3 Surface preparation and application equipment Objective When you have gone through this chapter you should be able to explain the different surface preparation methods used for surface treatment of various metals select the correct working techniques, machines, equipment and materials used for surface preparation select the correct equipment for paint application Introduction This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is about surface preparation equipment. To a very large extent the condition, location and required degree of cleanliness of the substrate determine which equipment must be used for the sur- face preparation. There is a wide variation in the various groups of equipment, from the use of wirebrushes and scrapers for simple pretreatment to the use of blast cleaning equipment where the requirements for cleanliness and capacity are high. Water blasting equipment (ultra high pressure water jetting equipment) removes, in an environmentally friendly way, water-soluble contaminants together with rust and old paint without the use of abrasives. The second part discusses application equipment. Also in the case of this group of equipment there is a wide distance between extremities. On the one hand, we have hand tools like brushes, rollers, mitts or gloves, and, on the other hand, ad- vanced multi-component spray systems and fully automated, robotized plants for paints and powder coatings. Increasing environmental awareness and stricter regulations of the emission of hazardous, volatile components in paints and varnishes have forced the manufac- turers of paints and application equipment to new thinking. Within industry, ship- ping and the offshore oil industry large quantities of paint are spray-applied, and today solvent-less or solvent-free paints are used to a very great extent. The manu- facturers of spray equipment have developed the equipment to be suitable for these, often highly viscous, paints and made it more powerful, and in some cases they can offer heating devices in order to lower the viscosity and thereby improve sprayability and flow properties. Within finishes paints, where the requirements to the result of the application are very strict, the content of harmful solvents has been very high in order to obtainsolvent-borne types. The manufacturers have developed spray equipment which produces less spray fog than conventional equipment. This has been achieved by combining airless equipment and conventional equipment (low pressure equipment), reducing the atomizing pressure and increasing the volume of air of conventional spraying. In some cases the atomizing air is heated. Surface preparation equipment Wirebrushes Hand tools used for steel structures are wirebrushes, scrapers, hammers and needle guns. In addition, various types of grinding paper and pads are used. Two to six row, single-hand wirebrushes and long-handled large brushes are available. The most common single-hand brushes have two, three and four rows. The two row types are used for corners and crevices. They are too small and soft for large areas where brushes with more rows or long-handled brushes should be used. The biggest brushes have a large area of contact to the substrate. Great power must be applied if the brush is to do more than just “skim” across the rust. This is also a problem even when using long-handled brushes where the handle is held with two hands all the time. If multi-row brushes are used, it is also difficult to clean grooves and pits in the substrate. On such sites the tip of the brush must be used. Brushes without a raised handle are worn mostly at the front. This is because these brushes must be slightly tipped when used in order to avoid bruised knuckles. After some time in use 2-3 cm at the front of the brush will have lost the steel bristles or have too short bristles. The resulting bared end makes it impossible to wirebrush inside Corners. We can solve the problem either by cutting off the bared end as far as to the,“*fresh” bristles, or we may simply replace the brush. orm: Figure 3.1 If the wirebrush has a “straight“ handle, the brush is tipped forward and the wire bristles are worn mostly near the tip Wirebrushes with a raised handle are worn more evenly because the brush can be held flat against the substrate without the hand grazing the surface. a Fi igure 3.2 Wirebrushes with a raised handle can be held flat against the substrate without bruising the knuckles. The wire bristles will be worn more evenly In narrow crevices, holes and notches special brushes are used. Within the shipping industry these are usually called notchling brushes. 70 CORROSION PROTECTIONZe, Figure 3.3 The notchling brush resembles a small round painting brush No matter how thoroughly wirebrushing is carried out, it is impossible to remove all rust. The best result is obtained when the rust to be removed only consists of a thin layer. If wirebrushing is done on thick rust layers, the result may easily be burnishing instead of rust removal. Scrapers The more rust and old paint to be removed, the more cutting power must be em- ployed. In this case a scraper can be among the tools to use. Both wirebrushing and scraping should actually be carried out irrespective of whether there is much or little rust and old paint to be removed. Mainly, three types of scrapers are used: angle scraper, triangle scraper and tungsten carbide scraper. : Angle scrapers in different sizes are the scrapers most widely used for steel substrates. They have two edges. One is held at an angle of 90° against the substrate, the other from 0° up to 60°. Angle scrapers are sturdy and the larger versions can in many cases be used for striking or scraping off weld spatter. A disadvantage of these scrapers is that they become blunt more quickly than the tungsten carbide scrapers. - Angle scraper Lev Triangle scraper / -— ‘Tungsten carbide scraper Figure 3.4 Scrapers The angle scrapers must be sharpened by means of a file. In practice this will prove to be quickly done if a file is carried in the pocket. The triangle scrapers have three edges. Consequently, the scrapers remain sharp longer than the angle scrapers. However, triangular scrapers are not used very extensively for steel. They may be perceived as having too little weight. The blades are relatively thin. They can be sharpened but are also replaceable. Some scraper designs are not robust enough. The sharp corners of the blades are handy for clean- ing of crevices. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 721Scrapers with tungsten carbide blades are the sharpest and cut most effectively. They remain sharp for a long time, but are easily broken when scraping off protru- sions etc. When thick rust layers and thick coats of old paint are to be removed, also these scrapers may be felt to be too light. Effective scraping demands that the scraper is held with both hands. This also applies to the triangle scrapers. Electric and pneumatic power tools When major jobs are to be carried out, compressed-air powered (pneumatic) ma- chines are most commonly used. The electrically powered tools are sensitive to the fine dust produced during the wirebrushing. In addition, they are quite easily over- loaded. The compressed-air types are robust, allow heavy loads and are not sensi- tive to dust. The machines must be lubricated with pneumatic tool oil. The oil both lubricates and prevents any moisture in the compressed air from freezing. A lubri- cating cup or oil-mist lubricator can be mounted on the air inlet. The oi] can also be fed directly into the air line, but it is easy to fill in too much. If too much oil is introduced, the excess oil will be carried out of the machine together with the ex- haust air, Oil will then be sprayed onto cleaned surfaces or surfaces to be treated. It is often difficult to detect the oil because it may appear in spots or as a thin film on the surface. In either case, all oil must be removed before any paint is applied. On the machines (both electric and pneumatic) so-called cup brushes are mounted. They are available in different sizes and are selected on the basis of the machine power and the condition of the surface. The peripheral speed of the brushes should be between 25 m/s and 35 m/s. They can be made from many single, crimped wires or wires twisted together in knots. Knotted cup brushes are usually more stiff than those with single wires. The wire diameter can be within the range of 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. Figure 3.5 Pneumatic tool with cup brush The tool must not be pressed so hard against the surface that the wires are flattened. Ifa severely rusted substrate is being brushed, there is a great risk that the surface will become burnished. The degree of burnishing increases with decreasing stiff- ness of the brush, and if the bristles are flattened out. A burnished surface results in poor adhesion of the paint, and the major part of the rust remains attached to the surface. In addition to the particles ripped from the surface during the brushing, eventu- ally also bristles from the brush will come off. Consequently, it is not enough to protect only one’s eyes with goggles. Bare skin must be covered because loose wires may penetrate like needles. 72 CORROSION PROTECTIONMechanical grinding equipment For removal of rust and old paint flexible fibre discs mounted on a rubber roundel are used. The flexible fibre discs are provided with glued-on abrasives in the shape of larger or smaller grains. Grains with a diameter from 0.25 mm to 0.4 mm are widely used. When welding seams are to be ground and protrusions etc. to be removed, hard discs are used. For mechanical grinding largely the same machines are used as for mechanical wirebrushing. A disadvantage of mechanical grinding is that it is impossible to clean craters and pits in the surface. Besides, melting paint will get stuck on the disc and “seal” it. Mechanical grinding usually produces a cleaner surface on smooth substrates than mechanical wirebrushing. Grinding roundels, grinding wheels and grinding pads Scotch-Brite Clean N Strip roundels and wheels are eminently suited for the re- moval of rust, old paint, oxide films and temporary chromate protection on galva- nized steel. The materials used in the grinding roundels and grinding wheels have an open construction, are flexible and without metal particles. The ground-off ma- terial does not stick and consequently does not seal off the roundels or wheels. Scotch-Brite is also available as grinding pads. Grinding paper and pads are useful tools for removal of loosely adhering rust. and may also be used advantageously for roughening of painted surfaces before the fresh coat is applied. {cringing materials Binder Fibres Figure 3.6 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT = 73Figure 3.8 Scotch-Brite roundels 74 Corrosion protectionFigure 3.9 Scotch-Brite grinding pads Chipping hammers and needle guns This work can be carried out both by hand tools as well as by electric and pneu- matic (compressed-air driven) equipment The manual work is carried out by means of chippers, hammers or chisel-like tools. The electric tools are wheel or belt machines. They are designed for cleaning large, mainly horizontal surfaces. Rotating chains or in some cases sharp wheels or rollers produce the cleaning. A common feature of these types of equipment is that they leave large scars or marks in the steel surface. When overcoated, the peaks may easily stick out of the paint film. In addition, the chipping or hammering leave severe stresses in the steel surface. Pneumatic chipping hammers are impact tools where the compressed air pow- ers one or more pistons. The pistons move inside cylinders. Some pneumatic chip- ping hammers have short, hammer-like pistons with star-shaped tungsten carbide edges. Figure 3.10 Air powered, one-cylinder chipping hammer 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT = 75,Another type is the pneumatic chisel. The chisel itself is mounted inside the tubular tool body where it is moved quickly back and forth by a small air motor. The chisels may have edges of different widths depending on the size and shape of the substrate. ‘The needle gun is the most widely used pneumatic impact tool for the removal of rust and old paint. The tool is very similar to the pneumatic chisel, but is often rather bigger. Instead of a chisel a large number of needles do the actual job. The number of needles can be from 20 to just over 100. Their lengths are from 480 to 500 mm and the diameter from 2 to 4 mm. The needles move independently of each other. Consequently, it is easy to get to clean cavities, corners, angles, bolts, rivets, nuts, welding seams and other irregularities. In contrast to the pneumatic rust hammers and chisels, which may leave ugly marks in the steel if not cautiously used, the needle guns are more “gentle”, also in the case of rather rough treatment. Flame-cleaning equipment In principle, flame-cleaning equipment is similar to equipment used for flame cut- ting. It consists of cylinders for fuel gas (acetylene) and oxygen, pressure regula- tors, supply hoses and a nozzle. The nozzle has a special design for flame-cleaning. Usually its width is from 50 to 200 mm. To the front of the head are 4 number of orifices where gas mixtures stream out. When the nozzle is lit, a thin flame (weld- ing flame) is produced in each orifice. In some cases round nozzles or nozzles with a different design are used. In order to obtain a good result the pressure and the mixture of gases must be regulated correctly. De [| Oxygen Acetylene Figure 3.1] Flame-cleaning equipment Equipment for dry open-nozzle blasting Dry open-nozzle blasting is carried out by using equipment powered by compressed air. In principle, two types of equipment are available. They work, respectively, according to the ejector principle pressure chamber principle Ejector equipment Most units of this type are closed cabinets with cleaning and recovery/recirculation of the abrasive. The operator carries out the blast cleaning and handles the workpieces 76 — CoRROSION PROTECTIONthrough two openings in the front panel of the cabinet. Some of the units are more or less automated or robotized. In the case of blasting in the open air it is extremely difficult, not to say impos- sible, to recover, clean and recycle the abrasives. As a result, other and less expen- sive types of abrasives are used in the case of open-nozzle blasting than for blasting inside cabinets. During the blasting process, the equipment draws in the abrasives from a bag, a container or a cup mounted underneath. This equipment is best suited for small and Jess demanding blasting jobs. Figure 3.12 illustrates schematically how an ejector system is designed. It oper- ates in such a way that the abrasive is drawn from a container by underpressure formed by a high-velocity jet of air between the air nozzle and the blasting nozzle. The abrasive then hits this stream of air and is propelled against the workpiece. The acceleration (velocity increase) of the abrasive takes place during the time it takes for it to pass through the blasting nozzle. This time is too short for the abrasive to reach the same velocity as the compressed air. In other words, the compressed air is not capable of transmitting all the velocity (kinetic energy) to the abrasives. The abrasives will be found to have approximately 40% lower speed when leav- ing the nozzle in an ejector system compared to a pressure chamber system. In the pressure chamber system the mixing of abrasives and compressed air takes place at the outlet of the dosage valve. Consequently, on its way through the hosing system (blasting hoses) the compressed air has sufficient time to transmit almost all its kinetic energy to the abrasives. As mentioned above, the abrasives are drawn from a container in the ejector system. This may be in the shape of a conical hopper, cylindrical or box-shaped, or simply the container in which the abrasives are supplied. This all depends on which type of equipment is used. Acommon feature of all the types is that the suction is produced by underpressure, the ejector effect. If the hopper is tight, without any supply of air, the transporta- tion of abrasives will only proceed until the hopper is empty of air. Without a supply of additional air or “false air”, a vacuum is built up in the hopper, and the ‘transportation stops. Compressed air Air nozzle Ejector Nozzle Blasting hose Suction nozzle Figure 3.12. Schematic representation of suction-feed blasting system, ejector principle The same would happen with equipment drawing the abrasives from a bag. When the suction nozzle (pipe) is thrust into the abrasives, care should be taken to avoid too densely packed abrasives around the head. Nor must the suction pipe get stuck 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT = 77.to the bottom of the bag. Manufacturers of the equipment have solved some of these problems by making an adjustable opening in the suction pipe to admit false air. The same problems mentioned here will be known from vacuum-cleaning of carpets. If we are not careful, the mouthpiece will stick fast to the carpet. The vacuum-cleaner tube is also provided with an adjustable opening (valve) for admit- ting false air. Some of the blasting cabinets are provided with equipment both for ejector and pressure blasting. The abrasives used in the ejector systems are usually fine-grained. They can be glass beads or aluminium oxide with diameters down to for example 0.2 mm. As the grains are so small, they pack closely together and there is very little room for air between them. As a result of this, the abrasives easily become densely packed in the container and in the intake system. Packing and blocking of the system are usually caused by a too big quantity of abrasive having been drawn in. Humidity within the system may be another cause of this. As mentioned above, most ejector installations are of the cabinet type. They can be bench-top models or larger floor models. Table 3.1 lists technical data for three different-size cabinets. They are all made after the same design and consist of the cabinet itself with “blasting chamber” blasting gun air gun for removal of dust container for the abrasives dust collector/filter for removal of dust and cleaning of abrasives working lighting various electric motors electric/pneumatic controls Additionally, a compressor is required that can supply a sufficient amount of air at the necessary pressure. For special purposes tumble baskets and turntables can be supplied as well as guides for horizontal or vertical movements of the gun, fixed guns and other more or less automated or robotized equipment. The cabinets can be equipped with two or more guns. Today, such a rich variety of cabinets is available that abrasive blast cleaning of manually handled workpieces is covered. In addition, specially designed systems can be supplied if for example the treatment is part of a mass-producing line in a workshop. Excepting the automated and robotized systems, the operators carry out the blast cleaning and handling of the items through two openings in the front panel. ‘The openings are usually fitted with two long rubber gloves. The gloves can also be detachable. They protect the operators’ hands from being injured by the abrasives. A window allows the operator to constantly monitor his or her activities, or super- vise the automated blasting. Normally blasting is stopped and started by means o: a pedal switch. ‘ Some cabinets have a door at either side for placing of the workpieces. Others have a door at the front while on others the entire top can be tipped up. The abrasives are cleaned and recirculated in the cabinet blasting process. The cleaning process removes, with rather varying effect and quality, dust, spent or 78 — CoRROSION PROTECTIONbroken abrasives and torn-off particles from the surface of the workpieces. Abrasives used for blasting in cabinets are glass beads, broken glass and ceramics aluminium oxide, corundum stainless steel cast iron and steel nutshell plastic granulate Table 3.1 Technical data ——— —T — T | Cabinet, type 4 i} 2 | 3 External Width in mm 1270 | 1530 2000 dimensions Depth in mm 960 1260 1380 Height in mm 1240 1740 1880 Blasting Width in mm 740 990 1390 chamber Depth in mm 760 1000 1230 Height in mm | 490 710 810 Blasting gun Air nozzle @ mm 3 4 4 Blasting nozle@mm) 6.5 | 10 | 10 Nozzle material Ceramics | Steel {Boron carbide Air required at 5 bar 22m%/h | 52m3/h | 52 m3/h Lighting - fluorescent tube 1x20W | 2x20W | 2x40W Dust collector, type PS 2.5 PS 5 PS 10 Filter area 2.5 m2 5 m2 10 m2 Air volume ~ outlet 150 m3/h | 300 m?/h | 600 m?/h Motor effect, fan 0.25 kW 0.55 kw 0.75 kW Filter cleaning Automatic | Automatic | Automatic Weight Net 280kg | 350kg | 590 kg Gross incl. packing 330kg | 400kg | 680 kg Glass beads and aluminium oxide (corundum) are perhaps the abrasives most com- monly used in the cabinets. If it is a requirement that the surface is not too rough but is rather to look finely “sanded” or just matted down after the blasting, small glass beads are used. They 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 79.mostly remove surface contamination only and very little of the actual material. However, if it is a requirement to remove both contaminants and provide the surface with a certain roughness, sharp-edged corundum is used. For this purpose, sharp-edged abrasives of steel or iron can also be used, but the grains are heavy and more difficult to accelerate in an ejector plant. For shot peening balls of glass or steel can be used. The glass beads are fairly easily broken down at blasting pressures above 4.5-5 bar. If ejector equipment is used for blast cleaning in the open air, the following abrasives are used + garnet iron slag copper slag nickel slag aluminium silicate They are relatively inexpensive and are usually not recycled. Ejector equipment is not suitable for blast cleaning of large constructions or for removing heavy layers of rust, mill scale or paint. For such purposes the impact and thereby also the capacity, is too smal]. Several examples have been seen where companies have undertaken to perform blast cleaning jobs on large constructions by using ejector equipment. Usually these companies have had little or fo experi- ence with blast cleaning. And each time it has been the same story: After much trouble and many delays, little progress, and many working hours spent the company has had to borrow, rent or resort to buying pressurized blast pot equipment, which has actually more than five times the capacity of ejector equip- ment. But lack of experience with the new equipment and too little knowledge of blast cleaning in general have caused new problems. The result has usually been an enormous loss on the job. It goes without saying that the company should not have accepted the job in, the first place. When blasting takes place in a closed-in cabinet, apart from long rubber gloves also safety goggles or shield must be worn to prevent abrasives from getting in the eyes. We must also be prepared for dust and protect ourselves with a dust filter mask. Additionally, the equipment produces quite a lot of noise. Consequently, hearing protection is also necessary. If blasting is carried out in the open, we must also use a pressurized mask with supply of clean breathing air, disposable dust filter mask, hearing protection, gloves and working clothes/protective clothes which can withstand the blasting action of the abrasives. Pressurized pot Design and mode of operation This system works according to a principle which js completely different from the ejector system described above where the abrasives are drawn directly fromacon- * tainer. In this case the abrasive is fed from a pressurized pot (blasting pot) through a metering valve into the blasting hose. In order for this to happen, the pot must have the same pressure as the blasting hose. The compressed air then conveys the 80 — Corrosion PROTECTION i \abrasive to the nozzle. The abrasive/air mixture is accelerated and propelled against the workpiece. Accordingly, the blast pot is a pressure tank. Manufacture, use and mainte- nance must be carried out properly and in accordance with relevant national and international rules and regulations. The first patented pressurized blasting equipment was introduced at an exhibi- tion in New York in 1871. The equipment was designed by B.C. Tilghmann. It was constructed and worked almost like a blasting unit today. The drawing shows a pot using sand from about 1890. This can be used to illustrate the design of a pressure pot unit. As can be seen, the compressed air is distributed both to the blasting hose and to the pot. This in order to ensure that the pressure is the same in the pot as in the hose. The abrasives will then run at an even flow through the metering valve and into the jet of air. When the abrasives are used up, the air supply is shut off both to the blasting hose and to the pot. Then the val ve/cap at the top of the pot is opened and the air released. In this way the pot is depressurized more quickly than when the air is released through the blasting nozzle. The pot is now pressure-free and fresh abrasives can be filled in. Abrasive refill \4 Valve a 385 — Valve Abrasives —— Nozzle _Abrasive metering valve =— Compressed air Figure 3.13 Early design blasting unit Very few changes have actually been made to the blasting unit itself during the more than hundred years elapsed since Tilghman designed his units. However, some developments have taken place. Today, all blasting units have a cylindrical shape. The bottom part is conical (cone-shaped), and ends in a pipe stub where the metering/sand valve is connected. The cone wall is so steep that the abrasive can flow down by its own weight. See Figure 3.14. ‘The top of the unit is also conically shaped like the bottom part and with an opening in the middle for refilling abrasives. Around the opening, on the underside 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 81.| of the top plate, a thick rubber packing is fitted. This is often shaped like an O-ring. When the tank is pressurized and the unit started, the air pressure lifts the conical pop-up valve (closing valve, cone) to fit closely against the rubber packing. If the metering valve is open, abrasives will now flow into the blasting hose. When the abrasive/air mixture flows evenly from the nozzle, the blasting can start. ‘ing no aesis Bieedoftvahe Popup valve Manometer Remote control valve (pneumatic) Compressed air inlet Inspection door Misertype metering valve Control hose Blasting hose © Nozzle (venturi type) Nozzle holder Control handle/ “deadman handle” Figure 3.14 Mobile, modern compressed-air blasting unit with pneumatic remote control ‘The pop-up valves may vary in shape and design. They are conical and may be more or less pointed. Some may have a cut-off top. Today, practically all cones have a core of steel or iron coated with hard-wearing rubber. When the refill of abrasives takes place from a bag or by manual filling from a container, it is common practice to fill to right below the pop-up valve. In any case, the abrasives should preferably not cover the entire valve. It will then fit closer to the O-ring and wear will be less. 82 Corrosion protectionAn uncoated metal valve with a very pointed top has commonly been used in units with continuous filling. In such units the abrasives are stored ina bin mounted on top of the blasting unit. When the operator stops blasting and the unit is de- pressurized, the abrasives automatically flow from the bin into the unit. When the operator starts the unit again, the cone must force its way through the abrasives in order to fit tightly to the packing. This wears both the valve and the packing. Today, users of automatic blasting units report that they use the ordinary rub- ber-coated pop-up valves in their blasting systems. They seal well and wear is not particularly extensive. Metering valve A selection can be made between several types of abrasive metering valves. If a certain valve is chosen, this is usually done on the basis of the type of abrasive to be used. However, the choice also depends on whether the valve is to open and close automatically. Whether the valve is automatic or not, does not depend on the abrasives. but on the equipment. Blasting pot Regulating \ handle |<— Ciean out plate Metering valve — Compressed air Figure 3.15. Cross-section of blasting pot with Miser metering valve If blasting is carried out with sand or slag, a Miser-type metering valve is often mounted on the unit. Figure 3.15 shows that it consists of a house which can be dismantled. The house contains two plates with an orifice hole in each of the plates. They are mounted at the end of a stem. One plate is fixed while the other is movable with the stem. The stem extends beyond the housing. At the end a regulating handle is fitted. If the handle is moved, one of the plates is moved as well. When the handle is in mid-position, the orifice holes in the plates fully overlap. In this case a full opening 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 83.is formed. The more the handle is taken to one of the sides, the less overlap of the orifices is produced. The handle and the orifice should be adjusted in such a way that the valve is fully opened in mid-position and completely shut with the handle in an extreme position. On Miser-type valves a guide pin is often mounted on the regulating handle. The guide pin can be marked with a scale showing the position of the orifices relative to each other — i.e. the valve opening. In addition, the handle can be screwed fast to the guide in such a way that the adjusted setting does not change. In units for blasting with metallic abrasives other types of metering valves are used than the Miser-types. They are usually called steel grit valves as many people, erroneously, call all metallic abrasives “steel grit”, especially the sharp-edged types. The steel grit valves can be distinguished from the Miser valves by the way the volume of abrasives is regulated and how the abrasives flow into the air jet. Figures 3.16 and 3.17 show two of the most common methods of regulation: Control knob Abrasives in Plunger Rubber case Figure 3.16 Metering valve with rubber case for vertical passage of metallic abrasives Abrasives in Abrasives in { Double rubber diaphragm — | i Caan out Regulating a la handle Ball Valve seating Abrasives out eer Figure 3.17 Abrasive control valve with ball shaped valve for vertical passage of metallic abrasives 84 — CorRosion PROTECTIONOne valve contains a rubber case. The valve is mounted in such a way that the abrasives flow directly from the blast pot through the opening of the rubber case. By means of a plunger fitted to a spindle with a regulating knob at the end the opening of the rubber case can be changed. If the spindle is screwed in, the plunger will squeeze the rubber case together. Thereby, both the opening and the volume of abrasives that can pass through are reduced. The other steel grit valve is regulated by adjusting the opening between a ball- shaped valve and a valve seating. Obviously, a small opening results in only a small volume of abrasives passing through. In this steel grit valve the parts which are in contact with the abrasives should be made of hardened, highly abrasive-resistant steel, or be coated with other abrasive- resistant materials. The abrasives flow through the Miser valve and into the blasting hose at the optimum angle of approximately 30°. That is as parallel to the air jet as possible without the angle of tilt becoming so small that the abrasives stop running. Thereby the grains pick up speed more easily from the compressed air. This benefit is not obtained if the abrasives flow at right angles into the air jet. Apart from the Miser valves, several of the metering valves can be fitted with remote control and automatic closing valves. They work purely pneumatically or electro-pneumatically and are often accessories to blasting units with qutomatic stop and start, so-called remote control. The purely pneumatic valves are controlled by compressed air which is con- veyed in hoses all the way from the stop and start valve on the nozzle to the meter- ing valve. Consequently, the time it takes before the metering valve reacts depends on the distance to the stop/start valve. In many cases this time can be quite long. Contrary to this, the electro-pneumatically controlled valves react very quickly. ‘When the operator presses the remote control switch, he or she turns the current on or off to the magnet valve that switches the controlling air to the metering valve on or off. ” In some cases defects have occurred in electrical components on units for blast- ing with metallic abrasives. The defects have arisen because metal particles or dust have penetrated the equipment and caused short-circuits or other defects. When the operator stops blasting by means of the remote control, the automat- ics first close the abrasive control valve and then the compressed air. Thereby the blasting hose is emptied of abrasives. When blasting is resumed, it is not necessary to put into motion “dead” abrasives which would otherwise have been present in the hose. After the blasting has finished, the automatic metering valve can be closed, but the compressed air inlet held open. It is then possible to use the pure compressed air for blowing away abrasives and dust. Abrasive/air mixture Adjustment of the required volume of abrasives and the valve opening is in many cases done on the basis of experience. However, the safest method is to carry out preliminary tests. The trial blasting should be carried out on the same substrate as the later, actual blasting. It is important that the optimum abrasive/air mixture is used. By that is meant that maximum production is obtained with minimum con- sumption of abrasives. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 85,The volume of abrasives necessary for accomplishing this depends on the constructional design — closed, narrow spaces condition of surface - for example rust degree abrasive - type, grain size, and dust contents dust formation, lighting conditions, visibility compressor pressure hose length, dimension and loss of pressure nozzle type and size operator A few indications of incorrect air/abrasive mixture are high air noise (whistling, squealing) when the abrasive supply is too small, and if itis too big, the mixture is ejected unevenly and intermittently from the nozzle. At the same time, there are jerks and blows in the blasting hose. Blasting hose The transportation of the abrasive/air mixture from the mixing valve to the nozzle is done through the blasting hose. On the way through the hose a loss of pressure occurs. The pressure loss increases with increasing length of the blasting hose. Also, the pressure loss is higher in a hose with a small internal diameter (interior width) than in one with a wide internal diameter. The blasting pressure can be measured by using a needle manometer inserted right behind the nozzle. Manometer Compressed air Figure 3.18 Needle manometer. The needle is inserted slantwise into the blasting hose with the air jet Consequently, it is important to put the blasting pot in a location where the blasting hose can be as short as possible. In practice, this follows as a matter of course. The blasting starts with as short a hose as possible. Later on extension hoses are added according to requirements until the blasting effect becomes too poor as a result of the loss of pressure. We must then try to move the pot to a position closer to the blasting place. The nozzle orifice determines the dimension of the blasting hose. As a rule of thumb it can be stated that the internal diameter of the hose should be three times that of the nozzle orifice. Consequently, for an 11 mm nozzle a blasting hose with minimum 33 mm internal diameter should be selected. The hose to which the nozzle is connected is called the whip hose. The other 86 — CorROSION PROTECTION cone)blasting hoses are called extension hoses. The extension hoses and the whip hose are connected by means of special quick couplings. These should definitely be fitted on the outside of the hose. In that case they do not reduce the internal hose diameter nor do they disrupt the jet of abrasives/air. The wear on them is also negligible. Lyte" i yer minute eeratdny dad Litres of ai Pressure loss in bar per 30 m hose Figure 3.19 Loss of pressure in hoses (internal, smooth) Figure 3.20 Extension of hoses a Extension with internal tubes reduces the diameter in the hose and disrupts the jet of air and abrasives b Optimum extension method by external coupling The couplings are made of plastic, aluminium, bronze and cast iron. They are fastened to the hose by means of screws. It is an advantage if the couplings are provided with internal thread. They can then be screwed to the hose, and itis easier to make the hose ends fit tightly to the rubber gasket at the front edge of the cou- pling. Itis important to secure that the extensions are not pulled apart. Some couplings are provided with lock-springs which keep the hoses from pulling themselves out of 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 87the coupling. Often couplings can be seen wired together with steel wire as a safe- guard. A safety device must also be present to prevent the hose from sliding from the coupling if the screws should fail. For this purpose clamps with chains or cables are available. The clamps must be fastened on the hose behind the coupling and fastened together by chains or cables. If an accident should occur, the safety device keeps the hose in place in the coupling. At any rate the hose ends are prevented from whipping about. g S Oo >) GQ OC-Hsts, Figure 3.21 @ Quick couplings for extension of blasting hoses b Nozzle holders ¢ Gasket for quick coupling d_ Gasket for nozle holder e. Screws for fastening of quick couplings and nozzle holders to the hose Figure 3.22 a. Safety chain with clamps b Safety cable ©. Safety sleeve with two loops When the ait/abrasive mixture passes at high velocity along the surface inside the blasting hose, the mixture may become electrically charged. The discharge takes place when the mixture hits the surface, which is usually connected to earth. The 88 Corrosion pRoTECTIONdischarges (sparks) are an ignition source in addition to the sparks produced when the abrasive particles hit the surface. The discharges may also ignite critical dust or gas mixtures in other parts of the surroundings or within the actual unit. Consequently, the entire unit must be properly earthed up to and including the nozzle. Copper wire is therefore inserted between the casing layers of the blasting hoses. The copper wire is to conduct the static electricity to earth. Contact through all extensions is therefore necessary. In some cases it has been necessary to put out a separate earth cable along the blasting hose. Both the internal rubber lining in the hose, rubber and external covering must to some extent be electrically conductive. ‘The operator can be affected by the static electricity because he or she is usually connected to electrical earth. Nozzles for blast cleaning Table 3.2 Air consumption in cubic metres per minute in Venturi nozzles Nozzle diameter Nozzle pressure in bar 3.5, 4.2 49 5.6 eee 3.2mm 0.32 0.37 0.42 0.48 0.52 0.57 | 5.0 mm 0.73 0.84 0.92 1.06 1.15 1.26 | | 6.4mm 1.32 1.51 L741 1.90 2.07 2.27 | 8.0 mm 2.16 2.49 2.83 3.16 3.53 3.84 | 1 9.5 mm 3.02 3.53 4.00 451 4.84 5.49 | 11.0 mm _ 4.12 4.76 5.43 6.08 6.72 7.44 | 12.5mm 5.46 6.27 7.06 7.84 8.65 9.46 i 15.9mm 44 8.62 9.97 11.31 1266 14.11 15.34 | 19.0 mm 12.10 14.11 16.02 18.03 19.38 21.95 Table 3.3 Short nozzles Diameter Length Inlet Air consumption at 7 bar 6mm 80 mm 25 mm 2.8 m?/min 8mm 80 mm 25mm 4.8 m/min 10 mm | 80mm 25mm 6.8 m?/min 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 89.Breathing air supply line Glass with safety foil Light Nozzle holder \— Nozzle sets Lester doves oy Handle for stop and start of remote control Air line for Blasting/whip hose remote control Blasting suit with . leather apron Breathing air supply line Regulator for breathing air Figure 3.24 Blasting helmet 90 — CorRosioN ProtectionStraight nozzle Figure 3.25 Common nozzles a) The straight nozzle collects the abrasive particles at the centre of the blasting area (narrow fan). The exit speed has been measured to approximately 300 kn/ hour at a pressure of 7 bar. b) The venturi nozzle distributes the abrasives evenly over the blasting area. The exit speed has been measured to more than 700 knV/hour at 7 bar. The nozzle provides a high production rate. j c) Venturi nozzle) Short venturi nozzle rea tt § Figure 3.26 Special nozzles for blasting in hollow spaces (pipes etc.) and other areas with difficult access 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 91Figure 3.27 Internal blasting of pipes Figure 3.28 Fixed nozzles (equipment for internal blasting of pipes with internal diameter from approximately 29 mm to approximately 300 mm) Figure 3.29 Rotary equipment for internal blasting of pipes with internal diam- eters from approximately 160 mm to 1600 mm 92 CORROSION PROTECTIONa Vacuum head with / blasting nozzle Vacuum cover|| Water bath filter Vacuum hose ‘Vacuum bin Abrasive blasting pot Abrasive blasting hose Muffler Figure 3.30 Vacuum blasting equipment for dust-free blast cleaning y~ Water hose with valve Hose Water diffuser Nozzle Nozzle holder Figure 3.31 Basic equipment for mounting on blasting nozzle to provide supply for dust-laying and wet abrasive blasting = Nozzle t Nozzle tube Trigger Handle Inlet for water from high pressure aggregate Figure 3.32 a) Gun for high pressure water jetting 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT Ejector (“vacuum pump”) water 93Mixing chamber Abrasive/water mixture Water inlet Abrasive inlet a b) Gun/mixing chamber for wet abrasive blasting Application equipment The second part of this chapter discusses application equipment. Application equip- ment includes hand tools like brushes, rollers, gloves, and spray application equi ment such as conventional spray equipment, HVLP equipment, airless spray equi ment, equipment for air-assisted airless spraying, and electrostatic spray equi ment. In addition to the actual application equipment also compressors, pressure regu- lators, air cleaners, hoses, agitators, protective gear and other necessary accesso- ries are required. ~ Paint brushes Paint application by brush is particularly suited for working the paint into irregu- larities in the substrate, for example manual welds. The brush is also a suitable tool for areas of difficult access. Such areas can be edges, corners and notches. Brushes are also used for touch-up painting and stripe coating. Brush application results in thinner and more uneven layers than spray applica- tion. Normally not more than from 40 ym to 50 ym dry film is applied per coat. The thickness measured also varies with the coarseness of the brush marks. ‘A good part of the anticorrosive paints have poor brushability. This is because they have a very short open time and set before they have been completely smoothed out. Some of the paints are so viscous and heavy to work that, apart from minor touch-up work, it is impossible to apply them by brush. Quality brushes are made of bristles or hair from animals. The best brushes are made of pure bristles, preferably hog bristles. Natural hairs are hollow and flagged at the ends in two or three split-ends. The flagging also takes place as the brush becomes worn. Most brushes have a mixture of bristles and hairs. Bristles and hairs from animals withstand solvents, but not acids or alkalis. 94 — Corrosion PROTECTIONIn the case of synthetic brushes, the bristles can be of nylon, perlon or polypropylene. They withstand acids and alkalis, but are slightly less resistant to strong solvents. Brush types used for anticorrosive painting are ring brushes oval brushes flat brushes, including radiator brushes G08 Ferruled brush Ring brush Oval brush__Radiator brush Flat brush Figure 3.33 Brush types for application of anticorrosive paints Figure 3.34 Before the brush is taken into use, loose bristles must be removed. This is done by pressing the brush against the palm of your hand and then twist- ing it around. Anew brush should be left suspended in motor oil or lubricating oil for a few days before it is taken into use. After the oil treatment any surplus oil must be rinsed out carefully with for example white spirit. In order to take good care of a brush used for many different types of anticorrosive paints, it must be thoroughly cleaned in a suitable solvent after use. This takes some time. Consequently, some people just throw away the brush after use. For this reason, quite a number of cheap brushes or toss-away brushes are used. , Paint rollers Paint rollers are available in different types and qualities. They consist of a bakelite cylinder with a glued-on nap. This nap can be made of lambswool, perlon or mo- 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 95hair. Many anticorrosive paints are not very roller-friendly and highly viscous. Perlon rollers with a not too long nap are widely used within anticorrosive painting. For application of finishing coats a large number of mohair rollers are used. They have good resistance to solvents. The paint roller should not be used for application of primer coats. Figure 3.35. Roller specially made for application of paint on large- dimension pipes Figure 3.36 Back roller is designed ‘for use behind radiators etc. Figure 3.37 In the pressure-fed roller the paint is forced into the roller to enable continuous painting Painting mitts/gloves The painting mitt is used for painting pipes and handrails. It is made of lambswool and is available with and withouv’a thumb. The mitt may leave lint on the surface to be painted, and should not be used for application of primer coats directly on top of blast cleaned substrates, 96 — CoRROSION PROTECTIONFigure 3.38 Painting mitt with and without a thumb Spray equipment The two most important spray application methods, conventional spray (air atomi- zation) and airless spray, also represent the two main principles in connection with spray application of paint. Conventional spray uses air for atomizing the paint, whereas airless spray utilizes high pressure combined with a small outlet orifice. nozzle orifice, to atomize the paint. See also Chapter 5 about conventional and airless spray application. The methods have their advantages and disadvantages. They are used for different areas and for different types of jobs, even if there are some overlaps. : Airless spray has obvious advantages within the fields of marine coating, off- shore constructions, power plants, machines and equipment, and buildings, but is also used for industrial finishes on metals and wood as well as finishes on heavy vehicles, aircraft and railcars. Airless spray is considerably faster than conventional equipment. Airless spray equipment has up to 10 times the capacity compared to pressure-fed conventional spray equipment (0.75-1.0 ltrs/min), measured as material output from the gun per minute. Another advantage is that airless spray produces less spray fog. The advantage of conventional spray is that atomization is finer, resulting in better flowability and a finer finish of the paint, and more glossy top coats. Conse- quently, the method is preferred where the requirements to appearance and gloss are high. It should also be remembered that air is used for “atomizing” heavy and coarse materials like cement mixtures, cement-based fire protection and deck coatings, after the materials have been conveyed to the spray gun or spray gun-like equip- ment by means of screw or pump feeding. Based on airless and conventional spray technologies new spray equipment and methods have been developed. The methods can be divided into the following groups: Conventional spray (air atomization), basic method Airless spray, basic method Air-assisted airless spray (airmix, aircoat), combination of | and 2 Electrostatic spray, combinations with 1, 2 or 3 HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure), modification of 1 HVLP - air-assisted airless spray, combination of 5 and 3 AuAwNE Dual or plural component airless spray units have been on the market for several 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 97decades. Their areas of use have been spraying of polyester and epoxy coatings/ paints with short pot life. Basically, the equipment consists of preheater, feed pump, main pump with high pressure cylinders, intermediate heaters, flush system, mate- rial hoses, mixing unit and the spray gun. The mixing of components takes place either in a mixing block mounted between the pump unit and the gun, or in the gun itself. The ability of the pumps to supply the different components in the correct mixing ratio and their mixing is now highly reliable. The advantages of using plural component equipment have also been noted in cases where the pot life allows spraying with ordinary one-component equipment. Among other points of interest, there is economy in the fact that there is no waste of ready-mixed paint. Conventional spray equipment Conventional spray guns are divided into two types: 1 Guns provided with a cup mounted directly on top of or underneath the gun 2 Guns attached to separate, pressurized cans (2-2.5 litres), larger pressurized pots (10-25 litres are common) or feed pumps through hoses These two types can again be split into ‘guns with internal or external mixing of atomizing air and paint guns with suction feed and pressure feed guns for automatic spraying Guns with suction feed may have paint cups mounted underneath or on top. The different suction feed guns have cans with a capacity of up to one litre and are used for minor spray jobs, for spraying of easily sprayable paints and jobs with frequent change of paint types or colours. Guns with paint cups mounted on top can spray materials that are considerably more viscous than those with the cup underneath. If the gun is attached to a pressure cup, a pressure pot, or feed pump, the material is conveyed to the gun by means of pressure. Pressure-fed guns have a large capacity compared to the suction-fed and are used for spraying of large objects and serial production. In the head of all types of spray guns for conventional spraying the most impor- tant parts are located: air cap (including the air distribution ring), nozzle and con- trol needle. They are of decisive importance for the capacity, atomization and transfer efficiency. The combination of these important parts is determined by the material to be sprayed, how the paint is delivered to the gun, the shape and size of the spray area, the spraying capacity and requirements to result and finish. Air cap, nozzle and needle must be compatible. Ai caps with more or large orifices for the atomization air produce quick at- omization and increased capacity compared to air caps with fewer and smaller orifices. The paint to be sprayed passes through the nozzle and out into the air stream. The nozzle is the seat of the paint needle which in its forward position stops the stream of paint through the nozzle. Nozzles come in different orifice sizes for different materials and feeding sys- 98 — Corrosion PROTECTIONtems. In the case of pressure feeding, nozzles with less paint flow are normally used than in the case of suction feeding. Compressed air If ordinary conventional equipment is used, the air used for transportation and atomization of the paint is supplied by a compressor. It is important that the air is clean and dry to prevent foreign matter like solid particles, oil or water from con- taminating the paint or the object to be sprayed. The air must therefore pass through filtering equipment like oil or water separators where any contamination is taken up and removed from the air before it is allowed into the pressure pot or before it is used as atomizing air. Air supplied directly from the compressor or the compressed-air system often has a pressure which is too high for use directly for material conveyance and atomi- zation. Consequently, it must first be passed through a reduction valve which re- duces the compressor/system pressure down to the working pressure required. For HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) equipment, which operates with a high volume of air and low pressure, the air can be supplied from a turbine or a com- pressor. If a pressure pot is part of the HLVP equipment, compressed air from a compressor is used for pressurizing the pot. The pressure in the pot forces the paint through the paint hose to the gun in the same way as the pressure pot on ordinary conventional equipment. Air from a turbine is clean and dry, whereas compressor air must be cleaned in the oil or water separator. Automatic gun ‘The automatic gun is pneumatically operated. It has the same technical spray prop- erties as the guns for manual spraying. The automatic guns are used for industrial purposes (serial production) where the parts are sprayed automatically while for example suspended from a conveyor. Knob for regulating fan width Fastening screw Compressed-air Air ay a inlet Fluid intet Compressedair inlet Air cap retainer ring i | | Figure 3.39 Automatic gun 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 99.Cleaning and maintenance Cleaning of the conventional spray equipment is naturally quite different from clean- ing of airless equipment, but an important similarity is that all parts and compo- nents which have been in contact with paint or have been soiled must be cleaned. This applies to gun parts, hoses, cans and pots, and feeding pumps. The unit must be flushed until all parts and components are clean, i.e. until the thinner sprayed from the gun is clean. Normally, it is not necessary to dismantle the nozzle during each cleaning. The many orifices of the air cap must be kept open. Metal objects should not be used for cleaning of nozzle or air cap. The equipment must be clean and dry when it is put away. Maintenance of the gun usually consists of replacing heavy-wear parts like the nozzle/seat and the needle. Some wearing down of the trigger mechanism and spring will also take place over time. Threaded parts, springs and needle packings require a drop of oil from time to time. Figure 3.40 Stiction-fed gun Figure 3.41 Suction-fed gun with with cup mounted underneath cup mounted on top Figure 3.42 Pressure cup Figure 3.43 Pressure cup with without paint regulator paint regulator 100 Corrosion PROTECTIONf Cover Tank Detachable internal fining Material pipe Agitator Pressure pot Figure 3.45 a) External atomization gun is a type where air and paint are mixed outside the nozzle. It is suitable for almost all paint types. b) Internal atomization gun is a type where air and paint are mixed inside the nozzle between the air cap and the nozzle. It is used for small compressor units. The capacity is high and it atomizes the paint finely. Figure 3.46 Nozzle for suction feed. Figure 3.47 Nozzle for pressure feed. The nozzle creates a vacuum inthe In the pressure-fed gun the paint is nozzle orifice and the paint is forced through the gun from a cup, siphoned from the container (cup) a pressurized pot or a feeding pump. and out through the nozzle. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 101.Figure 3.48 Suction-fed gun with cup mounted on top. Sufficiently low-viscous paint flows down into the gun, while the vacuum formed in the nozzle orifice siphons the paint through the nozzle. Regulating knob for atomizing air i Knob for regulating the fan width Fluid needle Air valve 63/8 i Connection for Air cap retainer suction cup 63/8 Compressedair inlet Figure 3.49. Cross-section of suction-fed gun iM i a Figure 3.50 1 Air nozzle/air cap 2 Nozzle 3 Needle 102 Corrosion ProtectionHVLP spray equipment HVLP is an abbreviation of High Volume Low Pressure. In contrast to spraying with conventional spray equipment where the atomization pressure is often within the range of 0.3-0.4 MPa, which creates drawbacks in the form of spray fog, bounce- back and overspray, the HVLP systems operate with considerably lower pressure (below 0.1 MPa). Normally this pressure cannot transport the paint from the pot to the nozzle nor atomize the paints to such a degree that they flow out to form an even film on the surface. But by adding large volumes of air the desired effect is achieved. The spray fan is “soft” and passes easily across the surfaces to be sprayed. Bounce- back is at a minimum, also from inside corners, nooks and crevices. This makes spray application on such areas simpler. The soft fan and the easily controlled spray pattern enable spraying of panelling and window frames without (or with minimum) masking of adjacent areas The atomization air is supplied by compressor or turbine. HVLP systems with compressor-supplied atomization air were the first to appear on the market. Appar- ently the “new” technology with turbine-supplied atomization air has become popular. The air is heated when it leaves the turbine. This causes more solvents to evaporate before the paints reach the surface than in the case of ordinary compressor-sup- plied air. The reduced solvent contents in the paint film should reduce the risk of solvent retention even at high film thicknesses and additionally reduce the tendency to sag. Within the automotive finishing industry with high demands on finish some are sceptical and reluctant to use HVLP equipment because the flow properties of the paints are slightly reduced. The HVLP equipment has been further developed by the attachment of a high pressure pump to the system. The pump conveys the paint to the spray gun under a hydraulic pressure from 1.0 MPa to 13.0 MPa. Thereby the properties of the HVLP system and air-agsisted airless spray are combined. When the paint is under hy- draulic pressure, some atomization takes place when it passes the airless nozzle. After this large-volume air and low pressure will produce the final atomization. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 103,High pressure (airless) spray equipment Two types of high pressure airless pumps are available: piston pumps diaphragm pumps Air inlet Air regulator Water separator Lubricator Air motor Oil cup Pulse chamber with fine filter 8 Paint outler 9 Paint pump 10 Relief valve J) Paint inlet, Usually a suction hose with coarse filter (screen) is connected here. 12 Paint hose 13 Flexible whip hose 14 Swivel coupling 15 Gun 16 Nowle 17 Sound-muffled air exhaust (exit air) from the air motor NAWAWNK Figure 3.51 High pressure airless pump — compressed-air driven piston pump 1 Piston pump types Diaphragm pump types \ Compressed-air driven - Hydraulic driven with electromotor i + Electromechanically driven - Hydraulic driven with petrol motor Electrohydraulic driven Compressed-air driven piston pumps Compressed-air driven piston pumps cover most ground when it is a question of pressure and capacity. They can operate with atomization pressures of up to 4) MPa, f The pump consists of two main parts: the air motor and the hydraulic cylinder, The main component of the air motor is the air piston. The valve mechanism gov- ems the compressed air so that it acts alternately on the upper part and on the lower Part of the piston. The air motor is coupled to the hydraulic cylinder by a transmis- sion rod. 104 Corrosion PROTECTION(ae Slide for regulating exhaust air Air inlet ©) — Exhaust valve Air piston Passages for air supply and exhaust air Oil cup Paint outlet Upper packing set Piston rod | _______ cylinder chamber Upper ball vate. —————f 1} ee Foot valve chambe! Lower ball valve _ & Figure 3.52. Compressed-air driven piston pump The hydraulic cylinder consists of a lower cylinder chamber (foot valve chamber), a piston, a piston rod, an upper cylinder chamber, an upper and lower ball valve (check valves) and upper and lower packing sets. The lower packing set may be seated in a stuffing box or directly on the piston rod. In the former case the packing set is fixed. The piston rod then moves through the packing set. In the latter case the packing set follows the piston rod up and down. ‘When the pump is to be primed, the reduction valve is opened to allow air to pass into the motor. The air works alternately on the upper and lower parts of the piston in the air cylinder. The up and down strokes are transmitted to the hydraulic cylinder through the piston rod. Underpressure is produced in the lower part of the cylinder when the piston rod moves upwards. When the inlet valve (lower ball valve, foot valve) opens, paint is siphoned into the chamber below the piston (foot valve chamber). At the same time, the ball valve in the piston closes. The paint in the upper part of the cylinder is 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 105forced out into the hose. When the piston moves downwards, the paint presses against the inlet valve and closes it. At the same time the paint presses against the ball valve in the piston, which opens. The paint passes through the open ball valve and flows into the upper part of the cylinder and further out into the hose. Consequently, the pump applies full pressure to the paint during the upward as well as the downward strokes. This is what is meant by a double-acting pump. The relation between the piston area in the air motor and the piston area in the hydraulic cylinder indicates the pump ratio. The air motor piston area is consider- ably a larger than the paint piston area. The relation can for example be 30:1, 45:1, 60:1. This means that the outlet pressure of the paint is 30, 45 or 60 times the inlet pressure of the air motor. With an inlet air pressure of 0.5 MPa and a pump ratio of 60:1 the paint pres- sure is 0.5 MPa x 60 = 30 MPa. The calculated pressure is theoretical and applies to aclosed gun or if the nozzle capacity is so small in relation to the pump capacity that the pump can maintain maximum pressure also when spraying takes place. When the gun is deactivated, the pump will continue working until the air pr and the paint pressure balance. When the gun is reactivated, the paint pres: decreases. At this point the pump will start to maintain the paint pressure by replac- ing the volume flowing out of the nozzle. 25 om? , soem? . | Air motor piston area | Air motor piston area 250m? 250m? Area of the hydraulic cylinder piston Area of the hydraulic cylinder piston Figure 3.53 Pump ratio Figure 3.54 Pump ratio Calculation of pump ratio: Calculation of pump ratio: 25:2.5=10 50: 2.5 = 20 Pump ratio = 10: 1 Pump ratio = 20: 1 Non-pneumatically driven piston pumps These airless pumps work according to the same principle as the compressed-air driven. Their mode of operation is also the same. Maximum capacity and maxi- mum working pressure are more limited compared to the compressed-air driven. Consequently, these types of pumps are less suitable for spraying of viscous and difficult-to-spray paints. The electromotor of the pumps limits their use due to the fire and explosion hazards (this also applies to the diaphragm pumps). The pumps ° are allowed for use on offshore installations. 106 Corrosion protecnionElectromechanically driven piston pumps An electromotor transfers the power to the piston in the paint cylinder pump through a shaft and an eccentric wheel. Otherwise, the pump works as a compressed-air driven piston pump. The pump produces a pressure just below 20 MPa. The capac- ity is in the range of 1.8 litres per minute. Electrohydraulic driven piston pumps The main components of the pump are electromotor, hydraulic oil pump, hydraulic motor and hydraulic paint cylinder. The electromotor powers the oil pump in the hydraulic part of the pump. The oil is pumped to the hydraulic motor, which powers the paint cylinder. The working pressure of the pump corresponds to the oil pressure, which can be set at maximum 21.0 MPa, The electrohydraulic paint pumps work according to the same principle as the compressed-air driven paint pumps. Diaphragm pumps ‘ Diaphragm pumps can supply between 0.5-15 litres of paint per minute. The pres- sure may reach 25 MPa. This is reduced to approximately 20 MPa when the gun is activated, The pumps are driven by a single-phase electromotor or petrol motor. The electromotor is coupled directly to a hydraulic pump, which produces pres- sure impulses to an oil chamber. The oil chamber is separated from the paint cham- ber by a diaphragm, which transmits the pump strokes to the paint. The diaphragm pump is suitable for spraying of most types of paint requiring an atomizing pressure of up to approximately 20 MPa. It is well suited for spraying of paints containing abrasive particles. Electromotor Paint pump Paint container Return hose Gun WARWNK Figure 3.55. Diaphragm pump 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 107Paint pump Hydraulic pump Motor St To spray gun Inlet ® Figure 3.56 Cross-section of diaphragm pump 1 Pressure regulator (by-pass valve) 2. Check valves 3. Paint chamber 4 Diaphragm 5 Oil chamber 6 Hydraulic piston 7 Cam disc 8 Oil tank Pulse chamber The pulse chamber contributes towards maintaining a constant paint pressure, even when there is a pause in the paint supply at the turning point of the pump stroke. Without a pulse chamber and when spraying with a large nozzle, the pause may cause a temporary loss of spray pattern. The fact that paint cannot be compressed while air is compressible is utilized in the pulse chamber. When paint flows into the chamber, it takes up more and more space and compresses the air below the top. At 100 atmospheres the chamber is 99% filled with paint. In step with the paint being consumed, the air at the top of the pulse chamber expands to replace the volume reduction caused by the consumption. Thereby the pressure sinks evenly. At this point the pump starts to work to feed paint into the chamber until the adjusted pressure has been obtained. Reduction valve Before the compressed air is allowed into the air motor, it must pass through a reduction valve (pressure regulator), a water separator and an (oil-mist) lubricator. The reduction valve is used for adjusting the lowest pressure to be supplied to the air motor or the pump in order to atomize the paint. 108 Corrosion PROTECTIONItmakes little sense if the pump works at a higher pressure than necessary. This only results in more wear, more spray dust and thereby increased paint consump- tion, poorer working environment and a lower quality of the paint film. Water separator In practice the compressed air contains smaller or larger quantities of water and compressor oil. The water separator removes the major part of the oil/water mix- ture, but rarely all of it. Water carried by the compressed air into the air motor may freeze when the exhaust air expands and cools on its way out. In step with the exhaust pipes becom- ing clogged with ice, the pump will work less efficiently and will eventually come to a complete stop. The oil carried by the compressed air is mixed with the pneu- matic tool oil. Oil-mist lubricator The lubricator consists of an oil container and an adjustable drip-feeder. Normally it drips one or two drops into the air stream per minute. The oil is a special pneu- matic tool oil. The main components are lubricating oil and spirit. The pneumatic tool oil lubricates the air motor and prevents the formation of ice. Oil cup The oil cup is threaded to the top of the hydraulic part of the pump and the bare part of the piston rod moves freely inside it. The design of the cup varies according to the type of pump and manufacturer. It may be open or closed. The use of such a cup serves two purposes: 1 Keeping the upper packing set in place against the cylinder wall and around the piston rod. We tighten or slacken by screwing up or loosening the oil cup. 2 Keeping the bare part of the piston rod free of paint. In this case the cup is filled with a mixture of oil and solvent. Ready-made special products are also avail- able for the purpose. Some of these also have a sealing effect. Coarse filter Abrasive particles and other contaminants may be drawn into the pump together with the paint. This may damage or cause malfunction of vital pump components. Ball valves and packings are especially at risk. A coarse filter mounted on the paint inlet prevents the major part of the contaminants from entering the pump. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 109Fine filters Even if the pump has a coarse filter and both pump and paint hoses are cleaned on a regular basis, contaminants may reach the nozzle and clog it up. These are con- taminants so small that they slip through the coarse filter, and paint crusts detach- ing from the paint pump and the paint hoses. ‘These contaminants must be strained from the paint on its way from the paint outlet on the pump to the nozzle. For this purpose fine filters are used. They can be mounted as a separate unit after the paint outlet, in the pulse chamber, in the swivel coupling or in the gun. They can be of the knife filter type or the mesh type. The smaller the nozzle orifice, the smaller the particle it takes to block it. Con- sequently, the nozzle orifice determines how fine the filters are to be. The nozzle orifice is usually given in thousandths of an inch, the filters in mesh size. The mesh size is the number of meshes per inch. Nozzles with an orifice of 0.015” or less require a 200 mesh filter. Nozzles with an orifice between 0.15-0.021" require a 100 mesh filter. Nozzles with an orifice between 0.21-0.031" require a 60 mesh filter. If reversible nozzles with orifices above 0.031” are used, fine filters are often omit- ted. Paint hoses The paint hoses (high pressure hoses) must be able to withstand the load of the high pressures supplied by the pump in all conditions. They must be produced from solvent-resistant materials and be able to tolerate high ductile and bending loads. ‘The hoses consist of an internal hose and an external hose. Between these are one or several braided layers of polyester or wire netting. For security reasons an earthing wire is also braided in which must be con- nected to the gun at one end and to the airless pump at the other, and from there to electric earth. The earthing is to divert charged, static electricity. If the unit is not earthed, electric sparks may be discharged from the gun during spraying. The dis- charge may affect the painter unpleasantly. If paint containing flammable solvents is sprayed in tanks or poorly ventilated rooms, the discharge may ignite the critical, explosive mixture of solvent and air. ‘The hoses must have the correct dimensions in order to carry enough paint to the gun without too much loss of pressure. In the case of short hose lengths and rela- tively light-fluid materials, hoses with 4” internal diameter can be used. The most widely used hoses for spraying of anticorrosive paints, both for major and minor jobs, have an internal diameter of 3/8” They provide high flexibility because it is possible to transport most types of paint over varying distances without too high loss of pressure. The thickness of the 3/8” hoses makes them rather rigid to handle. Normally a ¥4" whip hose of varying length is inserted between the 3/8” hose and the gun. The gun can then be handled much more freely. 110 CoRrROSION PROTECTIONSwivel coupling The swivel coupling is also a facility for obtaining easy handling of the gun. It has the effect that the gun can be tured around freely without the hose following the gun around. The swivel coupling is inserted between the gun and the whip hose. Airless guns In the case of ordinary single-handed guns the paint inlet is either in the spray head or through the handle. The extension pole gun is operated by both hands. It does not have a regular gun handle but a grip through which the material is supplied. The airless gun can be distinguished from the conventional gun (low pressure gun) by a number of features: + Ithas been designed to tolerate very high pressures It does not have an air inlet nor air cap The needle is designed in such a way that it seals against the seat under high pressures Fan width and volume of paint cannot be adjusted when standard or reversible tip nozzles are used. The nozzles are made of tungsten carbide.‘ The gun is either open or closed The gun has a safety guard The trigger can be secured The gun can be provided with a knife filter or mesh filter. Paint supply in the spray head In this gun only the forward part of the needle, seat, nozzle retainer, various packings and nozzle are in direct contact with the paint. Consequently, cleaning is quite simple. Due to the high pressure leakage may easily occur between the needle and the needle packing. In some cases the needle spring may also be so weak that the needle does not seal completely against the seat. Figure 3.57 Airless gun with paint inlet in the head 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 111If a standard nozzle is used, there is room for a knife filter in the nozzle retainer behind the nozzle. One disadvantage of having the paint hose connected to the spray head is that it may easily get in the way when spraying is carried out in confined spaces. To some extent it also impedes the free movement of the gun. This type of gun is not used very often. Paint inlet through the handle The paint enters at the bottom of the handle and is forced through the entire gun. All internal parts and surfaces are thereby in contact with the paint. As a result, clean- ing is quite comprehensive and must be carried out very carefully. Both the needle spring and the entire closing mechanism are quite robust. The gun is well sealed at high pressures. The trigger pull tension is especially hard on ‘guns of the “high-volume type”. They have four-finger triggers, while the ordinary types have two-finger triggers. Some manufacturers have guns with mesh filters in the handles. This is easily removed for cleaning or replacement. Guns with paint inlet through the handle are the most widely used types. Handle Figure 3.58 Airless gun with paint inlet through the handle Extension pole guns These guns or spraying tools are manufactured in lengths of 4, 6 and 8 feet. The nozzle retainer can be adjusted in various angles. The extension poles allow a wide range of action and are widely used for the external coating of ship’s hulls, and to some extent within industrial and architectural painting. The extension pole must be held with both hands. The extension pole is not suitable for spray jobs requiring a fine finish. The long needle may easily bend and it seals poorly against the seat. Itmay be difficult to obtain sufficient control of the extension pole guns and this results in a considerable amount of dry’ spray, pore formation and uneven film thickness. 112 Corrosion PROTECTIONNozzles Airless nozzles have a core of tungsten carbide. The outlet orifice has an oval shape. The given nozzle orifice corresponds to the diameter of a circular orifice with the same throughput as the oval orifice. Nozzles come with orifices from 0.005” to 0.050”. Paint contractors normally have at their disposal a selection of nozzles from 0.015” to 0.027”. Industrial lac- quer applicators use nozzles with orifices from 0.009” to 0.011”. The fan width and spray angle are given in degrees from 5° to 95°. For spraying of plane surfaces nozzles ranging from 60° to 80° are used, while on smaller pro- files and frames a spray angle down to 40° is used. ‘A selection can be made from the following nozzles: Normal nozzles Reversible nozzles Adjustable nozzles Fine-finish nozzles Normal nozzle/standard nozzle Reversible nozzle for quick nozzle change Reversible nozzle Adjustable nozzle Reversible nozzle for quick nozzle change Fine-finish nozzle Cross-section of fine-finish nozzle NAUABNK Figure 3.59 Various nozzle types for airless spraying Standard nozzles The standard nozzles are also called “fixed nozzles” as opposed to the reversible and adjustable nozzles. The standard nozzles are best suited for industrial lacquer- ing and spray painting in stationary plants. When the nozzle becomes blocked it must be removed from the retainer for 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 113.cleaning. This takes time, Consequently, it must be ensured that the paint which is to pass through the nozzle is so clean that it will not become clogged. The normal nozzles are standardized. Nozzles from various manufacturers are therefore interchangeable. However, it should be realised that the manufacturers may have different systems for identification marking of the nozzles. Reversible tips The reversible tip nozzles are used in connection with major as well as minor spraying jobs within marine painting, painting of offshore structures, industry, construction work and civil engineering projects. This is the case irrespective of whether fine filters are used or not, and whether the paints have high or low viscosity, or are heavy-duty or finishing types. It is an obvious advantage to be able to use an Allen wrench for reversing the tip 180° and use the paint pressure to “shoot” out any contaminants having blocked the nozzle. This is possible because the inlet orifice, which is facing outwards when the nozzle has been turned 180°, is considerably wider than the nozzle orifice (out- Jet orifice). There are not only advantages associated with the use of reversible tips. If abra- sive pigments or contaminants are attached on the outside of the nozzle when it is reversed, the outer surface of the nozzle may be damaged. Packings bearing against the nozzle may also be damaged. Such damage may be aggravated by use and leakage will occur. Another disadvantage is that the design of the nozzle retainers results in a too wide distance between the nozzle and the seat (inner nozzle) of the needle. In this space a small amount of paint will be present. This paint may drip onto the surface or be carried along as an unatomized drop when spraying is resumed. Such imper- fections are not acceptable when there are high demands to the finish of the surface, for example within automotive and industrial finishings. Consequently, reversible tips are not used for such types of job. Adjustable nozzles By means of a regulating needle in the outlet orifice on the adjustable nozzles the desired orifice and fan width can be set. However, it is not possible to quantify nor document these parameters. ‘The nozzles come in four sizes which overlap to a certain extent and are to cover the following areas of use: Application of lacquers Application of latex paints Application of high-build paints Application of specially heavy-duty paints 114 Corrosion protectionFine finish nozzles The fine finish nozzles are manufactured with high precision. The paint is atomized very finely. This takes place in two steps. The first part of the atomization takes place in a nozzle with circular orifice. The material is then further atomized through an oval orifice. This is also where the spray pattern is formed. Fine finish nozzles are used for fine finishing jobs like automotive and industrial finishes, Selection and maintenance of nozzles Painters working extensively with certain types of paints or lacquers usually select nozzles based on experience. The manufacturers of paints and lacquers may have changed the spraying properties without the painters being aware of it. It is there- fore important to make a habit of studying the technical data sheet of the paint or lacquer in question before the material is taken into use. The paint producer has test sprayed the product, resulting in recommendations for nozzle orifices within a cer- tain range. Nozzles with the same orifice but with different fan widths will supply the same quantity of paint provided that for example viscosity and pressure are the same. This means that the nozzle with the smallest fan width will apply the thickest paint film when pressure, viscosity, gun speed and spray distance are the same. If a certain film thickness is to be obtained, it is important to take this into considera- tion when replacing the nozzle. The nozzles can be cleaned in thinners or paint removers. If something has got stuck within the nozzle, an attempt can be made to remove the block by compressed air. If this is not successful, bits of wood must be used, for example toothpicks. Do not use cleaning needles made of steel or other metals. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 115,Air-assisted airless spraying The figures show four systems for air-assisted airless spraying: Figure 3.60 Standard system for air-assisted airless spraying Air motor Paint pump (airless) Gun Paint hose Paint can Airhose Air regulator NAUAWNA 116 Corrosion protection Figure 3.61 Air-assisted airless equipment for hot spraying Air motor Paint pump Gun Paint hose Paint can Air hose Heater Regulation system for recirculation of paint Air regulator RNAWAWNS ©3.62 Electrostatic air-assisted airless 3.63 Two-component air-assisted equipment airless equipment 1 Air motor 1 Air motor 2. Paint pump (airless) 2 Paint pump (airless) 3 Gun with high-voltage charging for component A 4 Electrostatic unit 3 Paint pump (airless) 5. Paint hose for component B 6 Paint can 4. Solvent pump for cleaning 7 Low-voltage cable 5. Mixing unit for components 8 Air hoses AandB 9 Air regulator 6 Gun 7 Air hose 8 Paint hose 9 Air regulator When spraying with air-assisted airless equipment an air pressure of 0.1-0.15 MPa is used for atomizing the paint, while for ordinary air atomization or conventional spraying 0.3-0.5 MPa is used. This is the result of the fact that the paint has already been atomized at 2-4 MPa in the nozzle by the pressure from the airless pump. Cleaning and maintenance of spraying equipment Several factors determine how often and how carefully the spray unit must be cleaned. If a change is made to another colour or type of paint, it is usually sufficient to run thinner through the unit. Chemically curing materials have a tendency to become attached in a cured or partly cured condition on the inside of hoses, gun and pump components. If such products are used, it may be necessary to have the thinner circulate through the unit one or more times a day. 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 117Many two-component, solvent-free products are sprayed with one-component airless spray equipment. The products usually have very short pot life, in the case of some types down to only a few minutes. Do not mix greater volumes than can be sprayed before the end of the pot life. Nevertheless, thinner must be run through and allowed to circulate in the unit, perhaps as often as once per hour. In addition, strainers, external parts of the pump and the gun must be cleaned on a regular basis. During breaks the unit must be cleaned. During breaks, while working with other types of chemically curing products, it may also be necessary to clean the unit. At any rate, it is necessary to wash out the gun and immerse the tip in thinner. This prevents the material from curing inside the nozzle orifice. ‘A complete cleaning of the unit is carried out when the job is finished and after the end of working hours. This is a principal rule because insufficient cleaning is the main cause for downtime and malfunctions. When dismantling and cleaning, the safety regulations must be observed. During a complete cleaning the paint is first forced out by means of thinner, which is then allowed to circulate in the gun without the nozzle. It may be necessary to change the thinner several times to clean the unit. The gun is then dismantled and the thinner is allowed to continue circulating. When after some time the pump is stopped and emptied, filters, gun, nozzle, external pump parts, and hoses are cleaned. It may be necessary to take out the bottom ball valve to clean it. Before we leave the work place hoses must be coiled up, compressed air switched off, the pressure regulator relieved and we must check that no parts of the unit are under pressure. If the high pressure pump is to be put away for a lengthy period of time, oil (for example diesel oj!) must be run into the pump. Maintenance Maintenance mainly consists of oiling and replacement of worn parts. It is impor- tant to check that the cup on the lubricator to the air motor is filled with special- purpose oil and that the lubricator works. The oil cup must contain a special- purpose agent or a mixture of thinner and oil. Important wearing parts in the pump are packings/packing sets, valve balls, valve seats and piston rod. Many pumps also have replaceable cylinder sleeves. These parts are to be replaced when wear or damage are observed. Damaged or clogged filters must be replaced. Repairs and major overhauls should be carried out by skilled repairers. Hoses and couplings must be checked and replaced when damaged or broken and when there are any doubts about the quality and strength of the hose materials. Wearing parts in the gun, needle, seat, nozzle and cap are replaced when wear or damage are observed. The trigger mechanism is worn with time. Damaged or clogged filters are replaced. Spring and open trigger mechanism are oiled 118 Corrosion protectionLiterature 1 HJ, Plaster. Blast Cleaning and allied Processes. Volume I and II 1972/1973. Industrial Newspapers Limited. Control questions 1 a) Air driven machines must be oiled. Why must they be oiled, and which types of oil should we use? b) The exit air from the machines may contaminate the steel surface. What happens? 2 In principle, two types of open nozzle dry abrasive blasting equipment are available, Make schematic diagrams of both types of equipment and explain their mode of action. 3. There is a rule of thumb indicating how big the internal diameter of the blast- ing hose should be relative to the diameter of the nozzle. What is the rule? Make a diagram of a suction-fed spray gun and explain its mode of action. The quality of the compressed air is important both when we spray with con- ventional spray equipment and airless spray equipment. Explain why? 6 What is meant by HVLP and air-assisted airless? 7 Make a diagram and explain the mode of action of an airless pump (com- pressed-air driven piston pump). 8 What is the function of the pulse chamber? 9 What is meant by the pump ratio? 10 There are other types of airless spray pumps available than the compressed-air driven, Which? 11 On the basis of which factors do you select the nozzle for the airless spray gun? 12 Mention some protective measures to be taken when using airless spray equip- ment. ae 3 SURFACE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT 119.