Your current spray machine has finally given up and you’ve decided to change your equipment. There are numerous options on the market making it difficult to choose the replacement. What you should know from the beginning is that not all systems are created equally. There are a few essential details you need to look out for: types of material it can handle, ratios for spraying, finish consistency, waste values, heater conditions, among others. We are here to help you make an educated decision.
Minimum Requirements
Types of Insulation
There are two different types of spray foam used to insulate. They are the open and closed-cell types. The difference between both boils down to the R-Value (i.e., thermal resistance or insulation efficiency)they possess. The open-cell type has an R-Value of 3.5-3.6 per inch of material while the closed-cell features an R-Value of 6-7 per inch. Closed-cell is generally used for exterior-facing walls while open-cell is used for interior walls inside a house. When choosing what equipment to use, make sure the materials you will be using are compatible with it.
Ratio Control
When mixing the two materials in the gun just before spraying, the volume ratio between both chemicals must be the same to guarantee a consistent and robust foam. If the mix is skewed to one side or the other, the hardened foam will not perform correctly. Its consistency will wallow, and the desired R-Value will not be achieved.
When choosing the equipment, choose one that guarantees the ratio and proves it. Find a machine that provides detailed reports on material usage and volumetric flow so you can also validate the results yourself.
Temperature Stability
If the substances are not heated and maintained at an ideal temperature, it affects the ratio between the chemicals due to volume changes. You must choose equipment that can maintain consistent heat throughout the job and warmup quickly for a reduced prep time. Once the chemicals leave the proportioner, hey are no longer subject to heating elements to maintain their temperature. It would be wise to choose equipment that may be attached to heated hoses.
Ease of Use
Even the most experienced contractors can be overwhelmed when considering all the details necessary for spray foam. A system that can take tasks off the hands of the operators and can automize activities is ideal. When it does need human interaction, you need an interface that is easy to understand and use. Long training sessions are exhausting, and you don’t have time to train all your contractors every time one rotates.
Choosing the right System
When choosing the right system, verify that the proportioner delivers the exact ratio between both components to guarantee a consistent and robust foam. This will reduce waste and take care of your reputation. Second, look for equipment that can ensure that both chemicals remain at the ideal temperature until they reach the spray gun. If not, the ratio will also be off and ruin the foam. Heated hoses that can keep the temperature stable during an entire spray job are critical. If the substances start to cool off in the middle of a job, you must pause and wait until it heats back up. Therefore, more money and more time spent.
The Carlisle Intellispray™ system has been designed to address all these issues.
- The IS40™ proportioner guarantees a 1:1 ratio throughout the entire job. It features built-in reporting so you can personally validate flow rates and ratios overall. Its HMI screen is 15” with full-video capabilities, and it’s intuitive to use.
- The QuickHeat™ hose provides faster and more consistent heat while providing real-time monitoring of the chemicals’ entire trajectory. The reports can also be downloaded from the proportioner.
- The ST1™ Air Purge Spray Gun provides more consistent spray patterns and better ergonomics to reduce fatigue in extenuating jobs.
Contact us today!
Whether you are a sole operator, have a small crew, or multiple rigs running daily, our spray foam insulation machine maximizes your most important asset: your reputation. The Carlisle Fluid Technologies IntelliSpray reduces the risk of off-ratio jobs, is easy to operate, is built for durability, helps you get jobs done faster, and increases your profitability.