Buyers compare robots and then accept whatever applicator is in the standard package. It is the wrong order. The applicator sets the transfer efficiency, the achievable film build per pass, the fan width and therefore the cycle time — and it decides how much of your paint ends up on the part rather than in the filters.
The three families
| Applicator | How it atomizes | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Air spray (automatic air-atomizing gun) | Compressed air breaks the paint into droplets at the nozzle | General industrial finishing, small and medium parts, wide colour range, easy colour change |
| Air-assisted airless (AirMix type) | Fluid pressure does most of the atomizing, shaping air refines the pattern | Higher film build per pass, primers and fillers, larger surfaces |
| Electrostatic rotary bell | A bell cup spinning at high speed atomizes; charged droplets follow field lines to the part | Car bodies and high-volume lines where transfer efficiency and finish justify the cost |
What changes with each choice
- Transfer efficiency rises across that table, and with it paint consumption falls — the effect is large enough that on a high-volume line the applicator choice, not the robot price, dominates the running cost. Figures differ by paint, part shape and booth airflow, so we take them from your material data sheet and geometry rather than quoting a generic number.
- Colour change gets more expensive as you move down the table: a bell with an electrostatic circuit needs a defined flush and dump sequence, and every change costs paint and time.
- Waterborne materials change the electrostatic picture entirely — the fluid path must be isolated from the high-voltage circuit, and that is an equipment decision made before quoting, not a setting.
- Cycle time follows the fan pattern width and the film build per pass. An air-assisted gun that lays down the primer in one pass instead of two can remove a robot from the layout.
Getting the cup or nozzle size right the first time
On one car-body project a 55 mm bell cup had to be replaced with a 65 mm cup on site because the pattern width did not meet the cycle time at the required film build. That is a small part with a large consequence: lost commissioning days and an unplanned cost.
Bell cup diameter, nozzle and needle sizes are now frozen against the cycle time and the material data sheet before the quotation goes out, and the sizes appear as named line items in the offer.
What we supply around the applicator
- Automatic air-atomizing guns (DeVilbiss AGMD Pro class) or air-assisted guns, with nozzle and needle sized to the material.
- Colour-change valve stacks: CV3000 for high pressure, CV300 for low pressure, sized to the number of colours plus solvent and air.
- Metering: gear-pump servo metering for repeatable delivery; AccuFlo 2KP Pro for 2K mixing, AccuFlo 1KP flow meter for 1K lines.
- Paint supply from the mixing room: circulation, hold-pressure valves, day tanks and cleaning stations — items that become change orders when they are left off the offer.
Frequently asked questions
Can one robot carry different applicators?
Physically yes, within the wrist payload, but each applicator has its own fluid path, air lines and control signals. Changing type after commissioning is a rebuild of the arm package, not a swap.
Do I need electrostatics?
It pays where volume is high, the part is conductive and grounded, and paint cost dominates. For mixed low-volume work with frequent colour changes, air spray with a well-sized colour-change stack usually gives a lower total cost.
Who sizes the nozzle — you or the paint supplier?
Both. The paint supplier gives viscosity, solids and recommended film build; we convert that into nozzle, cup, pressure and gun speed against your cycle time, and put the result in the offer.
Request a quote Send drawings and we check the selection before quoting.