Tools USA Blog

Requirements for Fire Suppression in Paint Booth

All of Tools USA’s spray booths are designed to comply with the NFPA-33 requirement for an after-market fire suppression system that:

– complies with NFPA-33 Chapter 9

– is installed by a licensed contractor who can work without being on top of the spray booth

– is not installed in a manner that threatens the structural integrity of the paint booth by removing excessive material or placing excessive weight on the top of the booth

– does not create excessive obstructions within the spray booth that would accumulate overspray

– is inspected annually by a licensed contractor.

The vast majority of our spray booths are complimented with dry-chem suppression units from experienced manufacturers who specialize in fire protection. These units comply with NFPA-17 and NFPA-33 when installed by a licensed contractor. They allow quicker fire suppression without the threat of electrical shock, quicker restart after deployment and better fire suppression in the exhaust ducting.

The wet sprinkler system is a valid alternative if required by local code or specific building factors.

Tools USA strongly recommends that proper installation of the paint booth, proper training of operators and safe storage/mixing of materials to be sprayed per EPA, NFPA and OSHA codes as the best method of reducing the chance of fire or explosion in your spray paint booth.

Is Your Spray Booth Working Properly?

It is critical to ensure your paint booth is working properly at all times to gain the greatest operational efficiencies as well as provide a safe environment for the workers. A properly working booth will provide safety, clean environment, appropriate lighting, fire protection, faster drying for paint, and as an option, temperature control.

Have you had problems with your spray booth?

Tell us what problems you have had.

Why buy a Spray Booth?

There are many reasons to buy a spray paint booth rather than just designating a portion of your collision auto body shop to “painting”. The primary reason is that many states require a spray booth. The spray booth provides a specific clean space to ensure proper paint application as well as directs all the hazardous materials away from the work area through the use of proper filters.

Do you have other questions about Paint Booths? Visit our FAQ.

How does a SPRAY BOOTH impact OSHA and worker safety?

Worker safety for spray booth applications is defined in Federal Codes (see 1910 CFR 29 section 94 for Ventilation and section 107 for spray applications). These codes apply to all employers and simply state that an employer must provide a safe work environment that removes harmful and combustible fumes in a safe manner. Words like ‘substantial’, ‘steel’ and ‘rigid’ are used to describe the spray booth construction. Performance requirements relating to air flow minimums, interlocking devices and filtering are defined in the code. The code also includes details about lighting, grounding, anchoring and egress.

All of this means that OSHA has defined a minimum set of requirements that apply to all employers with workers spraying combustible materials like paint and electrostatic powder.

Tools USA spray booths are designed to meet or exceed all of these requirements and provide a safe environment for painters and other workers in the building. Investing in a well-designed, high-quality spray booth is the best means of providing a significant boost to the safety in any shop. Spraying outside or in an open shop does not exhaust harmful fumes, provide safe lighting or fire suppression, or separate the spraying operation from dangerous processes like welding and grinding.

For more safety tips, please contact our Spray Booth specialist at Tools USA, kellyg@standardtool.com.

Shop Spray Booths at ToolsUSA.

FRAME MACHINE

GENERAL FRAME MACHINE INFO

Frame machines are designed to hold a vehicle in place while the damage is hydraulically removed. There are two main styles of frame machines that come in many configurations. The drive on platform style machine (frame rack) and the drive over European style machine (frame bench). There are stationary bed, tilt bed and multiple height machines. The machine that works best for your operation may be determined by the type repairs that you do. Rebuilders may need three or more towers and a heavy duty machine were as the regular body/collision repair shop will normally only need two towers and a general duty machine.

DOMESTIC OR IMPORT FRAME MACHINE

Most of the frame machines sold in the United States today are manufactured in China, including some of the well known names that have been around for years, always ask where the machine is built. This does not mean that the equipment is not well made or sub standard but you do need to know that there are varying degrees of quality. The higher quality Chinese equipment is a tremendous value and will give you years of service. Standard Tool is one of a very limited number of companies that manufactures frame machines in the United States. We offer our Galaxy Ultraliner series import for our value minded customer but we still build our Star Rack and Galaxy machines in North Carolina.

SELECTING THE RIGHT SIZE MACHINE

There are many different size frame machines available that will allow you to accommodate various size cars, trucks and SUV’s . Standard Tool/Tools USA also has the capability to build custom size machines when there is a space limitation. Passenger vehicles and trucks up to short bed extended cab (18’) can be repaired on a 17, 18’ or 20’ bed where the long bed crew cab trucks (23’) will require a 22’ machine.

FRAME MACHINE OPERATION

A Frame machine is not a piece of equipment that you should attempt to operate without proper training.

SELECTING A FRAME MACHINE SUPPLIER

When you are shopping for a frame machine you should research the company that you are considering purchasing from. If you search the internet for frame machine you will be find many offerings. You want to be sure that you are dealing with a reputable seller, this is extremely important. You want to select a supplier that has a long history in the industry and extensive knowledge of their products. There are a lot of one and two man shows selling equipment over the Internet that will not be there or will be unwilling to help when you need customer service after the sale. Like anything else you are purchasing, you want to be sure that you are buying from a company who knows what they are doing. In the market today, it is easy to find places to buy equipment that is not going to be of the quality that you expect, the lowest price is not always the best buy. This means that you need to research the company background and the equipments reputation that you plan to purchase.

TOOLS USA Customer Service

Who you gonna call?

We know your time is very valuable. There aren’t enough hours in the day to finish all of the things on your list. Let’s face it- who has time to waste on the phone? Certainly not our valued customers!

Have you ever called a company and explained what you need, only to be transferred to someone else and have to repeat everything you just said? Even more aggravating is being transferred yet again and yes, repeat everything else a third time! At one time or another, we’ve all had to deal with that.

When you call us with questions, its important to know who you should talk to in order to minimize the amount of time you spend on the phone.

If you have questions about pricing, order placement or simply want to compare products, then a salesperson is best suited to answer your questions.

Once you’ve placed your order, most questions can and should be handled directly from our Customer Service Department. If you need technical assistance, we have engineers on staff to assist you with our paint booths, frame machines, powder coating equipment or auto body shop supplies.

If you are unsure as to whom you should speak with, simply call us and we will direct your call accordingly.

AUTOMOTIVE REPLACEMENT PART

From time to time, our Customer Service Department receives calls to help identify a replacement automotive component part.

As an example, we’ll use our 4400 Power Puller Package. Let’s say our customer, Mr. Smith calls to report he needs “the whatchamacallit on the upright piece that holds the chain.”

From a customer service perspective, the part Mr. Smith needs could be one of 3 things: the chain stop or one of the pulleys. After asking Mr. Smith several questions to determine what he needs, we hit a brick wall, so on to Plan B.

This plan works every time! What plan, you might ask? Our ToolsUSA website. You will be directed to go our website www.toolsusa.com, while we remain on the line with you. In the search box on the left side of the homepage, type in the automotive part number then, click “GO”.

The next page will display product info, pricing and a picture of the product in question. By clicking on the small picture of the product, you can view a larger picture. While your customer service associate remains on the line, you can describe in more detail the automotive part you need. If you do not have access to a computer, we can fax a picture of the item to you. Simply circle the part you need and fax it back to us.

Another useful strategy is using your cell phone or digital camera. By taking a picture of the item and emailing it to us, we can quickly determine what to send you.

In Mr. Smith’s case, we determined that he actually needs the chain stop, which screws into the ram at the top of the post. Problem solved!

ETL Certified Spray Booth

Why aren’t all spray booths ETL-certified?

ETL certification for spray booths is the process of a third-party firm, like Intertek, evaluating the paint booths for compliance to NFPA-33 Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials. The certifier also evaluates the manufacturer for quality control processes and potential problems with repeatability that would affect product quality. The certifier performs quarterly audits to review materials, processes and associated factors to ensure that the product continues to comply with the published standard. The certifier also requires the manufacturer to record and respond to Customer complaints about the listed products.

Many spray booth manufacturers of cheaper products simply cannot afford to have the personnel to support this process. They design, manufacture and sell spray booths with little or no input from third-party firms that assess the performance and quality of their products.

Tools USA offers 7 standard spray booths and a paint mixing room that have optional ETL kits that ease the permitting process. Obtaining this certification was complex and expensive. Tools USA selected the 8 most popular items to be certified but could not do so for all products as some items like truck spray booths are too cost-prohibitive to sample and test when compared to the volumes sold. Since a large number of Tools USA spray booths are certified, we can help with the testing and listing of a spray booth that is outside of the range of currently certified booths.

Tools USA is not permitted to sell any ETL kit for a spray booth or paint mixing room once the product has left our facility. Please contact one of our salesmen if you need more information on this issue.

So Many Spray Booth Companies…What’s the difference?

Choosing a company to buy your spray booth from can be very confusing, even to people with a good deal of experience in the industry. The following notes should help you understand that differences in these groups and what jobbers and re-sellers have to offer.

Economy – This is your simple shop that is going to provide the basic structure along with filters, a fan and lights. These shops are very basic with the company owner often selling and designing the paint booths. Most of these shops have no computer-driven design or manufacturing so quality can be an issue. These shops do not offer spray booths with well developed manuals or ETL certified spray booths. A basic automotive paint booth in this category may sell for $6,000 with little technical or permitting support and a lower quality of components.
Value – This next level of spray booth manufacturer uses CAD systems to design products to nationally-recognized standards and computer-driven equipment to make high-quality components. The paint booth designs and finishes are kept functional but compliant to NFPA, OSHA and IFC standards. These spray booths usually have higher quality due to the technologies used by the manufacturer, larger quantities of manufacturing and technical direction from certification agencies. Tools USA manufactures spray booths and paint mixing rooms that fit into this category. Tools USA offers its CF-1000 automotive spray booth for $5,799 plus the optional $1,500 ETL kit that makes the permitting process and electrical contracting process much simpler. The return on investment is dramatically better than a spray booth from either other category of manufacturer as problems and initial costs are minimized.
Plus – This top-level of spray booth manufacturer provides many extras that may or may not add real value to the paint booth. Basement style floors, high-end hardware, submarine glass and insulated walls add extreme costs to the spray booth price but may not improve the quality or productivity of a spray booth. These companies often have high administrative costs with extensive over the road sales reps and engineers. These companies do not advertise the price of their products as their goal is to maximize the entire project. An automotive paint booth made by these firms can cost $30,000 or more.
Jobbers – These firms will install a spray booth into a Customer’s facility. They may purchase from only one source, or they may choose from a range of manufacturers based on pricing, product and availability. Some jobbers will provide all of the permitting, fire suppression and ducting services. They tend to be local to the Customer’s site. Quality and dependability of the manufacturer is a significant factor as these firms will not work with manufacturers that cannot perform well on a repeat basis. Tools USA sells many spray booths through Jobbers on a repeat basis.
Distributor – These firms simply sell the spray booths made by other companies. They are very similar to Jobbers, except that they do not perform any of the installation or permitting tasks. Tools USA also sells many spray booths to distributors.

So here are the questions that you should answer before choosing a plan to get a spray booth into your shop:

Do I take my chances on buying the cheapest paint booth that meets my needs?

Do I spend an extravagant amount on features that do not improve productivity or quality?

Do I buy from an experienced manufacturer who has invested in product design and testing and up-to-date manufacturing processes?

Do I buy directly, or do I need some level of assistance to get the spray booth operational?

Do I buy directly, or is there value in working with a paint booth distributor?

Receiving Your Shipment of a Paint Booth, Frame Machine or Auto Body Shop Supplies

Thank you for choosing Tools USA for your automotive equipment needs. Whether your order ships UPS, LTL (Less Than Load, i.e. Estes, FedEx ), below are a few tips to make receipt of your paint booth, frame machine, powder coat system or auto body shop supplies & tools as easy as possible.

Our shipping department makes every effort to ship your order in a manner that allows for easy offloading, including arranging a carrier and extending the discounts provided to us by our shipping partners. When possible, a flatbed is used to transport items such as a frame machine.

If your order consists of a product(s) that ships LTL, you are responsible for offloading. Please note there are additional charges for residential delivery, delivery to construction sites, college campuses, etc. If you are unsure as to whether you have a special circumstance, contact Tools USA’s Customer Service department prior to the shipment of your order and we will gladly assist you with special handling.

We will contact you the morning following shipment to advise you of the estimated delivery date, as well as other pertinent order information. If you require a specific delivery time, we will provide you with a tracking/PRO number and the phone number of the delivering terminal. The dispatcher will then schedule the delivery at your convenience.

A paint booth, frame machine, powder coating system and other large auto body shop supplies may require the use of a forklift and are too large for the use of a truck with a lift gate. A lift gate can be used to offload items such as; tire changers/balancers, power pullers and ductwork. In addition, certain paint spray booths, such as truck paint booths are shipped in special large crates that require the use of a forklift with extensions to support the extra weight.

Careful inspection is required in order to make sure your order has not sustained any damage during transit. Upon delivery, please visually inspect the external packaging for any crushed corners, loose box flaps, broken straps, retaping etc. While you have the right to refuse any shipment you feel is damaged, we ask that you accept delivery and notate possible damage on the delivery receipt. IF THE DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE, YOU MAY CALL US WHILE THE DRIVER STANDS BY, TO DETERMINE IF THE SHIPMENT SHOULD BE REFUSED. We recommend that you make a copy of the delivery receipt for your records.

Please retain all shipping containers and internal packaging, as it is likely an inspection will be required if your order arrives damaged. Call us immediately and we will instruct you on what to do, should your unit require replacement. We may ask you to take pictures using your cell phone or a digital camera and forward them to us. Photos are a great way for us to expedite the process of filing a damage claim if necessary. Rest assured that should a replacement be needed, we will handle it as quickly as possible.

Smaller items that are shipped via UPS or FedEx Ground may not require a signature. If delivery is attempted for packages requiring a signature and no one is there to sign, two more attempts will be made before the package is returned to its origination. If an order is returned to its point of origination and you want it reshipped, you will be billed for the outbound shipping charge.

While every effort is made to ensure your order ships correctly, from time to time, errors occur. PLEASE REPORT ALL SHORTAGES AND/OR DEFECTS TO US WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS OF RECEIPT. FOR AN EASY INVENTORY OF PAINT BOOTH COMPONENTS, REFER TO THE BILL OF MATERIALS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY THROUGH THE INSTALLATION MANUAL. THIS DOCUMENT LISTS ALL COMPONENTS ACCORDING TO QUANTITY, DESCRIPTION AND PART NUMBER.

AFTER SEVEN DAYS, YOU WILL BE CHARGED OUTBOUND SHIPPING FOR ANY ITEM(S) RESHIPPED.

Please feel free to contact us. We are here to ensure your experience with us is a pleasant one. Again, thank you for choosing Tools USA.

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