Author Archives: Dave Penta

ISO Pump Lubrication System

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ISO Pump Lubrication System Pump-LubInspecting the iso pump lubricant reservoir on your spray foam or Polyurea machine is often overlooked and should be part of a daily routine. Pump Lube forms a barrier between the ISO and the atmosphere. The lubricant will require changes pending the environment it is operating within. Typically every 3 to 4 weeks a gel formation occurs.

This is due to moisture absorption by the pump lubricant. Another entity that occurs is that different types spray foam and coating machines pumps have some form of seepage when using isocyanate during operations by-passing the pump packing’s. This in return can eventually cause a thin film build up on the pump shaft creating damage to the packing’s.

Early signs that the iso pump lubrication will need changing is its color darkens or contamination with the iso component turning into a milky white in color opposed to clear in liquid color. When checking the fluid another area of concern to pay attention to is the check valve attached in line of the pump lube suction hose. This can become clogged with geld material and can result in a plug the system preventing recirculation of the fluid.

Taking a preventive maintenance step in conjunction with utilizing the re-tract / park feature on your spray foam machine will help extend the life of your pump and pump packing’s’.

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Tracking your money in yield

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Tracking product yield is an important part of our day to day operation. If you have purchased or going to be purchasing a mobile spray foam rig or spray foam equipment tracking your money in yield will help fine tune your operational cost and aid in the return of your investment.

Tracking tells us how and if the yield of the product is or is not being installed and/or estimated correctly or if the materials used are inconsistent with expected yield. In the warmer months we can see what yields are achieved in comparison to the colder seasons for losses.

We can compare the yields gained when pre warming the drums. We can see if the applicator is consistent and productive with the application. The crew can also make sure they don’t run out of product, thus requiring costly cleanup, re-purging the spray foam machine and hoses as well as the likelihood of having to rebuild the spray gun.

In addition we can compare how hard the drive systems of different spray machines have to work when processing the products. It’s not difficult to track when using the stroke/cycle counters.

Machine Approximate Output per Cycle
(A+B)		 Stroke/Cycle
Per Gallon
GH-25 240 cc 16
GH-40 160 cc 24
E-20 Reactor 0.0104 gallon 96
E-30 Reactor 0.0272 gallon 37
FF 1600 120 cc 32

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New TSU Product Review

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The new temperature sensor unit (TSU) from PMC is a unique design that makes replacement cost and effective one. The universal design fits all heated hose assemblies. PMCs TSU unit is designed to allow the user to replace only the TSU probe without having the hassle of disconnecting spray hoses.

The lead TSU external wires are sleeved with a coiled jacket that protects the probe wires from excessive wear and tear. With the PMC TSU unit you will not need to replace the whole assembly or force to buy a fitting you don’t need. Simply replace the probe at a fraction of the cost. Most temperature sensing units are not serviceable and can cost in excess of $600 to replace.

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Opportunities owning a spray foam business

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The insulating of homes and buildings has been a primary source of income for many spray foam contractors. The tremendous versatility of sprayed in place rigid polyurethane foam opens numerous opportunities owning a spray foam business for use in other areas other than new homes and buildings.

The ability of spray foams to provide superior insulation properties is not the only feature of the product.  The cured foam adds structural strength; it is an effective sealer of cracks and holes, has good floatation and sound dampening characteristics, provides vapor drive reduction, expands into hard to fill areas, the application is fast, reduces the effects of thermal shock, bonds between various construction materials and does not lose the physical properties or insulation capability over time.

The ability of the contractors to take their mobile spray rigs to a job site and spray easily to irregular surfaces or odd shaped objects is a tremendous advantage of spray-in-place polyurethane foam over all other conventional insulations systems.

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Running a professional and successful Spray Foam Business?

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How many times has the crew showed up for work, got into the vehicle, turn the key on and drive off to the Job with your new spray foam rig and then you receive that dreaded phone call, the machine or equipment is not working, “it was working yesterday” or “we need more parts” and can’t work today. (Sound familiar?).

When running a professional and successful spray foam business implementing some standard procedures and guide lines will help minimize down time and help transform your crew into a professional spray foam production team. The first thing that is vital to your operation is that you and your crew have received the proper training with a clear understanding of how your spray equipment works including: Safe handling of materials, proper preventive maintenance, parts management, trouble shooting skills, and spray application techniques.

In addition the Spray mechanic has to be aware of three basic things. The proper procedure in handling a spray application project. What the foam should look like as its being applied. What to do if there is a problem with the equipment or on the job and be capable of correcting this problem. SprayWorks Equipment Group has compiled some basic daily, weekly and monthly Key check points that will help guide you along the way.

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