Camfil is the market leader when it comes to the delicate balance needed for the unique air ventilation of the automotive industry.
One of the most important parts of automotive painting is the design and construction of the air circulation and filtration system for the paint booth. Air within the booth needs to be kept clean not only for health reasons, but also to achieve good results with the painting process itself. Chemicals and particles left in the air from the paint are, of course, hazardous to humans and the environment and must be removed. Dust, dirt and other particles are also a problem as they can affect how the paint adheres to surfaces, as well as how it looks when the painting process is complete.
In addition to the need to remove all of these different particles from the air, the way the air in the paint booth circulates is also a concern. Air that moves too rapidly, or in the wrong direction, will have an effect on the finished process. A properly designed paint booth ventilation system has to take all of these things into account. Everything has to be managed properly and carefully in order to meet the demanding needs of this very unique environment.
Finding The Right Balance
The basic concept of how the air in a paint booth should flow is fairly simple, however, getting the desired results is a delicate process that requires careful engineering. The idea is that while spraying is going on, the airflow in the booth should move the over-spray away from the paint job and out of the booth.
The biggest problem in putting together an effective ventilation system is controlling both negative and positive air pressure to achieve the right balance. When the exhaust fans in a paint booth are turned on, a negative air pressure space is created. Working on the same principle as a vacuum cleaner, when the exhaust fans start pulling air out, the booth will pull in air to replace it from wherever it can. If this effect is not controlled, air will come in from any crack or opening, bringing with it all of the dirt, debris and particles from outside.
To counter and control the effect of the negative air space, an air makeup unit must be used. Just as exhaust fans suck air out of an area, the air makeup unit pushes air into an area. If the makeup unit pushes more air into the area than the exhaust fans pull out, the area becomes a positive pressure space. In this case, air from inside the paint booth would actually be forced out, pushing debris and outside air away, rather than sucking it inside.
When a booth is said to be balanced, this means that the exhaust unit and makeup unit are both moving the same amount of air. In this scenario, if the door to the booth is opened, the pressure inside will become negative, and outside air and debris will be drawn into the room.
When the makeup unit is pushing in more air than is being removed by exhaust units, positive pressure will be maintained if a door is opened. This will force air out of the booth, repelling outside air and debris. Because of this, a positive pressure configuration will help to keep a paint booth cleaner overall.
Other Effects On Airflow
In addition to managing the general airflow of a paint booth, other factors, such as air filters and items being painted must be considered. For example, if a room’s air pressure is balanced and then a large object is placed inside for painting, this reduces the volume of air in the room. If the ventilation system configuration remains the same, the balanced environment would become a positive pressure space and the airflow would change.
Filters will also have an effect on the positive or negative pressure in a paint booth. If we start with a balanced room and allow exhaust filters to become clogged, air leaving the room will be less than air entering the room and create a positive pressure. The reverse is also true. If exhaust filters are clean but incoming filters become clogged, a negative pressure will be created.
Experience Brings Great Results
It takes a great amount of experience and expertise to get everything right when it comes to meeting the unique air ventilation and quality needs of the automotive industry. Camfil is proud to be leading the industry with more than 50 years of experience and technological innovation.
We currently provide clean air and associated services to many major automotive plants throughout the world. We provide the best possible cost-effective clean air solutions which are customized and performance-optimized to meet your specific demands.
Camfil provides a comprehensive, single-sourced solution by extending our range of services to meet the changing needs of our customers. As a market leader, we have harnessed the expertise of leading specialists to deliver Best Engineering Practice solutions that complement the dedicated site services offered by our in-house personnel.
Lynne Laake
Camfil USA Air Filters
T: 888.599.6620,
E:Lynne.Laake@camfil.com
F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook
T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter
Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube
