| Booth Type | Best For | Recovery Rate | Color Change | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge Filter Booth | Single or few color operations | 98-99% | 15-45 min | €35,000 - €80,000 |
| Cyclone + Filter Booth | Multi-color, fast change | 95-98% | 5-15 min | €50,000 - €120,000 |
| Open-Front Booth | Manual application, small parts | 85-95% | 20-30 min | €15,000 - €35,000 |
| Automatic Booth | High volume production | 95-99% | 10-30 min | €80,000 - €200,000+ |
Your booth dimensions must accommodate the largest parts you coat, with additional space for gun movement and air flow. For conveyor-fed automatic lines, booth length depends on line speed and number of gun stations. Calculate your required throughput (parts/hour) and work backwards to determine booth specifications.
If you run more than 5-6 colors regularly, a cyclone-type booth is recommended for faster color changes. Single-color or few-color operations benefit from the higher recovery rates of cartridge filter booths.
The booth must maintain proper air velocity (0.3-0.7 m/s at the booth opening) to contain powder while not creating turbulence that disrupts the electrostatic field. Filtration efficiency should exceed 99.5% to meet environmental regulations and maintain clean room conditions for high-quality finishes.
Modern booths use PVC-coated panels or stainless steel for easy cleaning and powder release. Avoid standard steel or aluminum interiors that hold static charge and attract powder buildup. Acrotech manufactures PVC antistatic booths specifically designed for rapid color change operations.
| Setup | Throughput | Consistency | Labor | Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual guns only | Low-Medium | Operator-dependent | 2-4 operators | € |
| Manual + reciprocators | Medium | Good on flat areas | 1-2 operators | €€ |
| Full automatic guns | High | Excellent | 0-1 operator | €€€ |
| Automatic + robots | Very High | Perfect for complex parts | 0-1 operator | €€€€ |