2 Minute Tan - Sense and Nonsense.

The 5 minute tan, the 3 minute tan, the 2 minute tan. The marketing claims get ever faster – and they would lead you to believe the only thing that is important is to tan your client as fast as possible. Those uttering such claims are more in it for a quick buck than trying to help you build your business. In this article we focus on one facet of this issue –- how equipment relates to performance.

Airbrushes can be Quite Fast Too!

The two minute tan is primarily claimed by those promoting HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) turbine spray tanning systems. They claim that airbrushes take 20 minutes or longer to apply a tan. To refute this claim, we supply some data from actual tests. The test is simple: spray the recommended 2 Oz of fluid straight through the airbrush into a container at suggested operating pressure, about 15 PSI. Record the elapsed time. This gives the fastest possible speed and establishes a lower limit to application time.

• TurboAir TurboSpeed Pistol Grip Airbrush –- about 4 minutes
• Iwata Revolution BCR 2000 airbrush –- about 5 minutes 30 seconds

So, if one allowed for about 1 minutes of inefficiency in application, the TurboAir airbrush could still complete a tan in about 5 minutes and the BCR 2000 could complete a tan in under 7 minutes. Now, these are both high flow airbrushes, so many technicians in the field may be using much slower airbrushes. We recommend high flow airbrushes with at least a .5 mm needle opening.

HVLP

HVLP systems were first developed for auto painting and have found wide application in woodworking as well. A major concern in auto painting is the health and environmental concerns from hazardous paint overspray. HVLP technology, by using a high volume of air, can atomize paint at a very low pressure –- under 10 PSI. The result is much less over-spray, in particular less “bounce--back”, and lower material usage. This made the workplace significantly healthier and environmentally friendlier.

The overspray advantage is a bit different in spray tanning. First, the substance being sprayed is significantly less toxic –- having a carbohydrate origin. Still, reasonable precautions should be taken. Second, in the auto world a traditional high pressure spray gun may operate close to 50 PSI. An airbrush tanner may apply at 15 PSI – not as low as HVLP but a low pressure still. However, there does seem to be a widespread problem with airbrush technicians spraying at too high a pressure and producing excessive over--spray. This is an educational issue.

To speed up a tan requires a wider spray pattern and higher throughput (larger needle opening at a given pressure). HVLP spray guns may spray up to 8 inch patterns while airbrushes typically spray at patterns of about 2 inches or less. If you are painting your house, you can go faster with an 8 inch brush than a small trim brush. Of course, you can also make a mess when painting narrow trim or tight spots with such a big brush. So, it stands to reason that a wide HVLP spray pattern can produce a fast tan but at a loss of detail in small spots. To produce a wide stroke, requires a fan pattern. There are a limited number of airbrushes that can spray a fan pattern. The Iwata G6, that we stock, is such an airbrush. Although not inexpensive, this airbrush can produce a soft fan pattern that is indistinguishable from that of HVLP guns.

Turbine Disadvantages

However, turbine HVLP units have some disadvantages. First, they are loud and shrill unless special design measures have been taken. This is very disconcerting for operators and clients as well. In quiet, relaxing salon settings, their selection may be precluded altogether. Second, off--the--shelf HVLP systems are designed to work with thicker and heavier solutions than tanning solution, which is mostly water. Unmodified systems give lousy results. To be effective, no more than a “two stage system” with a smaller needle size (which works counter to speed) is required. The only HVLP turbine system that we currently stock is the AccuSpray QSP 220 with Tuned Noise reduction. It strikes the best balance between noise-reduction, speed, and low cost. Turbine systems under $400 usually have cheaper plastic guns that don’t atomize properly. While touting HVLP results, we have found none in this price range that delivers true HVLP results. As a consequence, we still favor airbrush systems in the under $400 market.

HVLP Conversion Guns Dominate HVLP - Not Turbines and Turbine Guns

HVLP technology is not defined by turbines. In fact, larger painting operations that employ HVLP don’t use them. Auto paint shops typically have larger compressors that supply air for air tools and spraying operations. These compressors can easily furnish the high air flow rates, usually measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), for HVLP. Turbines furnish the HVLP air supply for smaller shops that don’t have larger compressors or that require a lighter weight mobile solution. A turbine may supply 85 CFM, of which 18--20 CFM may actually pass through the gun. This is a very high flow rate and would require a large compressor system to match.

HVLP spray guns designed for compressor air supply are referred to as HVLP conversion guns. Design refinements have allowed full size guns to be created with lower CFM requirements – in the 7-13 CFM range. Touch-up guns, which are an ideal configuration for spray tanning have appeared with still lower requirements. Touch-up gun designs from Iwata require as little as 1.8 CFM to produce truly remarkable results. Iwata and SATA, while pricey, are generally regarded to produce the finest HVLP conversion guns in the world.

The Next Generation of Spray Tanning

The 1.8 CFM requirement is still at the upper end of the scale for the small, quiet compressors that airbrush tanners are accustomed too. But we recently introduced a quiet HVLP conversion system based on a dual tandem compressor design that produces true HVLP results at a remarkable price –- the TurboAir UltraMist. We believe this system marks a sea change in the way future HVLP spray tanning systems will be designed.

In summary, we at the Tanning Store continue to push the limits of both airbrush and HVLP spray tanning design. The airbrush offers the ultimate in flexibility. Its artistic capability allows it to be used for tanning, airbrush makeup, and body art. With proper equipment selection it can also be fast. In the HVLP direction, we believe we have the best turbine system, the 3M/AccuSpray QSP and the system that will usher in a new era in HVLP spray tanning – the UltraMist. Our goal is for you to pick your market and identify your needs and we will offer the best technical solution to make you a success.