Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

January, 2005

Paint Hydraulic Pump Volume Displacement

Q. I'm trying to find training material on calibrating paint pumps to deterime the amount of paint applied, delivered to the gun, (gallons) based on the clicks of the paint pump counter (strokes). Is there any universal literature on this subject or do you need to get the "clicks to gallons" conversion data from the pump manufacturer?

A. Each vendor provides a chart that allows you to convert the number of strokes of the hydraulic pump to fluid flow rate (gallons/min) (GPM).

I'm holding a Binks catalog in my hand as I write this and for one pump 20 cycles/minute (CPM) = 10 (GPM). for another Binks pump 30 CPM = 10 GPM.

If you can't find the vendor's literature, you can easily calibrate the pump yourself.

Take a 5 gallon pail and count the number of strokes required to fill the pail.

Example:

15 strokes required to fill 5 gallons

Therefore, 1 stroke = 5 gals/15 strokes = 0.33 gals/stroke

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Ron Joseph