Air Makeup Units
Air Makeup & Replacement Air Systems
Engineered Replacement Air for Paint Booths and Finishing Facilities
Proper replacement air is a critical part of maintaining airflow, pressure, temperature, and overall performance in a paint booth or finishing system.
PaintBooth.com provides air makeup and replacement air systems for a wide range of industrial finishing applications. From standard pressurized paint booth systems to specialized temperature- and humidity-controlled applications, we can provide the equipment, controls, and system engineering required to support the process.
We work with Titan Air to provide configurable air makeup systems designed around the airflow, environmental, and control requirements of each project.
When Is an Air Makeup Unit Required?
A paint booth exhaust system removes a significant volume of air from the building. That exhausted air must be replaced.
For pressurized paint booths, an Air Makeup Unit, or AMU, supplies conditioned replacement air to the booth while helping maintain the desired airflow balance and booth pressure.
A properly designed replacement-air system can help:
- Maintain proper booth pressure
- Replace air removed by the exhaust system
- Maintain consistent airflow through the booth
- Improve operator comfort
- Support consistent coating conditions
- Reduce unwanted drafts and uncontrolled infiltration
- Provide temperature control when required
- Support humidity control for sensitive finishing processes
Replacement-air requirements vary depending on booth type, exhaust volume, building conditions, process requirements, climate, and applicable codes. Our team can help determine the appropriate system configuration for the application.
Air Makeup Unit Options
Pressurized Paint Booth Air Makeup Units
Pressurized paint booths typically use an air makeup unit to supply replacement air directly into the booth.
The supply system is designed to work with the booth exhaust system so that airflow and pressure remain controlled throughout operation. Depending on the application, the AMU may provide heated, filtered, or environmentally conditioned air.
Systems can be configured for applications ranging from standard industrial finishing to large custom booths requiring substantial airflow.
Dump Air Makeup Systems
Not every application requires replacement air to be supplied directly into the paint booth.
For facilities that need to replace exhausted building air, we can provide dump-air makeup systems that introduce replacement air into the surrounding facility.
These systems can be equipped with three-way discharge heads to distribute replacement air throughout the building while helping minimize drafts and provide more even air distribution.
Dump-air systems are commonly used where exhaust air must be replaced without directly pressurizing the booth.
Demand-Air Systems
Demand-air systems provide a more flexible approach to replacement air.
Instead of operating continuously at one fixed airflow, a demand-air system can adjust airflow based on the operating requirements of the facility or finishing equipment.
Variable Air Volume systems can help accommodate facilities with:
- Multiple paint booths
- Multiple exhaust systems
- Equipment operating at different times
- Changing production schedules
- Variable replacement-air requirements
By supplying air based on actual demand, these systems can provide greater operating flexibility and may reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Temperature & Humidity Controlled Air Makeup Systems
Many modern finishing applications require more than simply replacing exhausted air.
Temperature and humidity can directly affect coating application, flash time, drying, curing, finish quality, and overall process consistency.
PaintBooth.com can provide specialized temperature- and humidity-controlled air makeup systems designed to maintain controlled environmental conditions for the finishing process.
These systems may incorporate:
- Heating
- Cooling
- Humidification
- Dehumidification
- Variable airflow
- Filtration
- Building or booth pressure control
- Temperature monitoring
- Relative humidity monitoring
- Automated system controls
Temperature- and humidity-controlled systems are highly application-specific. Airflow requirements, geographic climate conditions, coating requirements, production schedules, and desired environmental setpoints must all be considered when designing the system.
Our team can assist with the complete system concept, equipment selection, controls, and integration required for these specialized applications.
Complete Air System Solutions
Air makeup equipment should not be treated as an isolated component.
The supply air system must work together with the paint booth, exhaust system, ductwork, building environment, process controls, and production requirements.
PaintBooth.com can assist with complete replacement-air system design, including:
- Air Makeup Units
- Replacement-air calculations
- Supply and exhaust balancing
- Variable Air Volume systems
- Dump-air systems
- Three-way discharge heads
- Supply ductwork
- Filtration
- Heating and cooling
- Humidity control
- Pressure control
- Control integration
- Equipment coordination
- Custom system configurations
For complex finishing applications, our team can evaluate the entire airflow system rather than simply supplying individual pieces of equipment.
Touchscreen HMI Controls
Our air makeup systems can be provided with modern touchscreen HMI control panels designed to simplify system operation and provide operators with a clear view of important operating conditions.
Depending on the system configuration, the HMI interface may provide access to:
- System start and stop controls
- Supply-air temperature
- Temperature setpoints
- Relative humidity
- Humidity setpoints
- Fan operation
- Variable airflow settings
- System pressure
- Filter status
- Alarm conditions
- Equipment status
- Operating modes
The touchscreen interface provides a centralized control point for the air makeup system and can be customized based on the complexity of the application.
Custom Engineered Systems
Some finishing applications cannot be properly served by an off-the-shelf air makeup unit.
Large paint booths, aerospace applications, heavy-equipment finishing systems, production facilities, and environmentally controlled finishing processes may require custom equipment and controls.
Available configurations include a wide range of airflow capacities, fan arrangements, heating options, airflow controls, accessories, and custom equipment dimensions.
Our team works with customers to understand the process requirements first, then develops the replacement-air system around the application.
Features At a Glance
- ETL Listed to Z83.4 / CSA 3.7 — Non-Recirculating Systems
- ETL Listed to Z83.18 — Recirculating Systems
- 1,200–120,000 CFM — Single-Speed Systems
- 4,000–120,000 CFM — Variable Air Volume Systems
- Multiple Fan Type Options
- Multiple Accessory and Control Options
- Custom Configurations and Dimensions
- Touchscreen HMI Control Options
- Heating, Cooling, and Environmental Control Options
- Temperature and Humidity Controlled Configurations
- Demand-Air System Capabilities
- Dump-Air and Three-Way Discharge Configurations
Heated Air Makeup Unit Drawings
More Than Just Replacement Air
The right air makeup system is an important part of the overall finishing process.
Air volume, booth pressure, temperature, humidity, exhaust requirements, building conditions, and process requirements all interact with one another. A change to one part of the system can affect the performance of the entire operation.
PaintBooth.com brings paint booth, airflow, replacement-air, controls, and finishing-process experience together to help develop a complete system rather than simply selecting equipment from a catalog.
Whether the project requires a standard pressurized paint booth AMU, a facility dump-air system, a demand-air solution, or a fully temperature- and humidity-controlled replacement-air system, we can help develop the right solution for the application.
FAQs
What does an air makeup unit do for a paint booth?
An Air Makeup Unit (AMU) replaces the large volume of air removed by a paint booth’s exhaust system. The AMU supplies filtered replacement air while helping maintain proper booth or building pressure along with consistent airflow and controlled operating conditions. Depending on the system, the air replacement can also be heated with or without a cure cycle, cooled or humidity controlled.
Does every paint booth need an air makeup unit?
Not every paint booth requires a dedicated air makeup unit, but the air exhausted from the booth must be replaced. This can be done with an ambient fan or an open roll up door. Since you do not want to run your building at negative pressure and most codes will not allow you to. A Pressurized paint booths typically use an AMU to supply replacement air directly to the booth. Other facilities may use a dump-air system that introduces replacement air into the building rather than directly into the booth. The correct solution depends on CFM exhausted by the booth
How do you size an air makeup unit for a paint booth?
An air makeup unit should be sized according to the airflow requirements of the paint booth and exhaust system. Important factors include exhaust CFM, desired booth pressure, booth configuration, ductwork, building conditions, climate and production requirements. Paintbooth.com can evaluate the complete supply and exhaust system to determine the appropriate airflow capacity and AMU configuration.
Can Paintbooth.com provide a custom air makeup system for an existing paint booth or facility?
Yes. Air makeup and replacement-air systems can be engineered for new or existing paint booths, finishing equipment. Custom systems can include heating, curing, cooling, and humidity control. Our team can evaluate the entire airflow system and develop a solution around your facility and finishing equipment.