Types of spray guns for painting - all existing types

All existing types of spray guns are adapted to perform certain tasks - in the domestic or professional sphere. The choice of a suitable device depends on the required quality of painting, the types of paintwork material with which you plan to work, as well as the complexity of care and the need for additional equipment.

Pneumatic spray guns: varieties, principle of operation, advantages and disadvantages

This type of spray guns is the first one that was used to automate the painting process - it was and remains a tool for professional use with the highest quality work.

The general principle of operation consists in supplying paints and varnishes from the container to the nozzle, through which a powerful stream of air flows. The design of the nozzle is made in such a way that the air flow smashes the paint droplets into fine dust and brings it out, spraying in the form of a so-called torch, the cone diverging from the nozzle nozzle.

Pneumatic spray guns can be made with an upper or lower paint tank.

In total, three subspecies of pneumatic spray guns are produced using different dyeing techniques. Their general principle of operation is the same, the differences are only in the working pressure and the volume of air consumed, which directly affects the efficiency of the device.

High Pressure Spray Guns (HP)

One of the first ever applied, but still used, paint coating technology. Among all pneumatic devices using this technology are considered the most budget, with the most simplified nozzle design. Literally, the abbreviation of the name translates as "high pressure", under which air is fed into the nozzle and is displayed with paint out.

The use of such spray guns is unlimited, it is simply outdated and not such an effective technology - if you need a reliable machine for minimal money, out of competition among pneumatic HPs.

High Volume - Low Pressure Spray Guns (HVLP)

The spray gun does not necessarily need a large outlet pressure - this idea was implemented in a technology whose name is literally denoted as a large volume - low pressure. This means that the air flow breaks the paint entering the nozzle, but the nozzle shape reduces the outlet pressure. This increases the clarity of the paint torch, and less pressure allows you to keep the spray gun closer to the surface to be painted, without fear of "inflating" the already applied, but not dried paint. In the aggregate, the transfer efficiency of such devices increases to 65%.

Such devices are “workhorses” - the price-performance ratio makes them the most common among medium level spray guns.

Low Volume - Low Pressure Spray Guns (LVLP)

If the paint is on the surface so thin that you have to wipe its thickness with additional passes, then it makes sense to increase work efficiency due to the ability to adjust the size of the sprayed drops. This is the main feature of the “small volume of air at low pressure” spraying technology, which allows raising the transfer coefficient up to 80%.

Spray guns using LVLP technology are professional devices that are not always advisable to purchase for home use.

Electric spray guns: varieties, principle of operation, pros and cons.

The classic electric spray gun is a versatile home-class device, although some design advantages have made it a good solution for professional use. All such types of spray guns for painting are divided into groups, depending on the principle of operation and mobility of the device:

Airless electric spray guns

This method of applying paint is universal in terms of the ability to use paints and varnishes with a high level of viscosity . In such devices, paint is fed into the nozzle by a piston pump, which develops a lot of pressure, and spraying occurs due to the nozzle design. Such a principle of action breaks up drops of paint into small particles, but they are significantly larger than those that are formed during the operation of the pneumatic spray gun.

As a result, airless spray guns are mainly a device for domestic use, where flexibility and mobility are valued. On an industrial scale, due to high paint consumption, it is more rational to use it when applying primers, when work speed comes to the fore and perfect quality is not required.

Air electric spray guns

Here, in general, the same principle of operation is used as with pneumatic devices - the paint is supplied to the nozzle and is broken into dispersed dust by air flow. The main difference is in the method of obtaining air flow. In electric spray guns, solenoid or turbine electric motors are used, which, depending on the power, are mounted directly into the body of the spray gun or are made separately standing.

Spray guns with stand-alone engines can roll behind an operator like a vacuum cleaner or they can be hung on the shoulder like a bag - for this, special mounts are provided.

As a result, the scope of application of electric airbrushes has no special limitations - the power and performance can be selected for domestic and professional use.

Spray guns operating from the mains

Such devices make up the vast majority of those that are on the market. These include both pneumatic and electric spray guns: in the former, the electric motor is part of a compressor, and in the latter, it directly rotates the rotor of the pump or supercharger.

There is only one restriction on the use of network spray guns - if there is no electricity at the facility, from a fixed power supply network or generator.

Spray guns, battery-powered

Despite widespread electrification, this class of devices also found a buyer. They are used not only in places without fixed mains, but also simply to increase operator mobility, which is often required for painting works that are carried out from towers.

Since the spray guns operating from the battery are significantly more expensive than the network models, it makes sense to acquire them only if their intensive use is expected.

Paint stations

These are powerful devices capable of delivering paint directly from the bucket. The paint gun and the paint pump itself are separated from these devices. When working, the operator holds in his hands a small spray gun to which paint is supplied under high pressure. The electric motor with the pump are located on a separate platform. The design of some devices provides wheels for more comfortable movement of the unit along with paint. Such guns have many adjustments. They are advisable to use when large amounts of work on construction sites.

Manual mechanical sprayers

If a large amount of work is expected in an area without electricity, then even the use of stand-alone spray guns with a spare battery is not practical - it will be enough for about an hour continuous work.

The solution will be the manual types of spray guns - they represent a metal or plastic cylinder, which contains a mechanical plunger pump, like a car. A pair of hoses come out of the body - one for pumping into the internal tank of the sprayed solution, and the second goes directly to the sprayer.

There are also a number of household devices in which the spray composition is simply poured inside the cylinder, then it is sealed and air is pumped inside the pump.

The pump operates in two modes - usually they are switched by means of ball valves. First, the composition for spraying is pumped from the external tank, and then pressure is pumped into the internal tank. When the pressure reaches the desired value, you can start work.

For convenience, such spray guns are equipped with handles, up to two meters long, which allows the operator to paint large areas with a minimum of operator movement.

Airless and air staining methods

In hand-held devices, these staining methods work a little differently. Airless spraying into the tank is pumped into the air, which creates pressure, pushing the composition for spraying from the nozzle. It is difficult to achieve a uniform application of the composition to the surface to be painted; therefore, such devices are most often used for spraying plants with chemicals or for treating surfaces with antiseptics or anti-corrosion compounds.

The air application method works in much the same way, but when sprayed, the composition is additionally mixed with air and together with it comes out of the nozzle in the form of a torch, which allows uniform application of the composition for spraying.

What to look for when choosing a manual airbrush

The main characteristics that affect the quality and usability are the following:

1. Tank capacity. Direct dependence - the larger the tank, the more the composition can be sprayed before refueling. Spray guns are usually equipped with containers of 2-2.5 liters, and sprayers, in which the composition is poured directly into the working tank, can hold 10-15 liters.

2. Operating pressure. Since pressure has to be maintained manually, most devices are designed to operate at 5-6 atmospheres. A pressure gauge is usually installed for monitoring.

3. Performance. It shows how much the composition of the spray gun can spray in a minute - depends on the speed of work.

Since the mechanical gun has no engine, this is a very reliable and unpretentious design. It as well as possible will be suitable for work on seasonal dachas or in other places where there is no electricity.