“No Bull” facts about Airbrush Tanning

Chapter 4: Page 1 of 1
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Chapter 4:  Turbine vs. Compressor Driven Systems

If a quiet environment is what you’re looking to maintain in you Spa or Salon a Turbine System is definitely not what you’re looking for.

What exactly is a Turbine System? It is nothing more than a vacuum cleaner motor running in reverse that powers a spray gun usually HVLP. (High Volume Low Pressure)

The claims that these systems are faster than standard compressor driven systems is simply not true. The difference is that a vacuum cleaner motor is compressing the air to run the gun as opposed to a piston driven compressor. Imagine firing up your “Hoover” in the living room and having to listen to that continuously the entire time you are working in the spray room while tanning clients. That may be all day long when you’re busy. These machines run continuously and never shut off, as they have no pressure tank to accumulate reserve air. A normal conversation is 65 decibels and the majority of these systems are running at over 80 decibels or more. You literally have to scream over them to talk to your client. Almost all manufacturers of this equipment have enclosed them in a bulky sound-deadening box. However, there are two problems with this approach. The first is for the box to do any real good it has to be sealed. Can’t be done, as these motors require a tremendous amount of air to remain cool and to draw from. Secondly, restricting airflow around the motor reduces the life of it due to extreme heat build up. You cannot touch the motor without burning your hand after it has been running continuously for only five minutes in a perforated pressboard box.

Lets talk about ease of use. The turbine system has extremely bulky and heavy hoses and a heavy gun. They are an ergonomic nightmare for the technician. Additionally, they use twice the amount of solution per person as our whisper quiet, compressor driven HVLP systems running at under 20 decibels. It takes at least six ounces of solution or more to tan a client with the turbine versus three or less with our HVLP system. There are a number of reasons for this. The guns are too big with too large a nozzle size. The pressure and over spray from these units is ridiculous as there is no pressure regulator on them. The higher the pressure the more solution used. This is true with any system. They will destroy an unventilated spray room in one tan. Unregulated, these units are pushing out 50 to 60 psi versus 18 psi on our units. A pressure regulator is an additional purchase item for these systems and a necessary one. Most companies neglect to tell you this fact mostly due to ignorance about how the system actually operates. As I discussed earlier anyone can hose a client down in a couple of minutes saturating them with solution. However, that will be the first and last time you see them. Taking your time and paying attention to detail, that’s what developing a repeat customer is all about.

For the spa owner looking to ad this service to their menu, think about the client getting a massage in the adjoining room while a vacuum cleaner is running and your technician is screaming over top of it directing the client. Aesthetically pleasing? I don’t think so. Not for either customer. Our systems are the most efficient, quiet, and effective of anything currently available. A turbine system is simply a noisy gimmick and a failed attempt to try and reinvent the wheel when it comes to spray on tanning.
 

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