The most critical components in any spray system are the spray nozzles. But that doesn’t make the other components in your system insignificant. In fact, without them, you won’t be able to operate your spray nozzles. Yet, these components are often overlooked.

Let’s take a closer look at one of these components – the spray lance (also referred to as an injector). Spray lances must typically meet as many exacting specifications as spray nozzles and the performance of your nozzles is somewhat dependent on how the solution to be sprayed is delivered to the nozzles. It makes sense to think about spray lances early in the process – when you’re specifying your spray nozzles.

Using a single supplier for your spray nozzles and spray lances also makes sense. Not only do you enjoy the convenience of working with a single supplier, you’ll have the assurance of an integrated system – manufactured by the leading spray technology company.

We offer both standard and custom lances. Since many applications require something other than off-the-shelf solutions, we’ve become experts in the design, manufacture and testing of lances for demanding environments and challenging physical spaces.

The vast majority of lances we produce require:

• Special materials such as: 316, 310, 330 Stainless Steel; Inconel® 600, 601, 825; Hastelloy® C, and C22®.
• Special coatings applied via cladding, HVOF, weld or plasma arc overlay.
• Unique material thickness.
• Non-standard lengths up to 25 ft. (7.6 m).
• Welded, flanged and threaded connections to accommodate a wide range of installation requirements.

Recently completed projects for gas conditioning, chemical injection, emergency quench and power generation applications include:

• Insulated lances for high temperature environments.
• Retractable lances to avoid process interruption when replacing lance or nozzle.
• Flexible lances with flexible hose adjustment for easy nozzle positioning and locking lance collar for lance angle selection.
• Water- or steam-jacketed lances for high temperature environments.
• Recirculation lances to maintain consistent temperature. Ideal for congealing-prone media.
• Desuperheating lances to spray water for reduction in superheated steam volume.
• Long kiln lances with multiple nozzles to provide small drops and high flow rates.

If you’re working on a new application or upgrading a current one, now is the time to contact us and explore spray lance options. Starting early is the best way to ensure optimal performance of all spray system components and eliminate the hassle of coordinating multiple suppliers.

You may be able to improve processes and reduce operating expenses through more precise spray control. Consider the following questions to find out if spray system automation is for you.

• Do variations in your spray process affect the quality of your product?
• Do you need to control the flow rate for your spray application based on conveyor or line speed?
• Do you have a conveyor line which requires accurate control of intermittent spray?
• Do you need to automatically shut your spray system down under certain operating conditions?
• Is coating coverage critical to your product quality?
• Does your process or product quality suffer because you can’t easily detect plugged spray nozzles or variations in spray patterns/flow rates?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you can enjoy benefits like these from spray system automation:

• Improving product quality through precise and uniform coating.
• Reducing overspray and saving chemicals.
• Reducing manual labor.
• Simplifying production line setup and reducing downtime.
• Increasing throughput and conveyor speed.
• Reducing inspection and maintenance costs.
• Improving regulatory compliance and emission control.

Just because your spray nozzles are spraying doesn’t mean they’re working properly or that you’re getting the benefit of optimal spray performance. Here are just a few things you can do to ensure you’re getting the most from your spray nozzles.

1. Establish a comprehensive nozzle maintenance program. Inspecting your nozzles on a regular basis will pre-empt costly problems. Your program should include checking flow rate, spray pressure, drop size, spray pattern and spray coverage. Changes typically indicate nozzle wear or damage.

2. Consider a change in nozzle material if you feel you are replacing your nozzles too frequently. Materials with harder surfaces generally provide longer wear life.

3. Add line strainers or use nozzles with built-in strainers. Nozzle wear and clogging is often caused by solid particles in the sprayed liquid. This is particularly common when using recirculated water. Strainers will trap larger particles and prevent debris from entering the nozzle orifice or vane.

4. Decrease spraying pressure if possible. This will slow the liquid velocity through the orifice and help reduce wear.

5. Be sure you’re using the best nozzle for your application. Spray technology is advancing quickly. If you haven’t explored new nozzle options recently, you may be missing an opportunity to lower operating costs and improve product/process quality.