What is a Spray Foam Insulation Machine and How Does it Work?

spray foam insulation machine

Spray foam is a powerful substance. It combines two components, namely: polyol resin and isocyanate. When these elements mix, they produce a product that not only stays in place when sprayed but which expands several dozen times its volume.

People use spray foam for insulation and packaging purposes. However, to use spray foam, you require a suitable means of distributing it. This is where the spray foam insulation machine enters the picture.

Spray foam machines transport polyol resin and isocyanate from drum sets. They combine the components into polyurethane foam which you can spray from a hose onto the relevant surface. If you have never seen a spray foam insulation machine in action, this is how it works:

1). As was noted above, a spray foam machine requires polyol resin and isocyanate.

These materials are kept in 55-gallon drums. The machine uses air-powered transfer pumps to access them. But the materials have to flow through a Y filter to ensure that they are free of contaminants.

spray foam rig

2). The Y filter is found on the main proportioner pumps which are double-acting.

They work in tandem with an electric motor and a hydraulic pump to pressurize the materials.

3). In an ideal situation, the pressurized materials will move from the filter to the pre-heaters via a hose.

The materials cannot function as required unless they are maintained at the right temperatures. This is where the pre-heaters come into play. They will raise the temperature to either 120 or 130 F depending on whether you are dealing with closed cell or open cell foam.

4). The hose has a red side and a blue side.

The materials will emerge from different sides of the hose. The hose will maintain the temperature of the materials. A gauge in the vicinity will reveal the pressure settings. You can monitor the temperature using the temperature sensor unit which is also found on the hose.

5). Starting from the drum sets all the way to the hose, the materials will travel separately, only combining when they reach the spray tip of the gun.

Once you pull the trigger, the materials will explode from the tip as a single product.

spray foam equipment

6). The materials must be shipped and stored as instructed by the manufacturers.

Once they are added to the drums and transferred through the spray foam machine, they must be combined at a ratio of 1:1.

You can choose between mechanical, solvent, and air purge guns. The different types of spray guns are categorized according to the functions they perform.

7). Spray foam machines are typically part of a spray rig, a mobile set up that can be transported from place to place.

It has a spray foam insulation machine along with all the utilities you need to operate it, including a generator and a compressor. Contractors that use spray foam prefer to use mobile spray rigs because they are flexible.

Spray rigs are just as important as the spray machines they house. You need a solid spray rig whose configuration is compatible with the job sites and tasks you intend to accomplish.