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PROTECTING YOUR WORLD

Polyurea & Foam
Spray Guns:
How to Choose

How impingement-mix spray guns work, air purge vs mechanical purge, choosing a mix chamber and tip for your output, and the daily care that keeps a gun spraying clean.
Equipment Inquiries

Setting up to spray? Get the right gun.

Tell us what you spray and at what output. Our team can match a gun, mix chamber and rig to your work, with training.

  • Polyurea, foam or both
  • Typical output
  • Existing proportioner
  • Training needed
Rather talk now? Call (417) 831-5090
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Impinge
A and B collide at high pressure to mix
How plural guns work
Air purge
Air blows the chamber clean on release
Gun manufacturers
Mech
Purge: a rod pushes material out
Gun manufacturers
Daily
Gun care keeps ratio and pattern right
Industry practice

The spray gun is where polyurea and spray foam are actually made. The A and B sides arrive hot and under pressure, collide in a mix chamber the size of a pencil lead, and leave the tip already reacting. A worn chamber, clogged screen or wrong tip shows up instantly as a bad pattern or off-ratio material. This guide explains the main gun types, how to size the mix chamber and how to keep a gun spraying clean.

Quick answer

A polyurea spray gun is a plural-component impingement-mix gun: the A (isocyanate) and B (resin) streams collide at high pressure inside a small mix chamber and exit through the tip already mixed. Air purge guns blow the chamber clean with air when you release the trigger; mechanical purge guns push the leftover material out with a valving rod. Choose the mix chamber and tip for the output and pattern you need, and keep screens, chambers and seals clean every day.

Start here

How an impingement gun works

Inlet

Side blocks and screens

A and B enter separately through check valves and fine screens that stop debris.

Mix

Mix chamber

Small orifices aim the streams at each other so they collide and mix completely.

Tip

Tip and pattern

The tip shapes the spray fan or round pattern for the job.

Purge

Purge system

Air or a mechanical rod clears mixed material out when you stop spraying.

Valving

Valving

Opens and closes both sides together so the ratio holds on every trigger pull.

Grease

Grease and seals

Gun grease protects seals and keeps material from building up.

Compare

Air purge vs mechanical purge

FeatureAir purgeMechanical purge
How it cleansAir blast through the chamber on releaseRod pushes material out of the chamber
StrengthsLight, easy to handle, quick chamber changesVery low build-up, wide output range
Watch-outsNeeds clean, dry air; tip build-up over timeDrill-bit cleaning; more parts
Common useSpray foam and many polyurea jobsPolyurea, coatings and long production runs
Typical comparison. Each gun model has its own manual and parts list.
Dry air mattersMoisture in purge air reacts with isocyanate and builds up in the gun. Use an air dryer on every rig.
Size it

Mix chambers and tips

Mix chamber size controls flow. A small chamber gives a lower output and finer pattern for thin coatings and detail work; a larger chamber pushes more material for big foam and polyurea jobs. The proportioner must be able to hold pressure at the chamber size you choose, and the tip sets the pattern width.

Detail

Small chamber

Detail work, edges and thin-mil coatings.

General

Medium chamber

Most bedliners, floors and general polyurea work.

Production

Large chamber

High-output foam and big polyurea areas. Needs a machine with output to match.

Pattern

Flat vs round tip

Flat fans for coatings and even films; round patterns for foam and some detail.

Keep it clean

Daily gun care

  1. Grease at shutdown

    Grease the gun front and seals at every shutdown to keep material from curing inside.

  2. Check screens

    Clean the A and B screens; a clogged side is the fastest route to off-ratio material.

  3. Inspect the chamber

    Look for build-up or wear in the orifices and replace worn chambers.

  4. Watch the pattern

    A lopsided, tailing or spitting pattern means something is clogged or worn.

  5. Store safely

    Keep the safety lock on and the gun capped when not spraying.

Off-ratio signsPolyurea that stays tacky, foam that is soft or brittle, and color streaks are classic off-ratio signs. Stop and fix the cause before spraying more.
Get trained

Learn to spray with support

Guns are simple to pull and hard to master. ArmorThane trains applicators on equipment setup, gun care, spray technique and troubleshooting, and builds complete rigs with the gun, proportioner and hose matched together. See our polyurea spray guide, spray foam proportioner guide and spray foam rigs.

  • Hands-on training on the equipment you will use.
  • Technical support from the people who make the coatings.
  • No franchise fee and no royalties. See opportunities.
Spray equipment

The right gun, set up right.

ArmorThane builds plural-component rigs with the gun, hose and proportioner matched, and trains your crew to spray and maintain them.

Contractors: become an ArmorThane applicator

FAQ

Polyurea spray gun questions

What spray gun is used for polyurea?

Polyurea is sprayed with a plural-component impingement-mix gun fed by a heated proportioner. Air purge and mechanical purge guns are both used.

Can you spray polyurea with a regular paint gun?

Not fast-set spray polyurea. It gels in seconds, so it must be mixed at the gun by a plural-component system.

What is the difference between air purge and mechanical purge?

Air purge guns blow mixed material out of the chamber with air. Mechanical purge guns push it out with a rod. Both stop the mix from curing inside the gun.

How do I choose a mix chamber size?

Match it to the output and pattern you need and to what your proportioner can supply at spray pressure. Smaller for detail, larger for production.

Why is my spray gun spitting?

Usually a partly clogged screen or chamber, low pressure on one side, or worn parts. Stop spraying and check screens, pressures and the chamber.

AT
Written by the ArmorThane technical team. We have manufactured polyurea, polyurethane and polyaspartic coatings, spray foam and plural-component spray equipment in Springfield, Missouri since 1989. Always follow the gun manual and the material data sheet.

Sources

  1. Graco, Fusion mechanical purge gun information. graco.com/us/en/contractor/product-group/fusion-mechanical-purge.html
  2. OSHA, isocyanates safety and health topic. osha.gov/isocyanates
  3. ArmorThane polyurea spray guide. armorthane.com/polyurea-spray

Spray it like a pro.

Contractors get equipment, coatings and training from one source, with no franchise fee and no royalties. Owners can find a certified applicator near them.

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