Spray guns are an indispensable tool in the 'toolbox' of anyone involved in car body painting, whether professional or enthusiast.
To facilitate painting operations and achieve a more refined result, it is advisable to have three spray guns:
- one for matte bases;
- one for clear coats;
- one for primers and more viscous materials in general.
The technical characteristics of each spray gun should reflect its intended use.
Spray guns for car body repair: a constant quest
A wide range of spray guns for car body repair from different brands are available on the market, and clearly, they are not all the same.
Manufacturers of professional spray guns are constantly researching new solutions to improve the performance of their products and the satisfaction of their users.
In particular, R&D departments focus on:
- reducing consumption, aiming to offer cost savings on every painting job;
- improving ergonomics, making use during painting more comfortable;
- refining the design, making the spray gun recognizable and full of personality.
Which spray gun to choose?
Before choosing a specific model, it is necessary to evaluate the spray gun offerings in terms of atomization technology and thus their compatibility with the intended use.
Atomization is the process that allows a liquid to be nebulized: depending on the technology used, a cloud of droplets of more or less small diameter and more or less similar in size is obtained; a spray is considered ideal if these sizes are identical.
Commonly, three main systems of professional spray guns are found on the market:
- High Pressure;
- HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure);
- Trans-Tech or RP (Reduced Pressure).
For the sake of completeness, we also mention LVLP (Low Volume Low Pressure) guns, but they are not very common.
High-pressure spray guns are characterized by high material consumption, so they are used for specific applications where high pressure is an indispensable requirement.
The choice then remains between HVLP and Trans-Tech.
HVLP technology uses low pressure at the gun head, which is compensated by high air volumes to atomize and spread the paint with excellent finish results.
Trans-Tech technology, on the other hand, alters the balance between pressure and air volume: the atmospheric pressure in these spray guns is about 2.5 times higher (about 1.6 bar) and therefore less air is needed and the compressor outlet hose must be smaller.
Based on these characteristics, Trans-Tech spray guns allow for better spraying of materials such as high-solid and ultra-high-solid clear coats than HVLP guns, without compromising quality; HVLP technology is primarily chosen for water-based matte bases.
Ultimately, the choice of spray gun is strictly linked to the paint product to be dispensed, since viscosity and finish determine not only the atomization technology, but also the nozzle size:
- Primer: nozzle 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8;
- Two-component primers: nozzle 1.8, 1.9, 2.0;
- Wet-on-wet primers: nozzle 1.3, 1.4, 1.5;
- Polyurethane paints: nozzle 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7;
- Two-component enamels: nozzle 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5;
- Matte bases: nozzle 1.2, 1.3, 1.4;
- Two-component clear coats: nozzle 1.2, 1.3, 1.4.
We are at your disposal for every need!
For over 55 years, Ferraris Color has been the benchmark for car body repair and offers a wide range of products selected from the best brands in the industry: discover all our car body spray guns and contact us for any need!
