Abstract: An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

Abstract: A powder spray for lengthy parts includes a booth wall structure comprised primarily of doors. A moveable roof may be raised and lowered to clean powder overspray from the interior surfaces of the booth. A cleaning process may be performed with a sideways extraction mode and a downward extraction mode. The mode change occurs when a bulkhead that travels with the moveable roof blocks the inlet duct to the recovery system. The recovery system may be a cyclone system for example. The doors of the booth are hinged so that they can be positioned for spraying operations and cleaning operations. Live hinge designs are provided and hose stress relief designs are also provided. The roof may carry accumulators for pressurized air that feed cleaning nozzles as the roof descends. In addition, exhaust air may be used to assist cleaning the interior surfaces as the roof descends. All of the energy provided for cleaning and color change may be provided by accumulators.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

Abstract: A spray applicator for particulate material includes a unitary powder passageway sized to be particularly useful with dense phase material flow. An external electrode assembly is provided that is keyed to an air cap that is used to provide atomizing and pattern shaping air to the dense phase material that exits the powder passageway. In this manner a nozzle is not required. A manual and automatic version of the applicator are provided, including a pattern shaping trigger that can be used by the operator to dynamically adjust the spray pattern. An automatic gun version has the multiplier located at a mounting location to reduce bending moments of the elongated gun.

Abstract: Powder overspray that is extracted from a spray booth is recovered back to a powder supply that is used to supply powder to the spray guns inside the spray booth. The powder overspray extracted from the booth is separated from the high flow air stream by a separator such as a cyclone separator. The powder falls into a transfer pan and a vacuum is used to convey the powder from the transfer pan to a vacuum receiver. The powder is then discharged to the feed hopper in the feed center. The use of a vacuum to convey powder from the cyclone to the feed center in effect permits substantially all of the powder overspray to be recovered from the spray booth directly to the feed hopper with minimal dwell or residence time within the cyclone or vacuum receiver subsystems during a spraying operation. The receiver can be rotated for easy cleaning, and the vacuum line cleaned by one or more cleaning elements drawn through the vacuum line.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

Abstract: Powder overspray that is extracted from a spray booth is recovered back to a powder supply that is used to supply powder to the spray guns inside the spray booth. The powder overspray extracted from the booth is separated from the high flow air stream by and then discharged to a feed center. By recovering overspray powder in this fashion, the time required for a color change operation in the powder spray system is greatly reduced.

Abstract: A powder spray booth includes a booth canopy wall arrangement to contain powder during a spraying operation; and a booth floor that is rotatable relative to the booth wall during a spraying operation. The floor can be rotated about an axis that is also the longitudinal axis of the spray booth. The booth may be generally cylindrical in shape with a round floor. The booth canopy and top are supported on a base frame separately from the floor. By this arrangement, the floor can be rotated relative to the booth canopy. A powder extraction apparatus in the form of a low pressure duct suspended off the floor draws up powder that has collected on the floor. The extraction duct is stationary with respect to the rotating floor during a spraying operation. The floor may also be translated along the axis of rotation between a first position in which the floor can rotate and a second position in which the floor is sealed against a lower edge of the booth canopy wall.

Abstract: A material supply for a material application system such as a powder coating application system includes a feed hopper in the form of a duct. The duct is connectable to negative pressure during a color change process and is disconnected from the negative pressure during a spray application process. The negative pressure can be provided from a powder overspray recovery system such as an after filter blower. Dampers are provided to control air flow through the hopper duct and to allow the duct to be at ambient pressure during a supply mode of operation. The hopper duct also includes a suction interface for pumps, in the form of a siphon ring, as well as a fluidizing function. A removable sieve is provided with an optional vibration feature. Powder may be added to the duct via an access door or transfer pumps for new powder and/or reclaimed powder overspray.

Abstract: A material supply for a material application system such as a powder coating application system includes a feed hopper in the form of a duct. The duct is connectable to negative pressure during a color change process and is disconnected from the negative pressure during a spray application process. The negative pressure can be provided from a powder overspray recovery system such as an after filter blower. Dampers are provided to control air flow through the hopper duct and to allow the duct to be at ambient pressure during a supply mode of operation. The hopper duct also includes a suction interface for pumps, in the form of a siphon ring, as well as a fluidizing function. A removable sieve is provided with an optional vibration feature. Powder may be added to the duct via an access door or transfer pumps for new powder and/or reclaimed powder overspray.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for removing powder overspray from the exterior surfaces within a spray booth, especially the exterior surfaces of a spray gun assembly. These surfaces may include the spray gun housing and nozzle, a tube mount housing for the tube mount configurations, and in some embodiments the various hoses and lines that are coupled to the spray gun in a bar mount configuration. In one embodiment, powder overspray is removed from such surfaces or other surfaces within the spray booth by applying a cleaning or powder removal agent/article in contact with the surfaces to knock off, wipe, blow or otherwise remove the powder overspray. The cleaning agent/article may take many forms, including but not limited to fluids including air or liquid, negative pressure or suction, charged ions, positive pressure within the spray gun assembly, or any number and variety of cleaning devices such as but not limited to brushes, cloth, sponges, wipers and so on.

Abstract: A powder coating booth containment structure including first and second canopy halves, each of which is a substantially nonconductive, seamless, structural composite to substantially reduce oversprayed powder particle adhesion to the booth inner surfaces. The composite canopy halves, when assembled into a spray booth additionally including either a floor or a utility base and one or a pair of end units in the form of aperture bulkheads, vestibules, or a combination of both, are structurally sufficiently strong that no external support frame is required. The composite canopy halves can each include sidewall and ceiling portions, in an embodiment, that can be connected to a floor. In another embodiment, the canopy halves each additionally include a floor portion such that they may be connected together at a floor edge and placed atop a utility base. They may be connected to the utility base.

Abstract: Powder overspray that is extracted from a spray booth is recovered back to a powder supply that is used to supply powder to the spray guns inside the spray booth. The powder overspray extracted from the booth is separated from the high flow air stream by a separator such as a cyclone separator. The powder falls into a transfer pan and a vacuum is used to convey the powder from the transfer pan to a vacuum receiver. The powder is then discharged to the feed hopper in the feed center. The use of a vacuum to convey powder from the cyclone to the feed center in effect permits substantially all of the powder overspray to be recovered from the spray booth directly to the feed hopper with minimal dwell or residence time within the cyclone or vacuum receiver subsystems during a spraying operation. The receiver can be rotated for easy cleaning, and the vacuum line cleaned by one or more cleaning elements drawn through the vacuum line.

Abstract: A powder coating booth containment structure including first and second canopy halves, each of which is a substantially nonconductive, seamless, structural composite to substantially reduce oversprayed powder particle adhesion to the booth inner surfaces. The composite canopy halves, when assembled into a spray booth additionally including either a floor or a utility base and one or a pair of end units in the form of aperture bulkheads, vestibules, or a combination of both, are structurally sufficiently strong that no external support frame is required. The composite canopy halves can each include sidewall and ceiling portions, in an embodiment, that can be connected to a floor. In another embodiment, the canopy halves each additionally include a floor portion such that they may be connected together at a floor edge and placed atop a utility base. They may be connected to the utility base.