Toronto, Ontario — Ask any collision centre owner: nothing in the industry is free. Even air can cost you.
Through conventional spray booths—which tend to feature enclosed designs and large fans requiring air make-up units—air from inside the booth is filtered from outside and through the booth, where it’s then passed through filters and back to the outdoors.
Comparatively, Toronto-based company Ventless Inc. offers spray booths that feature four stages of filtration. With Ventless spray booths, air never leaves the building. Instead, it circulates through various sets of filters designed to capture particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a patented process said to eliminate the need for make-up air systems.
Ventless spray booths feature a standard main filter designed to stop particulate, but also hold an additional set of activated carbon filters that act as a “holding ground” for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fumes, Jean Naim, president of Ventless, told Collision Repair.
“Your fumes and odours are trapped in the carbon. Anything associated with VOC presence is captured in these filters,” said Naim. “Then clean air flows past the filters and back into the booth through the downdraft.
“Up to 90 percent of the air stays in the booth after the contaminants have been filtered,” said Naim. “Each recirculation you only lose about five percent of the air in the booth.”
Naim also says the system makes maintenance much easier.
“Only the filters need replacing. The VOC filters are permanent, but the carbon needs to be changed when saturated, each change will cost approximately $100 for the entire booth ”
Further, Naim says the booth plays no part in altering air inside the bodyshop and offers an environmentally-friendly option.
“Most shops, especially those in Canada, are heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. Our spray booths do not mess with air on the production floor. If you have a heated or cooled shop, you’ll be saving dollars.
“Plus, because our booths emit five-to-ten percent emissions compared to 100 percent emissions in standard spray booths, collision centre owners are more likely to be permitted with Ministry of Environment standards, especially if you’re in proximity to residential areas,” added Naim. “ It’s a huge benefit for owners, compared to the conventional rival.”
The company has operated its technologies in the woodworking and industrial industries since 2015 in addition to working with aircraft manufacturers. In 2018, Ventless was among the International Woodworking Fair’s Challenger Award finalists, which encourages the development of new and innovative technology in the industry.
Ventless chose to take a step into the automotive realm following pleas from customers, says Naim.
“After we were listed as a finalist for the Challenger Award, customers started asking when we planned to bring our spray booths to the automotive space. It was only a matter of time.”
Last year the company put its automotive prototypes to the test, ensuring its products meet Canada’s VOC and LOC emissions standards. Ventless passed the tests “with flying colours,” said Naim.
Ventless spray booths use entirely North American parts, said Naim, and are fully customizable to fit any customer needs. Whether a truck body or car we have all sizes.
For more information on Ventless spray booths, visit www.ventless.com.
