The temperature levels within a paint booth are known to significantly influence the overall efficiency and productivity of these units. As such, temperature can affect not only the quality of finishes, but the curing time and even the quality of air within the booth. To this end, paint booths must always be configured in a way that enables them to seamlessly adapt to the changing weather conditions throughout the 4 seasons of the year. Essentially, you and your team will need to do all you can to ensure your spray booth can maintain the ideal temperatures at different seasons of the year. Also, there shouldn’t be any extra moisture in the air circulating in it, and the area within and without the unit, should facilitate effective ventilation at all times. You should also be ready for the chaotic transitions between winter and spring and fall and winter, which can throw out of kilter the operations of paint booths. Let’s take a closer look at how the different seasons of the year, especially the summer and winter seasons affect spray paint booth operations.
The summer season
Generally speaking, by far the greatest issue you will encounter during the hot summer months with your paint booth is humidity. Humidity has the uncanny knack to impregnate moisture into the air. This given moisture usually mixes with solvents in paint, which in the long run, culminates in poor finishes. The end result is huge bubbling since the paint dries up very fast and the chemicals in it react badly. Also, when your spray booth operators are sweating heavily during paint job operations, there is always a potent risk of the sweat dripping off from them contaminating the finish. In more cases than not, the paint job finishes will be ruined resulting in your team having to begin anew.
The winter season
Ideally, the cold weather conditions that characterize the winter season are the ones that present the greatest challenge for spray paint booth operations. Consequently, in such weather you will be forced to spend more on energy bills to make sure your unit is heated up at the appropriate temperature. One of the most notable issues with cold conditions within a paint booth is condensation. As an example, when you heat up your vehicle during chilly conditions, condensation will definitely show up on your windshield. This is also the case when you introduce cold items to be painted into your heated booth.
This condensation, if not checked, mixes with the chemicals in industrial paint, resulting in diminutive bumps appearing in the finish. On the other hand, cold weather may make paint thicken as your paint operators spray the item being processed. In turn, this can leave a filmy residue on the finish which makes it difficult for paint to adhere effectively on the items you wish to work on. Lastly, in a spray booth, it takes much longer for painted items to dry up in cold weather, and normally ends in paint running completely and thereby ruining the paint job. Once this occurs, your paint operators will be forced to remove the paint and start the whole process anew.
Tips for operating a paint booth efficiently during the summer season
As previously mentioned, humidity is the biggest problem you will face during the operations of your spray paint booth in the hotter months of the year. In such circumstances, investing in an efficient central air cooling system can prove to be a lifesaver. While this might eventually equate to exorbitant energy bills if your paint booth operates throughout the day, if your paint booth is well insulated, you will be able to realize much savings through improved productivity.
Tips for operating a paint booth during the winter season
Proper temperature control in a spray booth during the cold winter months has more to do with external conditions than the actual temperature within the unit. The most important factor which will dictate the kind of heating option at your disposal is the exact size of your booth. The bigger the spray paint booth, the higher the costs will be to keep its temperature at a suitable and consistent level. Additionally, a well-insulated unit will help you save on energy costs because it is much easier to keep indoor temperature levels consistent.
Enter summer/winter mode air makeup units (AMUs)
Air makeup units that come complete with summer/winter modes may as well be an excellent investment for efficiently regulating temperature levels within a paint booth regardless of the exact season of the year you run its operations. These innovative systems can make sure you may achieve baseline temperatures in your unit in a markedly convenient and hassle-free manner. AMUs with summer/winter functionalities are specifically designed to completely do away with the issues related to frequent fluctuations in temperature in a spray booth and ensure finishing operations run smoothly all year long. In the summer mode, the burner on the unit’s heater will remain deactivated during the spray mode. On the flip side, in the winter mode, the burner will be activated to provide heat and humidity control to the booth.
Storing paint during both the summer and winter season
When storing industrial paint, it is always essential to take into account the right temperature it ought to be stored over the course of the year. Whenever the temperature levels are either extremely hot or cold, the paint’s shelf life might be shortened. For instance, water-based paint stored at temperatures beneath freezing (32oF) gel particularly after multiple freeze/thaw cycles. Alternatively, at higher temperatures than 110oF, paint can form crusts on their upper layer. In turn, this triggers settling and causes the paint to gel.
All in all, to keep your industrial paint in good condition for longer, you should always ensure the area you store it maintains the ideal temperature range. This can be done by either heating or cooling the room as required during winter and summer respectively.
ZPar International is a leading provider of diverse spray booths including automotive, industrial and outdoor varieties. We also offer top-notch and intuitive customer support to all our clients including fitting summer/winter mode air makeup units to guarantee optimal unit efficiency and productivity through the entire year.