Air Cap Maintenance
One of the main issues that comes up in any spray project, especially those working with adhesives or abrasive materials, is buildup on the air cap that can significantly affect your spray pattern. Depending on the material you are using this can happen fairly quickly. The air cap is machined with several tiny holes that shape the spray pattern as well as play a critical role in determining if the gun is Conventional, HVLP, or HVLP Plus. Thus, keeping your air cap clean and free of material buildup is critical in ensuring consistency in your spray job. Take care not to use picks of any metal tools to clean out the holes in the air cap as they can permanently damage or widen them. This can dramatically affect your spray characteristics and typically means a new air cap is required. Most suppliers or manufacturers of spray equipment have cleaning/maintenance kits that include small brushes, picks, and lube. The small brushes and cleaning solvent are the proper tools for cleaning the air cap.
– Jorge Flores, Marketing Coordinator
Coating Equipment Technology, Inc