Differences in positive and negative static charge on a surface will prevent the paint film from applying evenly (however good the application technique!). Painters will use their skill to overcome the problems of uneven application, however this often results in overloading the surface and which in turn can incur further problems (runs, sinkage etc.). A grill is a perfect example of where static will not allow perfect paint flow and will often prevent coverage in all the corners of the grill. Removing static prior to painting will allow the paint to flow evenly across all areas.

Metallic particles in paint react to static charge in the same way iron filings would behave when a magnet is placed underneath. The higher the charge the more upright the metallic will be forced to sit, in turn distorting the levels of light reflected from those particles. This can result in dark edges, patchiness, halo’s, in fact any area which shows an inconsistency between light and dark can be caused by metallics being distorted by static. It is imperative that all substrates on a vehicle have zero static charge before painting to bring a uniformity to the job.

The smallest particles of dust and dirt within a job can incur costly rework, through additional labour and paint costs.

Panels that are statically charged form an electromagnetic field and, as the word magnetic indicates, attract any airborne particles from the surrounding area. A contaminated paint job requires time consuming nibbing and polishing. Once the static is neutralised, dust and dirt in the atmosphere is no longer attracted to the panel, and simply flows out through the booth exhaust filter.