SELEMIX® customers often seek our advice on how to achieve the best results when using  high pressure airless spraying equipment. This short article includes a number of tips that should help.

These types of spraying systems require the paint to be pumped at a high pressure and to be atomized by passing through a narrow orifice (the tip of the gun). To eliminate tails we advise that painters aim for a pressure of 2000-3000 psi (140-200 Bar) as this technique allows a high fluid delivery for the rapid painting of objects.

To gain the best outcome it is essential to ensure that the setup is done correctly.

  1. When setting up the spray gun the painter should ensure that the pressure is increased until a continuous fan is achieved (normally at around 2000-3000 psi/ 140-200 Bar).
  2. If a painter has trouble achieving good atomization or getting tailing on the fan, it may be because the paint requires the addition of thinner.
  3. When considering tip size it is good practice to always refer to the relevant technical data sheet to ensure that the correct size is being used. As an indication, for topcoats we would normally recommend a tip size of 9-11 thou. For primers it is usually between 11 – 15 thou.
  4. The tip angle (determining the angle of the fan) should reflect the object being painted. For large flat surfaces, use a larger angle, for smaller surfaces, use a smaller angle.

After the initial set up period, we have found that optimum results using airless guns are achieved when spraying from a greater distance than compared to conventional spraying. We advise a distance of approximately 50 cm.

Finally, we always recommend that the spray gun trigger remains switched on in between passes. Failure to do this can often lead to fouling of the tip.

Following these simple practices should help the professional painter achieve better results when using Selemix productswith an airless spray system.