Paint Cameras In Production. How to Avoid the Expense of Electric Power

Growing in recent energy prices have led to the fact that more and more people are starting to ask themselves: how much will the operation of the camera cost after its purchase?

That is why in this article we decided to consider in detail the cost of operating the spray booth. We will not dwell on the problem of cleanliness in the cell, as well as the constant and periodic maintenance of expensive equipment, since these issues should be for all users of cameras as obvious as periodic cleaning in a dwelling and its repair.

In this paper, we will consider the problem of power consumption during the operation of spray booths.

So, what's new in the technology of spray booths? Frankly speaking, nothing. Most of the design solutions are known on the market. Let's start with a solution that is very important for all future and real users. It's about using inverters.

Suppliers of paint chambers are increasingly beginning to offer motor control with the help of inverters (frequency converters, hereinafter referred to as "inverters"). This is especially true for large-size chambers for painting cars, buses with powerful engines from 11 kW and burners (350 kW). Then, the use of such equipment brings concrete and tangible benefits. The principle of this solution is very simple, although in practice the implementation of such a system is not so simple and obvious. The algorithm is given below.

After entering the bus or car in the painting chamber, it is prepared for painting. In this phase, the operation of fans at full power is not advisable, since in the cabin only maintenance of the operating temperature is required. In this mode, the inverter automatically reduces the power of the fans to 30-40% (10-20 thousand m3). With this passage of air, the burner will consume a moderate amount of fuel. Electric motors will also consume significantly less electricity.

Then the process of applying the paint begins. Here, more air is required (24-26 thousand m3) in order to maintain a certain frequency of air exchange in accordance with the instructions. In paint mode, the inverter turns on the engines at 80-85% of the optimum power.

Again, the total power of the electric motors is not required, and thus electricity is again saved. The burner will operate at lower levels, which also leads to a saving in fuel consumption.

If necessary, more power (frosty winters), we will have a suitable power reserve, ensuring a quiet work.

The mode of airing the spray booth after painting is especially important, especially when it comes to water-soluble paints. In this case, it is necessary to bring the maximum amount of air heated to a temperature of 20-30 ° C. The drives programmed in the blowdown mode include electric motors at full power (30-35 thousand m3) for maximum air supply. This phase lasts 5-10 minutes, and only in this case the total power is required.

After applying all layers of paint, the drying phase begins. Again, this mode requires 50-60% of the power of the fans. The level of air supply is almost the same as in the color phase. It is also worth noting that modern manufacturers of paint chambers with IF technology combine the work of the burner and motors into a single automated process, which makes it possible to heat the chamber to 60 ° C in a very short time, resulting in cost savings.

After the drying process, the cooling phase begins. In modern equipment there is a cooling mode. And in this phase there is no need to use the full power of the units. The inverter limits the power output to 30-40%.

IF - expensive devices, the use of which is not always advisable. Experience and practice shows that when using 7.5 kW motors and a 220 kW burner, the cost of installing and using the drive will pay for itself only after 4-5 years. For engines of 11 kW and a burner of 350 kW, the payback will be about 18 months due to the consumption of electricity.

Of course, the more cycles are produced in the camera, the faster the payback of inverters. The above applies to industries that perform at least 15-20 cycles per week.