Professionally servicing and installing high quality, long lasting pavement marking, parking lot striping projects requires pavement marking applicator guns, paint, experienced applicator technicians and professional pavement marking equipment.
This write up explains the various pavement marking applicator guns and which ones the crews of Advanced Pavement Marking use. Since 2009 Advanced Pavement Marking has been putting it’s work on the “line” for your safety.
Pavement marking – parking lot striping applicator guns are available in different styles and configurations. For heavy production pavement marking companies they may choose the “conventional” pavement marking applicator gun. Conventional style guns operate using compressed air feeding: both paint output pressure and paint fan pressure
Conventional pavement marking applicator guns require operators to adjust paint pressure, paint fan pressures in-order to create the “ideal” pavement marking line. Conventional guns have the ability to adjust paint output millage thickness from: Very fine to ultra thick (high build paints) with a simple adjustment to paint pressure tank.
Paint fan can be separately adjusted to match fluid output. Fan patterns can be from thick “semi” irregular for heavy paint-bead mixtures, liquid thermoplastic applications to smooth uniform edges for parking lot striping applications.
Conventional pavement marking applicator guns offer the ability to spray a wide range of materials/pavement marking coatings. Due to the overall larger sized paint lines and paint output nozzles, these guns can spray specialized mixtures: Paint-retroreflective bead mixes, Paint-non slip additive mixtures. With conventional style guns operators experience far less clogs and can maintain set line widths infinitely due to being feed with only compressed air. Other than a external engine-compressor there is no moving motors/parts required to spray paint out of machine.
Airless applicator guns have less input required from applicator technicians. Airless guns function by having pavement marking paint put under high pressure (1,000psi – 5,000+psi) sent through very small fluid tips in-order to create a fan pattern. Adjustments for paint output/line width comes from either more/less pressure or switching paint tips for larger/smaller orifice sizes. Due to the smaller fluid nozzles required for airless applicator machines this style of applicator gun cannot spray specialty blend-mixtures and have common issues with tip clogs and irregular spray patterns. Airless units require a mechanical inline pump to create required paint pressure.
A few pictures of pavement marking & parking lot contractors using paint brush, paint roller, aerosol for there projects
Paint roller Aerosol spray can
Aerosol parking lot stripe Combination spray can and hand brush
(Above) This contractor used roller, hand brush and spray can on these projects
Having a topic on pavement marking applicator guns shouldn’t just have conventional & airless machines. Fact is some pavement marking and parking lot striping companies use paint brushes, paint rollers and aerosol paint cans. For those people and companies preferring to use paint brushes, rollers or aerosol cans as there pavement marking parking lot striping application method. Do not be shocked that your projects tend to be the ones used for “How not to paint a parking lot”, “Low bidder pictures” or other negative comments. Unfortunately not everyone has the financial means to purchase professional application equipment. For some putting food on the table or making ends meet takes priority over the investment into commercial grade pavement marking equipment. Over the years Advanced Pavement Marking has seen it’s share of contractors using all sorts of application techniques and corner cutting by contractors trying to make a quick buck. But we have also seen and met those people who are doing the best they can with what ever type of application tools/equipment they can afford, in a effort to keep food on the table and bills paid. It is easy to point out how poorly some of these projects look, but when you find out the company/persons real life struggles one can appreciate their efforts in trying to be productive. For those people we commend your efforts and hope the best in your future. Now for those people/companies cutting corners for a quick buck, you have no excuse for installing this kind of substandard work.
Conventional and airless tip comparison
(R) Conventional tip. Notice the orifice opening.
Pavement marking, parking lot striping applicator guns
Conventional pavement marking applicator guns require more operator “fine tuning” adjustments at the beginning of a project, but generally once set no other adjustments are required. Conventional guns experience very few paint clogs, miss-spray or irregular paint patterns. Advanced Pavement Marking primary paint application gun of choice is the conventional style gun. Our crews experience far less downtime and far fewer quality control issues from our conventional gun than our airless units.
Advanced Pavement Marking services large scale projects requiring maximum productivity and limited downtime to meet deadlines. Our crews equipment of choice for City, County, Race Track, Malls and Shopping Center projects is the conventional style pavement marking guns/machines. In a single shift our crews and machines can apply over 500-1000 gallons of paint. Having paint clogs or poor markings that do not pass inspection can mean more downtime, lost production and income. Thankfully we can rely on our conventional machines for keeping our machines and crews productive.
Advanced Pavement Marking also operates airless pavement marking applicator equipment.
While conventional style machines are the machines of choice for Advanced Pavement Marking crews, our airless units also have there fair share of use. Parking lot striping, curb painting, wide marking etc. Advanced Pavement Marking crews can be seen operating our airless pavement marking application machines.
Advanced Pavement Marking invests heavily in professional level pavement marking equipment and applicator guns. We have equipment from all of the pavement marking equipment brands and also has specialized equipment custom built for our crews.
Some people will argue the differences and their preferences between airless and conventional machines. We prefer to save the arguing and use what works best for our crews and projects. Our production logs and equipment record books give us a real world record of which style of machine we own produces production and which ones produce more downtime. As for some contractors saying there is a line quality difference between conventional and airless application machines we agree. Airless machines simply cannot put thick, paint/blends, quality lines that are edge to edge consistent from start to finish like a conventional machine. Airless machines also are notorious for miss-fires, erratic spray and clog nightmares.
Advanced Pavement Marking line quality
Proudly putting our work on the line and for display since 2009. Every year our crews service and install 1000’s and 1000’s of traffic markings, 1000’s+ of miles of crosswalks, stop bars and road markings, 100’s and 100’s of parking lot striping projects along with airports and race track projects throughout the United States.