Painting and coating

Spray booths and areas handling paints and solvents

Paint booths and solvent areas need ATEX-certified lighting, controls and static earthing. Maffioletti supplies them, along with custom enclosures.

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Operator in protective overalls applying paint with a spray gun

Where the hazardous areas are

In wet painting, paint and solvent vapours and mists create hazardous areas in spray booths, extraction ducts, flash-off areas, ovens, paint mixing rooms and solvent stores. During spraying the inside of the booth is generally Zone 1, with Zone 2 around the openings; the extent depends heavily on the air extraction. Toluene, xylene and acetone are group IIA, but the gas group and temperature class must be checked against the products actually used.

In powder coating there can be Zones 20, 21 and 22 in the booth, recovery systems and filters.

Typical requirements

Static electricity: earthing of workpieces, hangers, drums and operators, especially with electrostatic spraying and solvent transfer.
Cleaning: equipment must be cleaned of overspray without damage; glass resists solvents better than many plastics.
Ventilation: spraying only possible with the extraction running, which the electrical design must allow for.
Temperature: in ovens and flash-off areas, check the temperature class and the permitted ambient temperature.
Standards: Directives 2014/34/EU and 1999/92/EC, IEC/EN 60079-10-1 for vapours, IEC/EN 60079-10-2 for coating powders, IEC/EN 60079-14.

Products for this sector

Lighting: LED linear luminaires for booths and mixing rooms, with good colour rendering for checking the finish.
Static grounding: Newson Gale clamps and earthing systems with connection monitoring for drums, IBCs and containers.
Enclosures, junction boxes and control stations: junction boxes and control stations for booths, fans and pumps.
Gas detection: flammable vapour detectors for mixing rooms, stores and ovens.
Heating: drum and IBC heaters that keep paints and resins at the right viscosity.
Tools: non-sparking tools for opening drums in solvent areas.

How we help

We design and assemble custom enclosures and electrical panels in-house; junction boxes and control stations are also available with our 72-hour Express service. You can set up your enclosure with the online configurator. For booths, ask us for a lighting calculation or try the LED energy-saving calculator.

Through Atex Italia we also offer consulting on area classification, training and inspections. Contact us for a proposal.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What ATEX zone is a paint booth?

While solvent-based paint is being sprayed, the inside of the booth is generally Zone 1, with Zone 2 around the openings; in powder coating the zones are 20, 21 or 22. The extent depends on products, quantities and ventilation, and is defined by the area classification.

Why is earthing needed in painting?

Workpieces, containers and operators that are not earthed can build up electrostatic charge and release it as a spark capable of igniting solvent vapours. Systems with connection monitoring confirm that the earth connection is effective before a transfer starts.

What lighting does a paint booth need?

Luminaires must be certified for the booth's zone and gas group, with a temperature class suited to the solvents used. Diffusers that are easy to clean and good colour rendering help when checking the quality of the finish.