Tips for improving spray technician performance

Figure 1
Hands-on, in-the-booth training is crucial to learning and is included in well-blended training programs. Photos courtesy of Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Editor’s Note: The following has been adapted from “Painter Training Workshop,” a presentation made at the 2015 FABTECH^® tradeshow.

Not every metal fabrication operation has industrial painting capabilities. Even those job shops that offer it, in many cases, don’t pay a lot of attention to the process.

In fact, it’s very easy to accept inefficiencies in industrial spray finishing as normal because the fabricator is only concerned that paint is on the part and that coverage appears to be acceptable. From that point the part is ready to ship to the customer by the deadline date, which is the metric that every fabricator prioritizes.

However, inefficiencies don’t have to be the norm. As more fabricators realize that eliminating waste of any kind in a manufacturing setting can lead to production efficiencies, and possibly monetary savings, they are taking a hard look at all activities under the roof. That includes spray finishing.

Spray Finishing Optimization

Certainly many factors could be analyzed on this topic. Ultimately, the person holding the spray gun has a considerable impact on optimization of production capabilities, finish quality consistency, and process waste. Consider that the spray technician is often the first and only person to identify if a surface has been effectively prepared prior to pulling the trigger. From there, the spray technician’s ability to recognize when to pull the trigger and when to stop the line and solve small problems before they expand into costly mistakes is something that should not be minimized.

Let’s face it: Anyone can operate a spray gun. But not everyone can spray paint in a consistent and quality manner, providing complete coverage without wasting too much paint. That is the difference between a spray technician and a specialized spray technician. The latter can achieve a quality finish, maintain production, minimize waste, and solve the everyday problems that occur while spray finishing. Specialized spray technicians are valuable to employers because of their ability to prevent or reduce the scrapping or reworking of parts and to act as the last quality check, preventing parts with defective coatings from being sent to the customer.

The Value of Specialized Spray Technicians

Of course, employers should clearly define expectations for spray technicians, but how do you identify the best mechanisms to select the right people to do the job in the first place?

The strategy of hiring spray technicians based only on experience is common, but is it the best approach? Finding experienced painters is not always easy, and previous experience may not reflect actual ability to meet the employer’s job performance expectations.

One strategy may be to focus on selecting people based on attitude and motivation to learn the job regardless of their spray finishing experience. This puts the employer in the position of trying to create a career path of sorts for the spray technician. The success of this approach hinges on the employer’s ability to deliver an effective training program (see Figure 1) that molds novice spray technicians into specialized spray technicians.

Building up Advanced Spray Finishing Skills

The in-house training process should start laying the groundwork for understanding spray optimization factors, safety, and the importance of good ergonomics in spray gun handling. It usually makes sense to integrate the spray technician training program with other new-employee or annual safety training classes.

One thing to highlight is that spray application fatigue can cause even a specialized spray technician to make mistakes. Training should emphasize the importance of gun handling comfort and ergonomic posture that reduce dependence on upper-body movements of the shoulder, wrist, and arms. Spray technicians also should be encouraged to learn to spray with both hands, not just rely on the dominant hand.

Fluid motion of the entire body and spray gun can minimize fatigue, reduce injuries, and sustain performance during a long shift.

Figure 2
Tom Giblin provides equipment training in the classroom during one of the Iowa Waste Reduction Center’s training classes.

The next step in training efforts is to teach standard process knowledge regarding surface preparation, coating materials, spray equipment, and spray application. Introductory spray gun application training should start with the core skills of spray gun control, which can be compared to programming a robot to control the spray gun without consideration of other variables.

Once a spray technician has mastered the core skills (see Focus Areas for Core Skill Development sidebar), the next step is fine-tuning spray technique using advanced skills.

This starts by establishing a plan of attack that evaluates the best strategy to spray parts. Spray time and part complexity are just two of the factors that the spray technician takes into account before tackling the job.

If the job involves a complex part, the plan should start by spraying the complicated areas first—such as those that are hard to reach or see. To avoid excessive waving of the spray gun, it’s recommended that 90 percent or more of the trigger time should follow the sequence plan.

It’s important to recognize that a spray technician is not expected to spray with the consistency of a robot. A spray technician stands out in ways that automation can’t, such as quickly adjusting the spray technique based on immediate visual feedback or experience. Visual perception is important so that spray technicians can quickly identify and fix finish quality problems in the wet film.

Understanding visual cues of the wet paint can be challenging, and poor lighting in spray booths can make it even more difficult. Some of the general visual clues to teach novice spray technicians are:

• Coverage transparency, which entails an understanding of how well the target wet film thickness hides the underlying surface.
• Coverage sheen, which represents the amount of gloss and distinctness of reflected objects in the wet film.
• Sags, which occur if the wet film thickness is applied too heavily to achieve uniform leveling. This results in a paint defect in which the paint drips or runs down the part.
• Texture, which can provide immediate feedback regarding uniformity and finish quality.

The discussion of visual feedback provides another opportunity to drive home the point that different finishing materials will produce different visual cues. Sometimes the wet film will have a lot of visual texture that flattens out into a perfectly acceptable dry film. If the spray technician isn’t aware of this drying trait, it’s possible to diagnose a problem where one really doesn’t exist.

With the spray painting skills refined, a spray technician’s next step on the career path is to focus on specialized skills for continuous improvement. At this level, the specialized technician is not just applying paint, but helping to manage the operation. This involves an understanding of production requirements, finish quality expectations, and how to deliver parts that meet those specifications.

In-house Paint Training Makes Sense

As companies with large spray finishing operations look to develop spray technicians with more specialized skills, they are starting to embrace the idea of in-house skill development. In-house training can be tailored to meet specific expectations, and technology is available so that paint lines don’t have to stop production for training purposes. Before implementing or expanding any training program aimed at creating a more skilled labor force, employers need to set forth a training plan that defines what information is taught, who can effectively deliver information, and how to measure the effectiveness of the training.

For example, a training plan could define that new spray technicians must complete an initial qualification training class that standardizes information regarding safety, finishing materials, spray equipment, and spray application. Following the initial qualification training, each spray technician has to complete a continuous improvement training class on a recurring basis.

Figure 3
Virtual paint technology allows spray technicians to practice their techniques and skills using a real spray gun with the added bonus of immediate feedback.

Another consideration for in-house training is to blend standardized classroom training (see Figure 2), spray booth practice training, and on-the-job performance feedback training. Traditional classroom training is the preferred venue to allow an instructor to teach standardized information. Training tools can be used to conduct engaging hands-on spray application labs in the classroom.

The creation of a virtual painting simulator has helped to bring valuable hands-on training (see Figure 3), which at one time was limited to booth practice, to the classroom. Having been around since the mid-2000s, this technology has been refined so that it can capture the spray technician’s spray gun movement and translate that into real-world spray performance. For example, after a trainee applies virtual paint to a series of parts in a simulated spray booth environment using an actual spray gun, the software is able to determine transfer efficiency, film thickness consistency, and paint usage. The results are immediately reported back to the spray technician, instead of the individual having to wait for paint to dry to see final results. When these data points are combined with video of the trainee during the virtual spraying exercise, the spray technician has evidence of what steps need to be taken as he or she progresses on the road to becoming a more skilled employee.

Following classroom training, spray technicians should receive in-booth practice time with the instructor. This provides an opportunity to share equipment setup knowledge, offer tips on practice spray technique, evaluate visual characteristics of the wet film, and build up the technician’s confidence with the spray gun.

Finally, on-the-job training is important to sustain performance improvement. This is typically delivered by an on-the-floor mentor who can effectively evaluate and communicate strengths and weaknesses with spray technicians.