AGM Services’ Sales Director, Wesley Young, has been featured in the popular industry publication, ABP Magazine, where he has written an article giving advice on how bodyshops can reduce energy bills during the current rise in prices. The article also covers how to take advantage of government tax incentives to try and further reduce energy costs.
There are a number of ways in which businesses can reduce energy costs when operating spray booths and it has never been more important to address ways in which a business could be wasting money. With energy prices and inflation rising significantly, it is the perfect time for businesses to take stock of both spray booth machinery itself as well as certain processes, to make sure that there are no areas in which they could be wasting energy and therefore, money.
The article, which was published in the spring edition of the Auto Body Professional Magazine, covers simple techniques that spray booth operators can instantly put into practice, such as making sure to turn the spray booth off when it is not in use, turning lights off as well as a reminder that certain spray booths can be very fuel inefficient.
The article also highlights that, although many older spray booths may be fully functional in their current state, they may cost thousands of pounds more to run per year than more modern, more fuel efficient models. If you decide to make your spray booth more fuel efficient by upgrading its parts, or even replacing it entirely for a more fuel efficient model, you will be eligible for the Super Tax Deduction.
With the current price rises in energy putting pressure on individuals and businesses alike to cut costs, these suggestions could be very useful for many spray booth operators to save money both in the long and short-term.
You can find the full article here.
While there are certain things you can do yourself to cut energy costs in your bodyshop, much of what can be done involves upgrading your equipment. AGM Services has upgrade options that will improve older equipment and make your bodyshop run in a more energy efficient manner.
AGM Services is here for any spray booth service needs you may have and our spray booth engineers are placed all over the UK, so we can react quickly should you have an emergency. Contact us today to see how we can help.
As the year draws to a close, the team at AGM have been preparing for a number of events within the auto body industry.
First up was the largest bodyshop awards in the world, the ABP British Bodyshop Awards. Held at the impressive Intercontinental London – The O2, on Monday 11th October. Taking a full complement of staff as reward for their hard work during a very tough 18 months, the night was a fun filled, glitzy affair with lots of networking enjoyed by all.
The next event AGM will be attending are the 14th annual ABP Club Annual Convention during the day and the 13th annual Night of Knight awards ceremony on 9th November, once again held at The Vox at Resorts World, Birmingham. With these awards being solely decided by the ratings provided by UK bodyshops, they have fast become THE most sought after award. Sponsored by huge industry names such as Solera Audatex and OEC, it’s set to be a night to remember.
December sees AGM Services attending the first ever ABP Annual Merry Little Christmas party, held at the Royal Armouries Leeds on the 8th December. With a Red Carpet arrival drinks reception, three course Christmas dinner, a DJ, photo booth, Casino and a Cocktail bar, it looks to be a very popular evening and one that the AGM Operations team is certainly looking forward to.
AGM Services are also set to attend the Bodyshop Magazine Awards 2021 on 17th December, alongside a host of partners, such as 3M, Enterprise: rent-a-car, and iRG, not to mention many other prestigious names within the industry. The night is set to be a busy one as it’s the first time back at the ICC Wales in Newport since 2019!
With opening drinks sponsored by CAPS and a three-course dinner with wine, kindly sponsored by Car-O-Liner, the night’s itinerary is one to match. Starting with a celebration of Bodyshop’s 30 under 30: rising stars, hosted alongside a drinks and nibbles opening cabaret.
The night then shifts to the main Bodyshop Awards 2021 ceremony; Representing AGM we have Oxford based engineer, Conor Rochford, who won the 30 under 30: rising star award alongside 29 other up and coming names within the industry.
Of Conor’s achievement, Sales Director Wesley Young said “ We noticed his potential very early in his career with AGM and have provided various forms of additional training and at every opportunity he has thrown himself into the course.”
The night doesn’t end there, with full access to a DJ set, and a networking lounge featuring the gin-bar sponsored by Vizion Network. It’s fair to say we are excited for this one!
Are you going to be there? If so, come say hi, we’ve got loads we want to talk about – it’s been a busy year for all the staff and engineers at AGM. If you want to find out more about what we get up to at AGM, take a look at our case studies to see how we can help you with spraybooth technology. You can also get in touch with a member of our team, or email us on sales@agm-services.co.uk for more information.
The Bodyshop magazine (Plenham Ltd)’s 30 under 30 publication has gone live this morning and we couldn’t be prouder of our very own Conor Rochford.
Conor began his AGM career last February but even with such a challenging start, he has consistently shown enthusiasm and a willingness to learn more and more about the industry.
Sales Director, Wesley Young said “Despite Conor’s young age, he has a mature understanding of each situation he faces and is able to quickly process what options are available to him; he is also able to clearly communicate this with the bodyshop customer.”
Congratulations Conor. We’re excited to see what the future holds for you!
As one of our industry’s leading publications, we are extremely proud to say that Sarah Fearon, our Operations Manager North here at AGM Services, has won bodyshop magazine’s prestigious 30 Under 30: Rising Stars award. Well done to Sarah!
The award recognises young, talented and ambitious figures in the UK’s automotive and collision repairs industry, The 30 winners embody the future of the collision repair industry and suffice to say Sarah will be in very good company with winners from the likes of Thatcham Research, 3M UK, and more.
As we rarely run out of good things to say about Sarah, here is our Sales Director, Wesley Young, with a little bit more:
“Sarah has demonstrated an outstanding level of customer service and personal development throughout the past 12 months.”
We’re all very excited to say the least! If you would like to find out more about the ceremony, or enquire about our services in general, then please get in touch here.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, 29 April 2021 (formerly 15th December 2020) at the ICC Wales, near the Celtic Manor Resort.
Book your seats at the ceremony by calling Suzie Scott on 07545 068455 or emailing suzie@bodyshopmag.com. Let’s get behind Sarah and AGM Services – it’s going to be a great night and well worth the wait.
We’re proud to announce that Bodyshop Magazine have recognised AGM Services with an awards nomination at this year’s bodyshop Awards 2020. After judging almost 300 submissions from within the industry, a 15-strong panel announced that AGM Services would be among three other finalists in contention for the coveted Technology & Innovation award.
In recognising the work we have done in launching our new spray booth filter PolyMat EX, bodyshop magazine are also recognising the talent, dedication, and knowledge on display at AGM Services. There have been years of research and development into PolyMat, so to receive this nomination makes us very proud of the team.
Other finalists in our group include Opus IVS, PPG, Volkswagen Group UK, so we have some stiff competition! It’s an honour to be recognised among such big corporations, but we believe that shows just how great a product the PolyMat EX filter is.
This new filter has already helped countless customers save money on their filter changing costs and Spray Booth productive downtime, as well as protecting the long term health of their Spray Booth, it looks set to revolutionise the Spray Booth filter industry.
Make sure you book your place at the bodyshop Awards 2020, which will take place on 29th April 2021 at ICC Wales. All you need to do is call Suzie Scott on 07545 068455 or email suzie@bodyshopmag.com. Come and show your support!
If you would like to find out more about the ceremony, or enquire about our services in general, then please get in touch here. You can also get more information about PolyMat EX here.
The spray booths you see today are using the industry’s latest developments and innovations. The processes that made them have progressed over the years, and the ways in which they help businesses have progressed too.
It begs the question: where did it all start? Our industry works with increasingly sophisticated machinery, but it wasn’t always the case. Our now impressive technology was once basic and elementary, as were the processes surrounding general spray booth maintenance.
Here’s a full history of spray booth technology. Where it came from, and the people responsible for where it is today.
Yep, it really does go back that far! For spray guns, anyway. In 1887, a Marshall Fields maintenance supervisor by the name of Joseph Binks invented a cold-water paint spraying device which allowed the company to whitewash walls. Humble beginnings, but the beginnings of something big nonetheless.
1888 came along, and so did Dr Allen DeVilbiss with his medical atomiser invention. The civil war veteran was looking for a better way of treating throat infections but created the prototype for what would become the air paint spray gun.
1905 would be an important year for the technology used today. In 1905, Dr Allen DeVilbiss’ son Tom joined the family company and started looking for new ways to use the atomiser. After some experimentation with perfume applications (which DeVilbiss Snr. deemed frivolous), Tom invents the first-ever compressed air paint gun which becomes popular within an industrial marketplace enjoying a ‘boom’ period of growth and young businesses. Automobiles, furniture, and appliances are common subjects that are sprayed.
Fast forward to 1924, the year that the Oakland automobile is announced as the first car to be applied with DuPont’s Duco paint using the DeVilbiss spray guns. This marks a momentous occasion for the industry, as all cars previously had been painted by hand with various shellacs. Because of this innovation, the process times quickened and cycle times improved.
Spray booths around this time, although they had come on in terms of technology, were still quite rudimentary. Using an updraught ventilation system that worked in a similar way to an exhaust hood removing steam from a cooking space: the equipment was placed over the vehicle being sprayed and would remove any fumes from the immediate environment. Rudimentary, but it worked.
Not for long, though. This updraught ventilation system was coupled with a fan pointing out of an open window (this would extract the particulate from the workspace into the air outside). Again, this worked for a while but wasn’t really a long-term solution. The problem with this was that the fan blades would collect paint and put undue strain on the equipment.
In the early 1930s, prefabricated paint booths came onto the scene and changed everything all over again. These booths had three walls and a large fan usually placed on the back wall. Unlike our new and exciting filters, in the 1930s they used any kind of material available (usually burlap or cotton wool). As you may expect, these materials were not fire retardant, leading to more than a few fires and explosions.
This made the industry look to building spray booths out of cement or metal blocks, and the 1940s saw the introduction of safety doors placed in front of whatever was being sprayed (these were doors the like of which you see today).
As the 1940s rolled on into the 1950s, health and safety became a much higher priority. Downdraught technology is introduced as a way to offset harmful chemicals and our exposure to them. Companies started using fibreglass in their extract filters as a fire precaution (paint particles are captured this way). Overspray is reduced dramatically.
The 1960s saw modest innovations, mostly with regard to regulations. Stricter requirements were made of all spray booth products – they had to be fire retardant, first and foremost. The research that was carried out in this decade went a long way in creating the industry that we know so well today.
In the 1970s and 1980s, more of a focus was placed on keeping booths clean as opposed to simply polishing them after each job (this kind of innovative thinking would be a huge contribution to the processes we take for granted today!). The industry’s new aim was to clear as much debris as possible before a job, during a job, and in preparation for the next job.
When the 1990s came around, downdraught technology took precedence over most other aspects of spray booths. Other technologies and, indeed, other industries adopted downdraught technologies in their own innovations.
There was also research into automation. Though it was elementary, it was clear the direction in which the industry (and the world over) were going. Automation and robotics would completely revolutionise the industrial workspace, ensuring that the maintenance of spray booth equipment was as precise and efficient as possible.
To learn about the spray booth innovations of today, all you need to do is visit our blog. It has everything you need to know about spray booth maintenance. Furthermore, if you would like to speak to a member of our team then you can do so here. You can also email us on sales@agm-services.co.uk.
Regular cleaning is one of the most important tasks you can undertake when you have a spray booth and it’s a vital part of spray booth maintenance as well as spray booth servicing. However, it’s also one of the most overlooked. If you do not ensure that your spray booth cabin and each area of your additional spraybooth equipment is as clean as possible, you risk the buildup of dust, dirt, and general debris.
These three you do not want clogging up your system. Here are some tips to help you prevent their presence. Take a look!
Only bring items you definitely need. It may seem like an obvious one, but working with a minimal inventory will help prevent further contamination.
Make sure that all entrances and exits are completely sealed and do not let in contaminants.
By limiting the number of operators coming in and out of your cabin, you will be able to better control the risk of contamination by limiting the number of airborne contaminants making their way into your exhaust filters.
Another way you can prevent introducing contaminants into your spray booth is by storing your uniform in a clean and (as much as possible) contaminant-free environment.
When you’re spraying, you need to keep in mind your spraybooth’s airflow and how it is configured. Also, think about where you are in the booth. For example, if you are spraying in a cross-draught or semi-downdraught booth then you should start spraying at the front and work your way towards the back. We say this because, if you were to start spraying at the back and move to the front, overspray will effectively drift over the top of the paint that has just sprayed. This will result in an uneven job.
No matter how well your spray-booth may perform, you will almost always experience some overspray collecting on the floor of your spray booth as well as the walls. When this overspray becomes airborne, it can settle on your paint job which will compromise the overall quality of the finish.
You can use vacuums to clean away dust and fibres (just be careful that the vacuum you’re using is safe for use in hazardous environments!). To get rid of stubborn paint on floors and walls, you should use solvent-based materials that will break the paint particles down. Ensure that your ventilation is turned on when you use such materials.
Overspray, as mentioned in the previous section, can get everywhere and will endanger the quality of your finish. It also gathers on the components of your spray booth system, from paint guns to your lighting. The big risk here is that the particles will become caked, flake off and eventually end up ruining your paint job. This is why you need to keep an eye out for this – your components are just as important as your spray booth itself.
The ultimate solution is to replace your filters when they need to be replaced. It’s easy, especially with our new PolyMat EX which you can read about here. You can view our full range of spray-booth filters here.
Remember that there’s so much to benefit from when you get an AGM Services spray booth service and maintenance contract, so be sure to take a look.
In the meantime, our blog section should keep you busy and up to date with the latest developments.
Vacuums can be used to remove dust and fibres; however, solvent-based solutions that break down paint particles should be used to remove stubborn paint from floors and walls. When using such products, make sure your ventilation is set on.
During typical use, you should anticipate changing your exhaust filters every two weeks. This will keep your exhaust fan in good working order and ensure that only clean air enters your shop.
Whether we are offering advice for spray booth operators, or our engineers are testing equipment themselves, health and safety remains at the forefront of everything we do – not only for those operating machinery but for anyone who enters the workshop.
Despite legal restrictions having ended for COVID-19 in England, many body shop owners will want to keep up to date on the latest guidance to keep their staff and customers safe. Read on to find the current guidance surrounding spray booth safety in the UK, and learn precisely how to adhere to it.
Vehicle bodyshop owners must adhere to the COSHH Regulation 9 guidance, which stipulates that they are required to control the risks and exposure to harmful substances. Owners must ensure relevant spray booth laws are followed and equipment is used safely by machine operators to ensure the safety of employees, visitors and any person who has access to the spray booths – as well as paint mixing rooms and use of other equipment such as dust extraction systems and weld fume arms. Spray booth testing is based on Process Guidance note PG6/34(b), which defines how it should be carried out and the levels and types of filtration systems to be used.
Find out more about our spray booth legislative testing services here.
There are numerous ways that spray booth manufacturers ensure your spray booth is up to code and that it complies with all spray booth regulations in the UK. Without the following, your spray booth will not be up to regulatory standards.
With regard to the above, these measurements are taken care of not only by your spray booth manufacturer (providing they’re a trusted and approved manufacturer), but also by our engineers. During a spray booth service, we take rigorous steps to ensure the above guidelines are being followed.
All of AGM Services’ spray booth maintenance and repair services are compliant with Health and Safety England’s legislation and are carried out by highly skilled and qualified spray booth engineers. Our engineers perform expert testing per EPA, COSHH PAS125 Kitemark and manufacturer & insurer audit requirements. These engineers undertake regular training and assessments to guarantee they are well versed with current legislation, guidelines and best practice across all types of spray booth testing.
Mist clearance tests are carried out annually. They provide a clear indication of the time taken for isocyanate particles to be cleared from the spraybooth. It’s essential to know the exact amount of time it takes to clear the booth as it’s unsafe for someone to enter without the appropriate PPE. To conduct this test, the spray booth engineer fills the spray booth with smoke and accurately measures how long it takes to extract it.
Another test which AGM Services provides is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) tests, which are performed on various workshop equipment such as:
LEVs reduce exposure to airborne contaminants like dust, mist, fume, vapour or gas in a workplace, to ensure your spray booth is not only safe but functional.
Every AGM engineer is equipped with the latest Factair Breathing Air Quality testing machine. Breathing Air Quality testing is something that demands much more regular testing at a maximum interval time of three months for all respiratory protective equipment.
Legal restrictions in England ended on 24th February 2022 and the requirement for employers to consider COVID-19 in their health and safety risk assessment has been removed. Despite this, many business owners will want to continue following public health advice to ensure staff are as safe as possible from the virus. The UK government recommends the following actions to reduce the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19:
Additional high-priority COVID-19 guidance includes:
If you are looking to enquire about our spray booth testing or wish to understand how we keep COVID-19 safe during service and maintenance, contact us on 01706 363 585.
Spray booths should be made of steel, concrete, or masonry, and should be supported securely and rigidly. Smooth, continuous, and non-combustible interior surfaces are ideal. Sprinklers, visual gauges, and alarms must all be fitted correctly.
Keeping all of the spray booth’s doors closed is the simplest and most effective technique to keep dust out of your paint booth. Make sure the spray booth is on and running when you open the doors to bring in the object you’re spraying, so airborne pollutants are pulled into the exhaust filters.
For as long as we can remember spray booth filters have traditionally been made from fibreglass, namely because it made them easier to fit, clean and change. It was also seen as the most economical and effective option.
Even today, this reasoning still applies. Fibreglass has become the go-to material for spray booth filter rolls because of these reasons and the lack of workable alternative solutions.
Until now, that is. Our PolyMat EX is a unique feat of spraybooth engineering and it offers the industry so many benefits that traditional fibreglass cannot. Without further ado, here are the ways in which synthetic filters like PolyMat may serve you better than fibreglass.
You don’t need us to tell you that, as a material, fibreglass can be prickly and irritating. The good thing about synthetic filter media like PolyMat is that they’re largely manufactured from non-shedding materials. This means that they will shed a lot less than fibreglass, which can be prone to releasing small particles into the air.
An important reason you should consider PolyMat over fibreglass is its energy efficiency.
As air passes through our PolyMat EX filters, it will hold onto more paint particles to prevent them from ruining the job at hand. If these particles were released into your spray-booth cabin, the internal workings of your equipment may become damaged and could even reduce the lifespan of your spraybooth.
In fact, our testing and development trials show that PolyMat is 60% below the current EPA legislation for overspray particulate discharge. This means that your business will spend less money on regular repairs, save money from reducing costly downtime periods, and a generally longer life for equipment.
As we mentioned earlier, fibreglass is a notoriously abrasive material! It’s for this reason that spray booth operators often leave replacing their filters until it’s too late because it’s a job that very few want to do. Since PolyMat is made from safe and synthetic materials, you won’t get the same prickly experience when you’re swapping out filters.
One of the main advantages that PolyMat has over fibreglass filters is how long it lasts. Our tests and trials in development stages show that PolyMat filters can last over 60% longer than traditional filters so you won’t need to replace it as often.
The takeaway from this is that you can save money and time because you can leave a synthetic filter in for a little longer without having to worry about it. They’re simply more long-lasting than the fibreglass filters our industry has become used to.
One of the most known drawbacks of fibreglass filters is their poor resistance to water and moisture. This then leads to caking of the filters which, as you’ll probably already know, leads to major faults and the disruption of your business. Synthetic filters like PolyMat are built to withstand moisture.
If you would like to learn more about PolyMat EX, check out our PolyMat EX announcement article. Currently, we offer this new innovative filter to our service customers only (another reason you should think about taking advantage of our service and maintenance contracts!).
To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch. You may also be interested in our blog, which is regularly updated with the latest news and developments from within the spraybooth service and maintenance world.
In the meantime, you can learn more about the PolyMat EX filter here. We’re immensely proud to be the first to offer this type of filter and its testament to our ongoing research and product development. This is what leading the industry really looks like.
Between legislative testing and adherence to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), our business and those belonging to our industry are subject to any number of safety obligations. One of the foremost obligations is that of spray booth filter disposal.
Paint spraybooth regulations in the UK maintain that your extract filters need to be disposed of safely and responsibly because of the potential hazards to the environment. Utmost spraybooth safety needs to be upheld, which is why we have written this guide for you.
Because most paint products contain hazardous compounds with the potential to be flammable, you need to take extra precautions when disposing of them. They cannot be recycled, and so if they are discarded they pose a danger to the environment as well as anyone in the proximity.
The potential environmental impact of extract filters is significant in that if vendors across the country did not adhere to spray booth regulations in the UK, it could pose a huge threat by the majority.
To ensure that you’re following the correct paint booth filter disposal regulations, follow these steps.
The first thing you need to do is ensure whether or not the filters you’re disposing of actually contain hazardous compounds. To do this, carry out a Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) laboratory test. The test will determine whether your filters have been exposed to harmful compounds or contaminants.
These harmful compounds or contaminants include the following:
– Arsenic
– Barium
– Cadmium
– Chromium
– Lead
– Mercury
– Selenium
– Silver
If your TCLP test shows no trace of the above and they have not been exposed to the above, then you are free to dispose of your filters as part of your general waste. Note that you should make it known that the filters are non-hazardous by either contacting your waste management company or as is more often the case affixing a ‘non-hazardous’ sign to the filters. One last thing: keep hold of the test results just in case your safe rubbish is challenged by your council.
If your test shows a definite trace of those hazardous compounds, you must not include them with your general waste. Instead, you need to store them safely until you can send them to a qualified waste disposal company. You will need to store them in a non-leaking container marked ‘hazardous waste’ along with a brief description of the contents.
An important thing to note is that you should always leave the filters to fully dry before sending them away. Once they’re properly dried, the chance that they will ignite is drastically reduced.
This step relates to your spray gun cleaning. If your filters are exposed to the solvents in your spray gun (which when cleaning may find its way onto your filters) then you run the risk of your filters being further contaminated. Depending on the solvents you use in your spray guns, your filters can become contaminated by compounds like methyl ethyl ketone which, like the others in our list, are hazardous to the environment.
At AGM Services, our spray booth service and maintenance checks are designed to improve the performance of your spray booth. Our engineers can carry out a range of equipment checks to improve the productivity, reliability and energy-efficient performance of your paint booth.
A vital part of an AGM service contract is the guidance around these kinds of matters. We not only help with legislative testing, but we also provide quick emergency breakdown cover so that your business can be up and running in no time.
If you would like to discuss further, simply call 01706 363 585, email sales@agm-services.co.uk or fill in our quick enquiry form here.
Here are some more spray booth resources you might like:
Paint booth extract filters that are declared toxic should not be discarded with regular trash. They must instead be properly kept and transported to a hazardous waste disposal site. Keep them in a leak-proof container labelled “hazardous waste” with a description of the contents, such as “waste paint booth filters.” The container should then be transported to a hazardous waste disposal site by a qualified hazardous waste transporter.
Because they are ignitable, your paint booth filters will be classified as hazardous waste if they contain any wet flammable materials.
You can follow the manufacturer’s recommended changing recommendations once you’ve determined which filter to use with your booth, but this isn’t enough. Any filter’s lifespan will vary depending on circumstances unique to your workspace. If you use a lot of paint, for example, your filters will last a lot less time than they should. The goal is to incorporate routine checks into your daily operations.
Contact a member of our team for more information about our services and accreditations, or for more information on how AGM Services can help you and your business.
01706 363 585 sales@agm-services.co.uk