Metal fabrication is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the states GSB Industries serves. Anyone in this industry knows that getting a metal part out the door takes
a lot more than simply cutting a piece of steel. Design drawings come first, then raw materials, then cutting, bending, forming, welding, or assembling. Then comes finishing.
State air-emissions rules specifically address metal fabrication, including spray-painting operations. So, when you are shopping for fabricated metal finishing equipment, it makes sense to think like a compliance-first buyer, not just a production buyer.
At GSB Industries, we help you with everything related to spray booths.
Metal Fabrication vs Automotive Refinishing
An industrial paint booth for metal fabrication is different from one designed for automotive refinishing because the work is dramatically different. Here are four key distinctions between the two:
- Larger and Heavier Parts: An automotive booth is generally designed for familiar shapes such as cars, trucks, and body panels. Industrial parts, in contrast, may be tall, long, heavy, oddly shaped, or difficult to turn.
- Batch or Conveyor Workflows:
A high-volume metal shop needs conveyors to move parts between preparation, spraying, drying, curing, and inspection.
- Coating Chemistries:
Industrial finishing involves primers, epoxies, urethanes, waterborne coatings, solvent-based products, corrosion-resistant coatings, and specialty finishes. It often uses higher-solids or powder coatings.
- More Continuous Operation:
Metal shops do not spray occasionally. They operate continuously, so they need consistency and speed more than automotive shops do.
Our Products
GSB got its start in 2005. Since then, the team has expanded its experience from automotive applications to industrial finishing. Our
industrial booths are designed around modern spray technology while giving manufacturers the flexibility to build a system for their specific operation.
Open Face Paint Booths
A steel enclosure contains overspray, and an exhaust system pulls contaminated air away from the spraying area and toward the filtration system. Control overspray without completely enclosing your work area.
Fully Enclosed Paint Booths
Fully enclosed booths create a dedicated environment for the finishing process, which can be particularly useful for larger paint jobs or applications involving flammable and combustible materials. Instead of having the spraying process open to the surrounding shop, you have a space where airflow, overspray, and exhaust can be managed more deliberately.
Conveyor-Compatible Configurations
If your facility relies on conveyors, our booth will not force you to abandon that workflow. Conveyor-compatible configurations allow parts to move through the finishing process with less manual handling. Parts can move from preparation to coating and, eventually, to drying or curing as part of a coordinated production flow.
Appliance and electrical equipment manufacturers face similar challenges, making booth configuration and production-line integration equally important.
Multi-Stage Filtration
A multi-stage system uses different
filtration layers, with each stage handling a different portion of the airborne load.
- Pre-filters handle larger particles, dust, debris, and coarser overspray before those contaminants reach the next stage.
- Primary filters
take on finer particles and a larger share of the overspray load.
- Final filters
provide another layer of protection for finer particulates and residual contaminants before exhaust air leaves the system.
Compressor Sizing
A good paint system needs a source of clean, consistent air. The
compressor helps the spray equipment atomize the coating and maintain pressure for a consistent application. If spraying is part of your everyday production schedule, we ensure your components can keep up with demand without constantly struggling to recover.
The Value of Proper Filtration and Documented Process Control
Paint operations generate overspray, mists, vapors, and other airborne contaminants. As such, ventilation and exhaust are important parts of booth design.
OSHA’s requirements specifically address maintained airflow, exhaust volume, makeup air, and filtration for spray-finishing operations. EPA air-quality requirements also apply, particularly when a facility’s coatings generate regulated pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or particulate matter. The specific requirements depend on the facility, coating materials, location, and applicable permits or regulations.
Filtration should be considered alongside documentation. A shop that knows what filters are installed, when they were changed, how the booth is maintained, and how airflow is monitored has a much clearer record of how it manages its finishing process.
Retrofit vs New Build
Many metal shops are operating older paint booths that were not designed for today’s production volumes, coating processes, or compliance expectations. Fortunately, that does not automatically mean you should start over. You can retrofit.
A retrofit lets you improve your existing system. Upgrade filtration, exhaust, airflow, controls, lighting, doors, or other components depending on your booth’s age and condition and your facility’s layout.
Of course, a new build has its own advantages, too. You get more freedom to design a booth around your current production process. You can plan the location, part flow, conveyor integration, ventilation, utilities, staging, and future expansion all at once.
To decide whether to retrofit or replace, connect with expert suppliers or installers like GSB. We can review your existing setup, understand your goals, and recommend the right solution.
Why Choose GSB Industries?
GSB now operates across 30 states east of the
Mississippi River and has a team of more than 70 employees. For everyone in the metal fabrication industry in
Indiana,
Tennessee, and other areas, that means you have a team that is ready to
design, install, and maintain booths for you and with you.
We offer turnkey installation for large industrial structures and systems that meet the 98% EPA-compliant exhaust filtration standard. Our self-sufficient service crews are equipped to avoid compliance-critical downtime. We're your reliable partners from day one.
Contact GSB Industries
Spray booth compliance in your metal shop is non-negotiable. It is as crucial as meeting finishing demands. So, does your current booth check both boxes? Request a facility and compliance assessment from GSB Industries. Call (770) 454-0773 or
contact us online.
