Case Study: Telescopic Spray Booth for Trailer Chassis Painting, Australia
Summary
| Object | Trailer chassis and implement frames up to 11 m for a Trailer and agricultural equipment manufacturer in Australia |
|---|---|
| Equipment | 12 x 5 x 4.1 m dry-filter telescopic booth |
| Operating conditions | crane-handled batch painting, two dry filter cabinets 5, cross-draft 0.3 m/s or more |
| Result | Chassis painted in an enclosed, ventilated booth on the assembly floor |
| Source | project specification and commissioning scope; client name withheld at the client's request |
Project Background
An Australian manufacturer of semi-trailer chassis and agricultural implement frames painted chassis in a shed that also housed final assembly. Chassis were moved by crane onto stands, and the plant wanted an enclosure that met the state workplace rules for solvent exposure without a permanent booth taking the assembly floor.
Pain Points Before the Project
- 11 m chassis moved by crane onto stands
- Assembly floor needed when painting stopped
- Solvent exposure rules for painters
- Short lead time before the season
Why This Configuration Was Chosen
- A 12 x 5 x 4.1 m telescopic booth with two dry filter cabinets and built-in carbon stage
- Carbon adsorption boxes met the emission requirement at the plant's paint volume
- 100 twin-tube explosion-proof LED units and 0.3 m/s or more cross-draft for the workplace rules
Scope of Supply
| Telescopic enclosure | 12 x 5 x 4.1 m internal; Q235 frames 50 x 70 x 2 mm, flame-retardant PVC fabric |
|---|---|
| Drive and safety | 2 x 3 kW explosion-proof geared motors, 8-10 m/min; interlocked drives, double limit switches, rail sweeper, jog control |
| Lighting | 100 twin-tube explosion-proof LED units, 300 lux or more |
| Paint mist capture | Two dry filter cabinets 5,000 x 1,000 x 2,500 mm with AP-50 glass-fibre mat and built-in carbon, 98% or more mist capture |
| Exhaust treatment | Activated carbon adsorption boxes |
| Fan, duct and stack | Centrifugal exhaust fan sized at 0.3 m/s cross-draft (about 22,000 m3/h minimum), 15 m stack |
| Control | Two-station control cabinet, VFD on exhaust fan, emergency stop, audible-visual travel alarm |
| Installed power | about 40-50 kW installed |
Component brands. Key components are sourced from international first-tier brands at the client's choice; the table lists the options offered on this project.
| Component | Brand options |
|---|---|
| Exhaust fan | Nicotra Gebhardt, Kruger, Systemair |
| Geared drive motors | SEW-Eurodrive, NORD, Bonfiglioli |
| Explosion-proof lighting | Eaton Crouse-Hinds, R. STAHL, ABB |
| Low-voltage switchgear | Schneider Electric, Siemens, ABB |
| Variable frequency drive | ABB, Danfoss, Siemens |
| PLC (RCO control) | Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Omron |
| Filter media | Andreae Filters, Freudenberg Viledon, Camfil |
| Activated carbon | Calgon Carbon, Jacobi Carbons, Cabot Norit |
| Oxidation catalyst | BASF, Johnson Matthey, Clariant |
| Flame-retardant fabric | Serge Ferrari, Sioen, Mehler Texnologies |
| Flexible cables | LAPP, Nexans, Prysmian |
| Airless spray units (client side) | Graco, WIWA, WAGNER |
Not included: rail levelling and civil foundations, site lifting, third-party emission testing, workpiece stands unless ordered, and the drying room where forced cure is required.
Programme
Typical programme for this booth class; the dates for each project are fixed in the contract.
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Site survey and data collection | 3-7 days |
| Layout and detail design | 10-15 days |
| Manufacture and factory trial | 30-45 days |
| Sea freight and customs | 15-40 days |
| Rail levelling by site, installation | 7-14 days |
| Commissioning, emission test, training | 3-5 days |
Before and After
Design values from the project specification; the "before" column describes the open-floor condition found at survey, for which no measurements existed.
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure of the painting area | open bay or shed, no enclosure | telescopic booth, 12 x 5 x 4.1 m |
| Floor available when not painting | painting area blocked or shared | booth retracted, about 85% of footprint freed |
| Cross-draft over the work | not controlled | 0.3 m/s or more (design) |
| Paint mist capture | none | 98% or more (design) |
| VOC treatment efficiency | none | 85-90% (carbon) (design) |
| Lighting at the work surface | workshop lighting | 300 lux or more, explosion-proof (design) |
| Noise inside the booth | not controlled | 80 dB(A) or less (design) |
Results
- Chassis painted in an enclosed, ventilated booth on the assembly floor
- Floor returned to assembly when the booth was retracted
- Cross-draft and lighting verified at commissioning
Applicability
This configuration suits workshops where the crane moves the workpiece, painting is done in batches and the floor must return to assembly use between batches: structural steel, vessels and tanks, machinery frames, crane girders, trailer chassis and hull blocks. It is not the right choice for conveyorised lines painting every shift, for coatings that need forced cure inside the same enclosure, or where a water-curtain booth and water treatment already exist.
The results above apply to the configuration and conditions described. A different part mix, paint system, climate or emission limit changes the numbers, which is why every booth is sized from its own data.
After-Sales
Warranty options of 12, 36 or 60 months, remote diagnosis within 2 hours and on-site attendance within 72 hours where a local partner is available, plus filter media, carbon and catalyst supply for the life of the booth. Details are on our after-sales service page.
FAQ
Can the same booth paint different products?
Yes. Nothing in the enclosure is shaped to the part; the booth on this project handled the full range of trailer chassis and implement frames.
Why was dry capture chosen here?
Intermittent painting and frequent colour changes favour dry labyrinth-paper filtration: no water or oil circuit, and the filter wall is the only overspray-contact surface.
What did the client have to prepare?
Levelled rails to our drawing, a concrete pad for the fan and treatment unit, three-phase power to the cabinet and a crane for installation.
How was performance checked?
Travel and limit switches in both directions, drive interlock, cross-draft velocity, lighting level, noise, and stack sampling against the local limit.
Can this booth be extended later?
Frames are added in 1 m modules and the rails extended; the fan and filter wall are sized for the final length at the outset.
Get a Similar Solution
Send us the following and we return a booth layout with fan, filter and treatment sizing within a few working days:
- Largest workpiece length, width, height and weight, and how it is handled
- Daily paint and thinner consumption and the paint system
- Indoor or outdoor installation, crane hook height and available floor
- Local emission limit and workplace exposure rule
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Related
- Telescopic mobile spray booth (product page)
- What is a telescopic spray booth and how does it work?
- How to size a telescopic spray booth
- VOC treatment: carbon, UV or RCO
- Paint mixing room
Provided by Lin Cong, Technical Director, MUSI Technology
Published 2026-10-01 · Updated 2026-10-01 · Last technical review: 2026-10-01