Common Mistakes | Fluid Process Control

Three Common Mistakes Made By Industrial Finishers

In-line Electric Heaters

In-line electric heaters, (commonly known as Paint Heaters), have very limited surface areas due to their size.  Therefore, they must run at higher surface temperatures to bring the paint to the desired outlet temperature. If the wall surface of the heater gets too high, the paint in contact with the metal is degraded, or actually cures on the heater wall.  If the paint is degraded and then sprayed onto the end product, it may not perform as desired creating issues with finish, gloss, adhesion, etc. If the paint cures to the wall, pieces of this cured paint can break away from the wall and be carried to the spray nozzle either appearing as "dirt" on the part, or clogging the nozzle. Furthermore, this cured layer of paint is essentially an insulator, which keeps the flowing paint from reaching the heater wall surface and slowing the rate of energy exchange. Since the surface area available is finite, it is necessary to increase the temperature again to get the required thermal exchange and another layer of paint then cures onto the first layer of paint. This cycle continues until the heater becomes plugged.

Finally, in-line electric heaters have no capacity for cooling.  Most processes add heat to the material either by absorbing heat generated by the pump, shear or friction.  As the process material warms, there is nothing preventing it from getting too warm.  You simply shut off the heater and live with the results.

Controlling Temperature at the Source

While drum heaters and temperature controlled rooms can provide some value, much of the benefit is lost between the source and the point of application.  When developing solutions for temperature control, Saint Clair Systems always starts at the point of use and works backward to the source.  If source heating is required, Saint Clair Systems can provide much more cost effective solutions.  Contact us and we will provide a free thermal analysis to help you determine if source heating is necessary.

Work Arounds

Many companies have determined, understandably so, that there is little they can do to cost effectively offset the temperature variations they see from season to season, day to day or even from morning to afternoon. As a result, they will look to their material suppliers for different blends, modify robot programs or even add people at the end of the process for touch up to combat the effects of temperature. This "non-value added activity" becomes a normal part of their day to day routine. A Saint Clair Systems solution allows you to operate as if it's your best day, every day. Upon implementation, our trained Service Technicians will help you develop "recipes" for each of your materials. These recipes include predetermined temperature settings, pressure settings, solvent additions or any other variable that impacts your process. When temperature is stable, the rest is easy.  Contact us to find out how easy.