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Letter to the Editor

Spraybake Launches Breakthrough Air Drying System for New Top-of-the-Line Paint Booth

According to a company press release, the production benefits of the QAD System option on the Generation 4 paint booth are key to the universal appeal of this breakthrough technology. Most North American downdraft spray booths provide the optimal environment for removing overspray but are very inefficient during the drying cycles.

Traditionally, when air flows over the vehicle it creates low pressure pockets around vehicle panels that fill with evaporating solvent and become saturated. This slows the drying process and can create paint defects and solvent popping. The revolutionary QAD System delivers controlled turbulence over low pressure areas, breaking down vacuum pockets, thus blowing away evaporating solvent before it can build up.

The QAD System is also more energy efficient. It "equalizes air temperature" throughout the booth with no temperature variance from top to bottom as seen in traditional booths. Think of the booth like a convection oven. Within the booth, just like in an oven, more of the heat energy from the air is transferred into the vehicle, raising panel temperatures to be more in line with the air temperature. Thus, curing the panels more evenly and enhancing gloss levels.

This technology is maintained via a control panel located outside the spray booth. It is preprogrammed to optimize throughput and overall efficiency. When the process is complete, an alarm sounds and the operator can proceed to the next stage with no downtime.

Spraybake promises significant cost savings, claiming the Generation 4 QAD System increases production by 35 percent. For the body shop, this equates to an increase in jobs per day and yearly reductions in: fuel, hydro, operating and labor costs - thereby increasing margins by as much as 15 percent. By combining time, energy and labor savings, the QAD System can save the average body shop $84,000 a year or more.

The Static Neutralization System is standard on the Generation 4 QAD System. Typically, refinishers waste hours removing dirt after painting due to contamination caused by the high level of static charge carried by a vehicle. The SN System neutralizes static charge, preventing foreign matter from reaching the vehicle while the paint is atomized from the gun. This unique system also provides the added benefit of significantly enhanced gloss levels.

Sam Piercey, the manager of Budd's Collision in Oakville, ON commented, "This system has been nothing short of fantastic. It has exceeded our expectations for increased production (over 35 percent) and job quality improvements. We can now paint a vehicle in under 30 minutes - start to finish." And he's not alone. John Assini, the manager of Clair Collision in West Roxbury, MA agrees, "Everything out on the market today is obsolete compared to the QAD System. We have four paint booths and only one has the QAD System - now we want three more systems!"

Spraybake, Inc. is headquartered in Concord, Ontario Canada.

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