Airless paint sprayers apply paints by means of atomization. The fluid to be sprayed is pumped at high pressures through a very small orifice. When the fluid enters the atmosphere, it breaks up into little droplets, forming a sheet. This allows for accurate control over the application of the fluid.
Airless spray guns operate while connected to a high pressure pump commonly producing 300 to 7,500 psi (or about 20 to 500 bar) pressure to atomize the liquid to be sprayed, using different tip sizes to achieve the desired spray pattern. This type of system is generally used by contract painters for easy painting of heavy duty industrial, domestic, chemical, anti-corrosion and marine coatings.
Advantages of airless paint sprayers
- The coating penetrates better into pits and crevices.
- A uniform thick coating is produced, reducing the number of coats required.
- A very "wet" coating is applied, ensuring good adhesion and flow-out.
In addition to this, many coatings can be sprayed with less amounts of thinner added, which reduces drying time and decreases the release of harmful solvents. Other advantages of airless spraying technology include reduced over-spray, quicker application, smoother finishes, easier spraying, and easier cleaning.
Airless spray atomizes, or breaks up fluid into small droplets without the use of compressed air. In an airless system, fluid is pumped under high pressure through a spray tip. The tip size and pressure is what determines the material flow rate.
The tip also creates the fan pattern. In contrast, air spray systems inject compressed air into the fluid stream of paint to achieve atomization.
In airless spray, the fast moving high-pressure liquid stream provides the energy necessary to overcome the fluid’s viscosity (resistance to flow) and surface tension (a force that bonds the surface of a liquid together) to form a fine spray.
In the depiction of spray from a gun, high pressure forces fluid through a small nozzle (spray tip). The fluid emerges as a solid stream (sheet) at a high speed. When the solid stream hits the air, it becomes disrupted. This disruption breaks the fluid into fragments initially, then ultimately very small droplets that form the spray pattern.
Advantages of Airless Sprayers
Airless sprayers provide an easy and economical way to apply coatings. Professional contractors prefer to use airless sprayers for several reasons, the most popular being:
SPEED
Airless spraying is faster, thus, more jobs can be completed in less time, using less labor. Airless spraying is up to 4 times faster than brushing or rolling.
QUALITY
Airless sprayers produce an even coat of paint on all types of surfaces, leaving a high quality finish.
VERSATILITY
Airless sprayers can be used for a wide range of coating materials, including interior and exterior jobs, and can easily be transported from job site to job site
Airless Spray for Uniform Coverage
It is important to consider how much faster spraying is compared to other methods. Equally important to your customer is how spraying gives a consistent quality finish, even over rough surfaces.
Airless spraying allows you to :
- Finish jobs quicker
- Finish within short weather windows
- Stay on a job site from start to finish, saving set-up labor
- Complete more jobs with less labor (fewer people headaches)
- Provide a consistent mil build so coatings perform better
- Apply a smooth quality finish
Graco
Founded in 1926, Graco is a world leader in fluid handling systems and components. Graco products move, measure, control, dispense and apply a wide range of fluids and viscous materials used in the Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial and Construction sectors.
In recent years Graco have introduced a number of innovations into the marketplace that are aimed at improving productivity while reducing running costs. These include :
- Promix 2Ks
- Promix 2KE
- Electrostatic Guns
- Reactor
- E-Flo
- NXT pumps
- Merkur
- Triton
Fluid Handling Solutions Ltd., is an Authorised Distributor for Graco products and services. All of our staff have many years experience either working directly or indirectly for Graco. This ensures a knowledge base of Graco products that is second to none among our contemporaries. We are therefore able to offer the most appropriate products to suit your individual needs at competitive prices.
