C & K MASTERS COLLISION INC.
DOWNDRAFT PAINT BOOTH FEASIBLILTY STUDY
August 3, 2009
Researcher
A WSU Student
Internal Technical Report
Read and Approved:
______________________
District Manager
_______________________
Date
Executive Summary
C&K Masters Collision Inc. has recently purchased a new collision facility in the Metro Detroit Area. I am
one of several paint technicians employed at C&K’s Metro-Detroit location and I have been asked by the
shop manager to take a closer look into the efficiency of our current paint system. At present, C&K’s
Metro-Detroit location is using a severely outdated paint system that lacks proper ventilation as well as
a clean area for paint processes to occur. Also, the current paint system doesn’t allow other shop
functions to occur and lacks the proper heating treatments to reduce paint cure times. The new facility
has shown flashes of productivity; however I feel that updating its current paint system will increase the
efficiency of this new facility.
During the past three weeks I have conducted research on the practicality of adding a downdraft paint
booth to our current paint system. This research includes reviews and testimonials of semi-downdraft
paint booth owners, features and options offered by paint booth manufacturers, as well as interviews
and surveys from certified paint technicians.
The purpose of this report is to show the feasibility of adding a downdraft paint booth to C&K’s MetroDetroit location
Adding a downdraft paint booth will be a feasible update to C&K’s paint efficiency issues for the
following reasons:
1. A downdraft booth will be properly ventilated, and filtered providing a dust and particle free
paint environment.
2. A downdraft booth will be properly sealed and accessible. This allows other shop functions to
occur without disrupting the paint process.
3. A downdraft booth will be equipped with radiant heaters to “bake” painted materials
appropriately.
As a result of the research conducted, I recommend adding a downdraft paint booth to the collision
facility at C&K’s Metro-Detroit Location.
Introduction
C&K Masters Collision Inc. has recently purchased a new collision facility in the Metro Detroit Area. At
present, C&K’s Metro-Detroit location is using a severely outdated paint system that lacks proper
ventilation as well as a clean area for paint processes to occur. Also, the current paint system doesn’t
allow other shop functions to occur and lacks the proper heating treatments to reduce paint cure times.
The new facility has shown flashes of productivity; however I feel that updating its current paint system
will increase the efficiency of this new facility.
During the past three weeks I have conducted research on the practicality of adding a downdraft paint
booth to our current paint system. This research includes reviews and testimonials of downdraft paint
booth owners, features and options offered by downdraft paint booth manufactures, as well as
interviews and surveys from certified paint technicians.
This report will give detailed information on the practicality of adding a downdraft paint booth to C&K’s
Metro-Detroit location.
C&K has been experiencing many difficulties with their current paint system. The addition of a
downdraft paint booth will improve C&K’s paint efficiency issues for the following reasons.
To start, a downdraft booth will be properly ventilated and filtered providing a dust and particle free
paint environment. This feature will provide ideal painting situations for the paint technician, thus
increasing the quality of the paint assignment.
In addition, there is nothing separating the paint area from the rest of the shop. This is a problem
because other shop functions, such as sanding, welding, cleaning, and framework, cannot be done while
the technician is painting. The downdraft booth will be properly sealed and accessible; allowing the
paint area to be isolated and other shop functions to occur without disrupting the paint process.
Finally, the downdraft booth will be equipped with an attached drying room that is used to “bake”
painted materials. This drying room is equipped with infrared curing systems to quicken paint cure
times. This feature will increase the number of assignments that can be completed during a standard
workday.
As a result of the research conducted, the addition of a downdraft paint booth to C&K’s collision facility
will vastly improve their paint efficiency as well as their overall shop productivity.
Method
This report was written using personal knowledge as well as Information collected via World Wide Web.
I visited numerous websites of paint booth manufacturers, viewing the features offered with downdraft
paint booths. I also interviewed two paint technicians personally and noted there comments. Their
comments will be included in this report.
Results and Discussion
Wisegeek.com gives the definition of a paint booth as follows:
“A paint booth is a structure which is designed to keep dust and other contaminants out of a
painting area. Contaminants can have a major impact on the quality of a paint job... Using a paint booth
ensures that paint jobs are done quickly and in a clean environment, saving money and time in the long
term f or the company doing the job.” (Smith, 2009)
I.
Properly filtered and ventilated paint area.
Dust and other fine particles found in the air can ruin a paint assignment if these particles attach
themselves to a freshly painted object. A small amount of dirt in a paint assignment is no need for alarm,
but if a paint assignment contains large amounts of dust and dirt it could cause considerable problems
for the paint technician. The fresh paint that was just applied to the object will need to be completely
taken off and redone. This can be time consuming and costly because of the use of extra paint
materials. C&K’s primary problem is that they have no method of removing dust and dirt particles from
their paint area.
If a downdraft paint booth was installed in C&K’s paint area, dust and dirt particles will not be a problem
for the paint technician. In a downdraft paint booth air enters the booth from the ceiling and goes
through a set of filters. The filters remove all dirt and debris from the incoming air. The filtered air
enters the booth and is sucked around the sides of the paint object (usually a car or car parts). An
exhaust fan, located in a pit beneath the floor of the booth, sucks the air from the booth. This air is also
filtered and ejected out of the facility through an exhaust stack.
II.
Properly sealed and accessible paint area.
The ability to separate the paint area from the collision repair area is a key component to the success of
any collision repair facility. In the collision area many shop functions such as sanding, welding, and
framework occur. During the sanding process a great amount of dust is created from the sanding of
body-fillers, such as Bondo, and old paint. In addition to the dust created from sanding, other particles
such as rust, leaves, and other forms of debris found naturally can be carried to the paint area through
the air. Since the processes relative to collision repair can cause significant problems for the paint
process, C&K must stop most collision processes in order to provide the best paint situation for the paint
technician. This halt in production causes a lack of efficiency and reduces the productivity of the facility.
Also, given that the paint area is not properly sealed from the rest of the facility, drafts occur causing
more overspray. Overspray is unused paint that was unable to attach itself to the paint object. Small
amounts of overspray can drift into other areas of the facility. Since overspray is a form of paint fume, it
should be contained and properly disposed of.
A downdraft paint booth will be isolated from the rest of the facility because it is a sealed enclosure. A
paint technician can place vehicles or vehicle parts inside the booth and close the booth doors. The
doors of the booth are also sealed. Airtight windows are positioned on both side-by-side bay doors and
the personal entry door. The positioning of windows allows the paint technician to be aware of anything
occurring outside of the booth. The side-by-side bay doors are located in the front and rear of the booth
allowing vehicles to be driven through the booth if necessary. The personal entry door is located on the
side of the booth allowing the technician to easily enter and exit the booth. C&K’s paint area can easily
sustain the largest downdraft paint booths produced by manufacturers. Since the booth is sealed, C&K
will not need to suspend shop functions, such as sanding, during any paint assignments. Trace amounts
of paint fumes and overspray will not leak into other areas of the facility because they will be contained
inside the booth and will be properly ventilated through various exhaust ports.
III.
Proper paint curing system.
The automotive paint process used at C&K locations is a 2 or 3 stage system using basecoat and clearcoat applications. All paint assignments are stripped of any features that are not to be painted. For
example, if a door is being painted on a car, the window, window channel, door handle, and body
moldings, must be removed prior to painting. If an assignment is reassembled before the paint cures
you could potentially damage the paint. Also any paint imperfections such as runs and orange peel
cannot be corrected until the paint cures. It takes most paint applications about 24 hrs to cure,
depending on temperature conditions. Therefore, paint efficiency can be improved by speeding paint
cure times.
A downdraft paint booth comes equipped with an attached drying room. The drying room is also sealed,
filtered, and ventilated so that dust and other particles do not enter the drying chamber. The drying
room is equipped with an infrared curing system to help bake painted materials. This infrared system
uses radiant heaters to heat whatever is inside of the drying chamber. A digital thermostat allows you
to control the temperature and humidity inside of the drying chamber allowing the paint technician to
create ideal paint curing conditions. This feature allows paint assignments to cure at an average time of
30-60 minutes. With the use of the drying room, more paint assignments can be completed and
returned to the collision technicians for reassembly.
IV.
Additional downdraft paint booth features.
A downdraft paint booth utilizes a nut and bolt construction. This allows the booth to be assembled and
disassembled easily. This is a useful feature because the booth becomes transportable, allowing the
booth to be disassembled and taken to a new area or facility.
A downdraft paint booth is made using G-90 18 gauge galvanized steel for panel construction. Since the
booth uses galvanized steel, the booth has greater protection against corrosion and provides a stronger
structure.
A downdraft paint booth uses high quality energy saving fluorescent lights. These lights can be
purchased at most hardware stores and are easy to install and replace. Also, the inside walls of the
booth are powder zinc coated which reduces glare and increases brightness the area inside the booth.
Proper lighting is needed in all paint process. The paint technician needs appropriate lighting to see if
the paint object is fully covered and is consistent in color and texture.
A downdraft paint booth exceeds all city, state, and federal regulations, as well as all environmental
standards. The installation of a downdraft paint booth will ensure that all C&K’s paint system is up to
code.
A downdraft paint booth will save money on paint and disposal costs. The use of a downdraft paint
booth lessens the amount of overspray produced; in return, more paint is applied to the paint object.
Therefore, a smaller amount waste is generated and a reduced amount of paint and solvent is used.
V.
Technician comments.
Name: Person One
Employer: C&K Masters Collision (Metro-Detroit location)
Job Title: Paint Technician
Notes:

Does not currently use a paint booth.

7 yrs of paint experience
Comments on current painting conditions:
“My main concern with the current paint system is that I have a hard time producing dirt free
paint jobs. I have to wet-sand and wheel every assignment to get sufficient results. Sometimes I spend
more time polishing a car then I actually spend painting it. Also, I have to adjust my painting techniques
depending on the temperature inside the shop. In the winter I tend to have more runs in my paint jobs
because it’s just not hot enough inside the shop. In the summer I tend to have dry spots on different
panels of the vehicle especially when painting a large vehicle like a Chevy Caprice.” (P. One, personal
communication, July 30, 2009)
Name: Person Two
Employer: C&K Masters Collision (Rochester location)
Job Title: Paint Technician
Notes:

Uses a semi downdraft booth for painting applications

20+ yrs of collision/paint experience
Comments on current painting conditions:
“My paint jobs usually come out the booth ready for reassembly. I rarely need to polish a vehicle
but on occasion I may have to put a wheel to it usually because of an error I made in painting it. Other
than that it is a state of the art booth I have no complaints.” (P. Two, personal communication, July 31,
2009)
Name: Person Three
Employer: New Century Collision Center
Job Title: President
Notes:

Been in collision industry for 46+ yrs
Three’s company uses a 65 foot long downdraft paint booth for its paint assignments. Harlow has this to
say about the efficiency of his shop.
“I learned years ago that there’s only enough money to do the repair on time. The second time
around, the shop loses money… That’s why we do the job right the first time.” (Meinert, 2001)
VI.
Downdraft Paint Booth Design
Outside Air
Exhaust Port
Filtered Air
(Graphic taken from www.autobodytoolmart.com)
Fluorescent lights
Exhaust port
Bay doors with
Observational
windows
Side personal entry
door
(Graphic taken from www.paint-booths.com)
VII.
Attached Drying Room Design
Exhaust Port
Radiant Heaters
Control Panels
Entry Doors
Conclusions and Recommendations
Adding a downdraft paint booth to C&K’s Metro-Detroit location will allow their paint system to meet
the following specifications:
4. A paint area that will be properly ventilated, and filtered providing a dust and particle free paint
environment.
5. A paint area that will be properly sealed and accessible. Allowing other shop functions to occur
without disrupting the paint process.
6. A paint area that will be equipped with the proper curing system to “bake” painted materials
appropriately.
As a result of the research conducted, I recommend adding a downdraft paint booth to the collision
facility at C&K’s Metro-Detroit Location.
Appendix A
I. Works Cited
Bodyshop Business. (2001). If You Build It: New Centruy Collision Center, Winchester Va. Retrieved
August 1, 2009, from
http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/Article/3952/if_you_build_it_new_century_collsion_center
_winchester_va.aspx
Wisegeek. (n.d.). What Are Paint Booths? Retrieved August 2, 2009, from
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-paint-booths.htm