Have Guns, Will Travel to Show Them

Nordson Corporation, Industrial Coating Systems of Amherst, Ohio, recently made the rounds at the North American Industrial Coatings Show in Cincinnati and Fabtech in Chicago, showing off its newest products for the finishing industry.

Nordson unveiled the Trilogy electrostatic spray gun, the Encore LT manual powder spray gun and the Encore Modular Control System to show attendees.

Trilogy electrostatic spray gun

Nordson says the Trilogy provides the highest kilovolts available for liquid painting application, thus maximizing transfer efficiency and control

“It provides the highest kV in the industry for better part coverage and efficiency,” says Brad Syrowski, business development manager for Nordson’s liquid systems group. “It’s versatile and changes easily from airspray to high-volume, low-pressure with just the switch of a nozzle. It’s the only gun with automatic current limiting, which provides better control of gun charge and part coverage.”

At 93 kV, Syrowski says the Trilogy system provides a superior transfer efficiency and paint wrap. With the strongest electrostatic load lines, he says voltage remains consistently high—even as gun-to-part distances change from four to 20 inches—which ensures high-efficiency coverage.”

The guns feature two atomization technologies—air spray and high volume, low pressure—for a variety of substrates, coatings and part profiles. Syrowski says the Trilogy systems are available in manual or automatic gun models.

Other features of the Trilogy system include automatic current limiting for greater control of charging, ergonomic handle-forward design for better balance and improved operator comfort, quick-flush fluid passages for ease of cleaning and maintenance, a rugged gun bodies minimize maintenance costs and downtime, and more than 50 fluid tip and air cap combinations for flexibility.

Encore LT manual powder spray gun

The Encore LT manual powder spray gun incorporates a new gun and controller that Nordson says is easier to use and provided consistent, repeatable coating performance.

Using the company’s “Select Charge” technology, Marketing Manager Bob Allsop says the Encore LT system lets users quickly select from a set of pre-programmed coating modes to assure maximum spray performance under a wide array of production conditions—including coating deep cavities, recoating and spraying metallic powders.

Other new features include an “Automatic Feedback Current” control that automatically controls optimum electrostatic charging voltage based upon gun-to-part distance, and closed-loop air pressure control that ensures repeatable painting performance regardless of fluctuations in plant air pressure.

Allsop says the Encore LT gun delivers 100,000 volts to provide maximum first pass transfer efficiency. He says its compact, highly efficient pump uses less compressed air to deliver more powder to the part, resulting in a much softer spray pattern that consistently provides higher first-pass transfer efficiency.

“In addition, the Encore LT gun incorporates our ‘PowerPurge’ feature and auxiliary trigger, which cleans the powder path from the base of the handle through the nozzle, preventing internal powder build-up to ensure optimum spraying performance with a wide variety of powder materials,” he says.

But more importantly for end users, the Encore LT gun has fewer parts and is easy to service. Its quick-turn nozzle retainer speeds up nozzle removal for changing nozzles sizes or types, routine cleaning and color change.

Allsop says the Encore LT system is a value-priced product, and comes with a five-year warranty on non-wear parts and a two-year warranty on the cable. It is available in vibratory box feeder or fluidized hopper mobile systems, and manufacturers can choose between two vibratory box feeders—either 110- or 220-volt versions—or a stainless steel fluidized hopper with 50-lb. capacity. Other system options include various nozzles, a parts tray, 300 mm and 600 mm (6-inch and 12-inch) lance extensions and the Encore cup gun kit for testing, lab use or smaller runs.

Encore Modular Control System

The Encore modular gun control system incorporates digital energy saving pneumatics in both Classic Flow and Smart Flow modes. Classic Flow mode allows operators to set flow and atomizing air independently. In Smart Flow mode, atomizing and flow air are adjusted automatically based on the flow air percent and total flow settings.

John Binder, marketing manager for Nordson’s powder coating system, says Encore’s digital pneumatic controls allow for higher precision and repeatability than standard pressure regulators and gages, and the pneumatics are also more economical and help save money at incoming air pressure as low as 60 psi.

Electrostatics are controlled with a choice of “Select Charge” or AFC modes for virtually infinite configurability of both kV and current, says Binder. Select Charge coating modes use three optimized factory preset electrostatic parameters for recoating parts, metallic powders and deep recesses. A fourth or “custom” mode enables independent setting of kV and current limit, says Binder.

The AFC control is also available with the Encore modular control system, says Binder, allowing operators to set gun current at a level that will provide optimal powder charge and field strength for each part to be coated.

“The new Encore controller system provides more versatility for automatic powder coating operations,” Binder says. “Equally important, it incorporates innovative features that make it extremely reliable and easy-to-use. It’s a system designed for high performance with a variety of materials and applications.”

The modular cabinet style design accommodates up to eight automatic gun controllers and an optional axis controller for easy operation of both reciprocators and in/out positioners. The system is also available in four-, six- or eight-gun controller configurations with master control, rear dress out cover panel. The master control panel provides main power and air distribution, keyed lockout protection, and gun triggering via a PLC or other triggering device.

The Encore modular control system is available with an optional axis controller for the control of both reciprocators and in/out positioners. A standard configuration includes two controllers, each capable of controlling two axes; for example, one reciprocator and one in/out positioner. Reciprocator control includes start/stop, speed, stroke, and color change sequence. In/out positioner control includes start/stop, contouring and color change sequence. n

For more information on Nordson products, please call 440-985-4000, or visit nordson.com.