Graco Inc’s new airless sprayers are built to handle the toughest protective coatings and corrosion control applications
US-based Graco Inc launched a training workshop on 6 March 2018 in Dubai for its Middle East distributors to launch the King industrial airless spray unit. The Graco King is Graco’s flagship pneumatic airless paint sprayer.
Speaking about the legacy of the King, Peter Bloem, sales supervisor EMEA, high-performance coating and foam, said that the King is a brand in itself. “Within the protective coatings market sector, contractors and painters do not ask for an airless sprayer, they ask for a King. We have achieved this through product success and innovative engineering.”
The new King comes in three models: XL3400, XL6500 or XL10000.
The King sprayers are built to handle the toughest protective coatings and corrosion control applications. Their design ensures superior performance, even in oily, hot, cold, dirty and wet air environments – be it the Middle East or Siberia.
So what makes the new King superior?
The first King sprayer was launched in 1956 and since then there have been improvements on the model. The new King features:
A new styling: The new King looks different from the previous NXT Xtreme. The valve is mounted on the side. This is to increase the efficiency of the sprayer.
Easy maintenance: The King is designed for simple maintenance, with a removable valve cover and easy access to poppet valves. A factory installed accessory box contains common items that every applicator should have on the job site. It includes throat seal liquid, air filter element, tool for the poppet and air valve, pump filter cap O-rings, pump filter element, spare tip and gun filter. The box also includes storage space for the Graco XTR™ Spray Gun.
70 per cent less chance of icing: Thermally isolated poppets (on XL3400 and XL6500 models) are insulated from motor castings that can often drop below freezing temperatures. The newly designed poppets and external pilot lines virtually eliminate pilot valve freezing that can result in an instant stop. The components are easily accessed for service or replacement if needed.
New improved poppet valve: Graco has completely redesigned the poppets on the new King sprayer so that they are of a higher quality, much more reliable and provide better sealing. There is no internal sealing that cannot be visually inspected. The passages are also much larger making them more reliable and easier to service, troubleshoot and replace.
Customer feedback for a smoother changeover and no pressure drops have been incorporated in the King. Compared to NXT™ motors, a 145 per cent higher intake/exhaust capacity in the air valve leads to a faster, smoother changeover, eliminating those annoying minor blemishes in the finish.
Improved sealing and strength: Packing plays a critical role in optimising spray performance by sealing pressure and holding material inside the pump. The tighter the seal, the better the performance. This is ensured with King sprayers because they incorporate seven throat packings instead of five.
Multi-gun capabilities: Graco’s powerful new King air motor lets users use multiple guns with almost no perceivable pulsation. A new manifold has been designed to simplify the installation of multiple guns. With more powerful and efficient changeovers, the ability to spray with up to six guns is now a reality.
Trusted, robust pump: The King airless sprayer incorporates the MaxLife® pump Lowers, which is designed for robustness and reliability in the most demanding jobs. It lasts up to six times longer than its predecessor. Some typical applications include:
• Applying primers and enamels to tanks.
• Renovating a building after a major fire by spraying highly viscous, high solid epoxy paint.
• Post sandblasting, applying two-component surface-tolerant epoxy coatings to iron and steel structures.
• Coating pipelines with two-component surface-tolerant epoxy coatings.
• In the automotive industry, dispensing a medium viscosity protective coating to a single operator to apply manually on specific parts of a car’s body.
• Spraying a two-component amine cured, fast drying, high solid, high build epoxy coating to steel structures, tanks and pipelines.
• Applying a two-component, solvent-free, chemically-resistant epoxy resin to provide corrosion protection to sanitary floors.
Leader in the Middle East
The Middle East is the largest oil producer and the second largest gas producer in the world. It is, therefore, natural for Graco to have a footprint in the region, with a substantial market share in the pneumatic airless market. Graco and its products have been present in the region for 37 years. Graco’s industrial products and services are sold today via 12 dedicated and authorised distributors. The details of Graco’s business partners in The GCC can be found on Graco’s “Where-to-Buy” website link. Prestigious clientele includes painting contracts with Saudi Aramco and Dubai DryDocks to name a few.
With a sales and support office in Dubai, Graco’s Belgium headquarters supports the European, Middle East and Africa markets. Bloem says, “You can rely on our business partners’ local support for products and services. The scope of our distribution network enables Graco products to be delivered on time despite the distance. Our dealers, who have been with us for 37 years, keep Graco products, spares and accessory within their local inventory to serve our local markets. Training our distributors and their technicians is important to ensure our end-user customers enjoy the full Graco experience.”
Affordability, reliability as well as quality are other factors making the King the market leader.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
The King airless sprayer is the most copied product of its kind in the world of sprayers. This, Bloem states is flattering, but Graco is putting in all efforts to make it less attractive for paint contractors to buy a substandard, poorly constructed copy of the King. Contractors are led to believe they are buying cheap Far Eastern copies of the King by unscrupulous traders. The reality is that the real Graco King is more affordable then perceived. With the new King, counterfeiting will be nearly impossible due to the components engineered in the construction of this sprayer. Graco does not just separate itself in price from counterfeit products, but also in technology.
Re-engineered and clearly identifiable packing kits, piston rods and components used in the new King also safeguard its distribution partners so that they do not face competition from smaller traders selling a copied Graco product. The benefits for brand loyal end users insisting in fitting their King airless sprayers is obvious.
Retrofitting
Graco’s clients have, over the years, invested a lot of money in spare parts, and Graco ensures that the parts do not become obsolete. When Graco engineers were designing the new King, they retained some of the original design so that the previous model can be used and clients do not feel they have wasted money on an earlier version.
In a price sensitive market like the Middle East, Graco understands that a new product is directly linked to increased cost but this may also deter clients to try it. This is why Graco is offering the new King at the price of the previous version. “We do not want people to change their CAPEX to use our new product. So the upgrade is a bonus.”
King airless sprayers are available in versions that can be driven by both compressed air and electricity.
