Air Atomising Spray Guns - Explained
The spray gun is the key component in a finishing system and is a precision engineered and manufactured instrument.
Each gun type and size is specifically designed to perform a certain, defined range of tasks.
As in most other areas of finishing work, having the right tool for the job goes a long way
toward getting professional results.
A thorough understanding of the differences between systems will allow you to select the right gun, to use it properly to produce a high quality finish and to contribute toward a profitable
finishing operation.
1. What is Transfer Efficiency?
This is a measure of how much paint sprayed by the gun actually reaches and lands on the surface being coated.
To accurately measure this efficiency requires specialised equipment in a laboratory and so the test cannot be easily carried out in a customers spray shop.
The test method usually ignores the quantity of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) in the coating and is based upon its Solids Content.
This is because a large percentage of the VOC will evaporate between the gun and object and otherwise give misleading results.
2. What is an Air Atomising spray gun?
An air atomising spray gun is a tool which uses compressed air to atomise paint, or other sprayable material, and to apply it to a surface.
Air and material enter the gun through separate passages and are mixed at the air cap in a controlled pattern.
3. What is a Conventional Air Atomising Gun?
This is the standard type of gun that has been available for many years.
It uses high velocity air jets to break up the paint. A high quality atomisation and finish normally results.
However, the high air speed also results in a high bounce-back and a relatively
low transfer efficiency.
