Badger Meter Positive Displacement - Manual (Page 8)

8
FLOW METER GUIDELINES
FOR PAINT OPERATIONS
Before installing, operating or attempting maintenance on a flow
meter read the appropriate Maintenance Guide. As with any
precision engineered device, the equipment should always be
operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Flow meters are designed to flow liquids which assist in cooling
and lubrication. Meters should always be closed to air except
when air is part of an automated purge cycle. In this case the air
segments are typically under 1-2 seconds and are interspersed
with lubrication solvent to achieve a scrubbing effect. The air
segments are short enough that the meter doesn’t dry out. See
Figure 2. Do not dry paint lines using only pressurized air as
this will lead to premature wear.
At the end of a shift or overnight, it is strongly recommended that
cleaning solvent or DI water with appropriate cutting agent be left
in the meter, under pressure, to soak. This helps keep unflushed
residual paint from drying and helps subsequent start-ups.
Opening a meter after a flush cycle will help determine if the
meter is being cleaned thoroughly by the purge.
Regular cleaning cycles with solvent or DI water may be
necessary to effect color changes or to prevent some coatings
from depositing on critical internal parts. Designing and
Figure 2