INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: BOOTHS & FILTERS clumping powder prompts filter changes every six to nine months. Batch powder booths that feature roll media and panel filters provide just weeks of production before a filter change is necessary. In booths with only a single row of filters at the bottom of the booth, the filters load so quickly, it is sometimes challenging to get even a full day of production without having to clean the filters. When spraying in a booth with overloaded filters, the powder can migrate out of the booth and into the shop, potentially contaminating other areas of the operation. To save on the expense of a full filter change, vacuuming powder out of the filters-often for an hour a day-is the only way to get some roll media powder booths ready for use the following day. Operators may also attempt to upgrade components of the booth, such as swapping a five horsepower (hp) motor with a seven and a half hp motor or a 36-inch fan with a 48-inch fan, in hopes of making the booth more powerful. Those modifications typically result only in shortterm gains, as the upfront savings of a powder booth designed with roll media are negated by hours upon hours of lost production because of constant filter maintenance. Powder Collection Mechanism Even for the neatest industrial manufacturer or job shop, powder coating is a messy process. Profit margins are sometimes smaller than they could be due to the manpower Daemar_CFCM_Sep2014_Ad-01_Outlines.indd 1 May/June 2024 8/28/2014 4:20:56 PM 19http://www.daemar.com