Frequently Asked Questions

 
Marathon Finishing Systems specializes in Industrial Spray booths, Truck and Equipment Spray Booths, Automotive Paint Booths, and Industrial Batch Ovens. We are focused on designing and providing quality built Spray booth and automotive paint booth equipment that will RUN year after year. Marathon is focused on providing Quality built spray booths and ovens at an affordable price. Marathon Finishing Systems is a full service company; we can INSTALL or HELP YOU INSTALL what we sell.
Just ONE CALL is all it takes to get started – (310) 791-5601.

1. What is the difference between the various airflow types?

There are really only two basic types of air flow, Cross Flow and Down Draft. Here is a rudimentary description of them both (there is also a diagram at the bottom of this page that may help you get a better sense of the differences.

Cross Flow

As the name suggests, the air in this type of booth flows horizontally across the booth, from the front of the booth to the back, from back to front, or from one side to the other. A Front Air Flow booth is one of the simplest examples of the Cross Flow. The air comes in through the front filtered doors of the booth. The clean air then travels horizontally through the “work area” of the booth, where the painting takes place. Finally, the continues to the rear of the booth, taking with it the over spray and airborne particulates. The rear section contains a filtered exhaust plenum, which draws the air through the exhaust filters before ducting the air out of the facility and into the outside environment. Other common cross flow models are the “Front Air Flow”, the “Reverse Air Flow”, and the “Semi Down Draft”. The name of the Semi Down Draft is a bit confusing, but make no mistake, it is indeed a cross flow.

Down Draft

Again, the name is an apt description, as the air in this type of booth comes in at the top of the booth and travels vertically down to the bottom. A Full Down Draft booth is a both where the air enters through filtered openings in the ceiling, and travels vertically through the work area. The air in this type of booth exits through an “Exhaust Pit” that has been built underneath the booth. This pit has grates over it, and serves as the exhaust plenum. The air is filtered off over spray and airborne particulates, and ducted out of the facility.

2. Can Marathon Finishing custom design a booth for my application?

Absolutely! You may be surprised to find that the majority of the booths Marathon sells are custom designed and built. While the booth models are more or less what you might call “Standard” designs, Marathon takes great care to insure that each booth takes into account the specific requirements of each customer’s unique facility, processes and workflows, and then engineers the exact booth that will meet or exceed those requirements. From start to finish, from initial sale to final installation, our team of seasoned professionals will work directly with you to give you exactly what you are looking for: The perfect finishing solution!