OT: Any Fluid Handling experts here?, Small scale engineering help requested Options

[lotus_65]

Hi good people, you are the best resource I have at hand, so I'm throwing this out to you all:

At work, I/we utilize 2-2.5 gallon pressure pots that hold 2 similar liquid (gloss & matte) materials (basically glue) that we use to coat our products with an hvlp gun using 10lbs pressure in our spray booth.

Some clients want a combination of the 2 coatings to create a 3rd semi-gloss/satin finish. Best case scenario is that I could mix/blend the 2 in-line somehow, because we could easily customize the coatings per the client's request.

It's logical to me to relate these 2 liquids as something similar to hot and cold water, and I want to be able to coat my products with hot, warm or cold liquid using a manifold to dial the percentages.

As I'm writing this, I feel like it would be ideal to have some type of ball valve at the gun, receiving the two fluid lines, and allowing me to dial the mix right there.

Does anyone know what I'm trying to say, and have a direction to share?

Thanks-
paul

[Mike Bellis]

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Needle valves would be the best mixing valve. The problem I see is with the callibration of the mix. A pressure gauge of some type could be used per liquid, however if this is a resin you may gum up the gauge. Some sort of pressure isolater would be needed to keep it off the gauge diaphram. If you could get a flow meter and callibrated can you could just spray each one into the can to callibrate. Other wise it may be a best guess callibration.

You will not get good mix callibration for ball valves.