96Yeepster said:
If you do not use HLVP guns now, your so far behind it won't matter. They are far superior to the suction it is rediculous.
You are making the same mistake EPA has made in writing this rule and thinking that car and body paint refinishing is all there is out there in the way of paint equipment and paint applications. This is not the case.
HVLP can also use the paint suction method (1) so it is not different from the old style, convential suction equipment in that respect, and it uses more air volume, not less, than the convential air rigs. The proposed EPA rule is over promoting HVLP like it is a cure all, which it is not. HVLP is not suitable for heavy high solids industrial coatings. There is also high pressure airless equipment to be considered, brush, roller, and electrostatic.
Also their requirement for the use an enclosed paint gun cleaner seems to based on the assumption that all painting is done with suction equipment, which is not true. An enclosed paint gun cleaner may be the BACT for suction cup gun cleaning but what about pressure fed paint systems? I would like too see someone shove a Graco Bulldog airless paint rig, 100 ft of airless paint hose and the airless paint gun with a high solids catalyzed coal tar epoxy in it, into an enclosed paint gun cleaner to clean out of the system. With pressure fed paint equipment there is no need for an enclosed paint gun cleaner. Just turn off the air to the paint gun and then pump solvent through from the the paint pot, through the hose and gun, and capture the solvent for later distilation recovery and reuse.
It is obvious, at least to me, that who ever drafted this rule has limited paint and paint equipment experience, limited to auto refinishing, and they have tried to write a rule to cover everyone based on that limited experience.
96Yeepster said:
They are however going after paid paint shops to have them use less harmful sprays and cleaners. They are also wanting to ensure that each 'professional' paint shop is properly equipped, and that the people spraying actually know how to do it properly using proper techniques. That just makes sense.
To the best of my knowledge, 3/4ths of the targeted paint ingredients they listed in the proposed new reg (lead, cadmium, chromium....) are no longer even used in the paints and coatings that are currently available, making the rule a waisted effort and an unnessesary burden on the local goverments who will be required to enforce it and on the businesses that do painting.
96Yeepster said:
The EPA will however severly attack any business that even has one of these suction type guns even on the premisis.
Actually they will attack those who do not have the required, listed equipment in the reg, on hand.
(1)
http://www.lionindustries.co.uk/hvlp.html
" An HVLP spray gun uses air to atomise the paint, so it will generally obtain a slightly better finish than basic airless; however the transfer efficiency will not be as good, resulting in more overspray, and the application rate will much slower than airless. In painting and decorating, where a mirror finish is not normally required, HVLP is only used for spraying small volumes of paint, or for spraying multi-colour (fleck) paints with a very large nozzle/needle set up. If airless can be used, it is always preferable to HVLP which is more complicated to set up and adjust, and can only spray relatively thin materials.
The paint supply is either mounted on the HVLP spray gun, or from a paint hose supplied under pressure from a remote pressure tank or low pressure pump. A gun mounted paint container can be under the gun in front of the trigger, when it is usually of 1 litre capacity and called a Suction Cup (sometimes called a Syphon Cup), or above the gun as a Gravity Cup that is usually smaller, about 700 ml. Some painters prefer a suction cup underneath the gun whilst others prefer a gravity arrangement, each type providing a different balance and view of the work. The gravity gun is gaining in popularity because of the claimed improved view. A gun supplied with paint from a hose has the best view and is much lighter than a gun with a full paint cup, but it requires more paint in the system.
Some advanced designs of HVLP guns will generate enough suction to avoid having to pressure the paint cup, but these guns are not practical for the heavier materials used in painting and decorating and heavier industrial finishes."