Does your spray coating seem a little bit off? Are you not getting the coverage that you used to or getting odd behaviors? You may have an issue with your spray that is causing the issue. Fortunately, there is a quick spray gun troubleshooting test you can do to figure out if there is an issue.
We call this the Fixed Spray Test and it allows you, in a matter of seconds, to determine if there is an issue with your spray pattern that you should investigate. It is the very first step in any spray gun troubleshooting process. When you spray a coating, you should have a uniform shape (pattern) as well as uniform coverage along that pattern. This quick test will help you determine if there is an issue with either one of those.
The first step is to turn your air cap sideways so that the horns are perpendicular to the ground; if you cannot adjust your air cap you can hold your gun sideways as well. Trigger the spray gun and keep it triggered until you see a defined spray pattern and that pattern is saturated with material. Once the pattern is thoroughly defined release the trigger and analyze the pattern. You are looking for two different things. 1) Is the pattern a well-defined and uniform oval or ellipse shape? 2) Is the paint runoff from the pattern uniform as well? Your coating should be consistent across the entire pattern so the runoff should feature an even drip pattern as well.
If the answers to any of the above questions is NO, then you should consider looking into potential problems with you spray gun. You could have a clog or a leak, or one or more of your components could be wearing out. Some spare parts may be needed. For a quick list on what could be wrong with you spray gun, as well as a list of causes and solutions, you can view our other post here.
Jorge Flores, Marketing Coordinator
Coating Equipment Technology, Inc