Comparison

Vacuum Coating vs Spray Finishing for Timber Profiles

Graeme Thomas

Vacuum Coating vs Spray Finishing for Timber Profiles

Two methods, fundamentally different approaches. Which one makes sense for your production?

Two Approaches to the Same Problem

Spray finishing projects coating onto the workpiece surface. It's versatile and well-understood, but inherently wasteful — a significant proportion of the coating never reaches the timber. Vacuum coating, by contrast, immerses the workpiece in coating material, achieving near-total transfer efficiency.

Both methods have their place, but for high-volume timber profile priming, the economics strongly favour vacuum coating.

Method Comparison

Transfer Efficiency

Spray Finishing30–60%
Vacuum Coating~100%

Overspray

Spray FinishingSignificant — requires extraction
Vacuum CoatingNone

4-Side Coverage

Spray FinishingRequires multiple passes
Vacuum CoatingSingle pass

Floor Space

Spray FinishingLarge (booth + extraction)
Vacuum CoatingCompact inline unit

Environmental Impact

Spray FinishingVOC extraction needed
Vacuum CoatingMinimal — closed system

Complex Profiles

Spray FinishingShadowing on detail
Vacuum CoatingFull contact coverage

For linear timber profiles, vacuum coating is more efficient, more compact, and produces less waste than spray finishing.

Transfer Efficiency Impact

30–60%
Spray Transfer Efficiency

Up to 70% of coating wasted as overspray

~100%
Vacuum Transfer Efficiency

Near-zero material waste

Common Questions

Compare Methods for Your Application

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