.
Whichever option you choose, after an informed and informative conversation with the vendor, they should be able to provide documented cases of their successful installation (and subsequent operation) of one or more units in that configuration. It shouldn’t require stating, but in these times it does: ensure that all of the equipment you are purchasing is new, first line, and warrantied.
There are questions that need to be answered before selections and purchase, that may be your responsibility to ascertain, without depending on the vendor (though they may, ideally, know from their extensive experience). What are the local codes which apply to spray booth installation and operation in your location? Can the vendor provide you with an industrial paint booth that complies with those codes and delivers the quality paint jobs you need?
The more personal interaction involved in this vendor selection process, the better. You as the user, as well as the purchaser, of this significant investment in your commercial/industrial operations, should feel reassured about every aspect of the prospective vendor: their knowledge of paint both operations and installation, the breadth of their knowledge about applicable options like wiring (dependent on your current electrical infrastructure) and like heating, which, when included as an option installed with the paint booth, can accelerate the drying time and thereby enhance a guaranteed top-quality finish.
Include all of these considerations as you run down your list of prospective paint booth providers, being sure to include Zpar in that list. We are confident that our qualifications will bubble us to the top of that list. We look forward to fulfilling all your paint booth needs.