iDEAL PSB-AFCF23B-AK Cross Flow Paint Spray Booth

PSB-AFCF23B-AK: a cross-draft booth with tilt panels, built to be lit properly

Cross-draft is the airflow pattern most collision shops actually run: air enters at the door end, crosses the work, and leaves through a filtered exhaust plenum at the back. It is simpler to install than a downdraft — no pit, no under-floor ductwork — and on a booth this size it moves plenty of air across a full-size vehicle.

What separates this iDEAL booth from a plain box of panels is the tilt panel design. The lighting bays are angled rather than flat against the wall, so the light lands across the side of a vehicle at an angle instead of skimming down it. Anyone who has chased a run or a piece of dust down a door skin under flat wall lighting knows why that is worth paying for: defects show up while you can still fix them, not after the clear has gone off.

What actually moves the air

The exhaust fan is a UL Listed Dayton 24" tube-axial unit with spark-resistant blades, driven by a NEMA-rated 3HP, 3PH, 230/460VAC, 60HZ motor as standard. Airflow is rated at CFM 9,500 at .5 static pressure.

Three things in that sentence are worth pulling apart. Spark-resistant blades and a non-sparking, NEMA-rated fan assembly are the reason a fan is allowed to sit in an exhaust stream carrying solvent vapour at all. The .5 static pressure qualifier is the honest part of an airflow figure — it is the resistance the fan is rated against, and a number quoted with no static pressure attached tells you nothing. And the standard motor is three phase: if your building is single phase, iDEAL offers a 1PH electrical configuration, but it is an option you have to order rather than something to sort out on site.

A manometer is included and it is not an accessory. It reads the pressure drop across the filters, which is how you know when they are loaded. Filters are the consumable that quietly ruins finish quality, and the manometer is the only thing on the booth that tells you the truth about them.

Lighting and access

Six T-8 vertical light fixtures, four lamps each, with GE T8 lamps at 32W, 5000K and 4' length. 5000K is close to daylight, which is what lets a painter judge a colour match inside the booth instead of pushing the car outside to check it.

The booth has double entry doors plus a personnel door with a viewing window, and all of them carry shutoff switches. That interlock arrangement is what stops the booth running with a door open — and the personnel door means a technician can leave without swinging the main doors and disturbing the airflow and the dust settlement in the process.

Will It Fit?

• Inside dimensions: 22'-6"L x 13'W x 8'-6"H. That is the usable space around the vehicle — check it against your longest regular job plus room to open its doors and walk the perimeter, not just against the vehicle.
• Outside dimensions: 25'-4"L x 13'-4"W x 8'-10"H. This is the number your building has to accept, and it needs clearance around it for assembly and filter access.
• Ceiling. Allow for the exhaust duct above the booth as well as the booth itself. The optional exhaust duct kit is 8' with a 25" diameter.
• Power. 3HP, 3PH, 230/460VAC, 60HZ standard. Single-phase is an ordered option, not a field change. Have an electrician confirm the supply, the disconnect and the run before the booth ships.
• Floor. The booth bolts together and sits on your slab; iDEAL publishes no concrete specification for it in the data we hold, and we are not going to invent one. Levelness matters more than strength for a panel booth — a slab that is out of level makes panels fight each other during assembly.
• Compliance. The booth is stated to meet NFPA 33 standards, but siting, ducting and interlocks are inspected locally. Talk to your authority having jurisdiction before you order, not after.

Assembly, and what the 18 gauge panel actually buys you

Panels are heavy-duty, precision-punched 18 gauge, bolted together with 5/16" bolt and nut assembly. Precision punching is the difference between a booth that goes together in a weekend and one that fights you: every hole lines up because it was punched to a jig, not drilled on site. The panels are powder coated bright white inside and out, which is part of the lighting design — white walls bounce light back onto the shadowed side of a panel.

Hardware, sealant, a solenoid valve and the deluxe control panel are all included, so the booth arrives as a complete package rather than as a shopping list.

Perfect For

• Collision shops refinishing full-size cars and light trucks.
• Restoration workshops where colour judgement inside the booth matters.
• Fleet and municipal shops painting vehicles in house.
• Industrial finishers spraying large fabricated parts that need a clean, lit, ventilated space.

What's Included

• Precision-punched 18 gauge panels, bright white powder coat inside and out
• Deluxe control panel
• UL Listed Dayton 24" tube-axial exhaust fan, spark-resistant blades
• NEMA rated 3HP three-phase motor
• Premium AFC intake and exhaust filters
• Six T-8 vertical light fixtures, four lamps each, with 24 GE T8 lamps
• Double entry doors and a personnel door with viewing window, all with shutoff switches
• Manometer, solenoid valve, hardware and sealant

Ordered separately: single-phase electrical configuration, the personnel door kit, booth extension kits, 30" lighted or solid extension panel kits, an electric booth heater in single or three phase, the exhaust duct kit and an LED lighting upgrade.

Specifications

Certification and compliance, stated carefully

Two different things get confused here, so we will separate them. The exhaust fan is a UL Listed component — that is a listing on the fan, made by its manufacturer, and it is stated as such. The booth as a whole is described as meeting NFPA 33 standards, which is a fire-protection standard for spray application, not a product listing.

Neither of those is a substitute for your local approval. Booth installations are permitted and inspected locally, and the questions that come up are about siting, ducting, make-up air and electrical classification. Ask your authority having jurisdiction what it will require, in writing, before you order — and bring us the answer, because it can change which options you need.

Shipping and Delivery

The booth ships as freight to the lower 48 on multiple pallets of panels plus the fan and control gear. You will need a forklift or a dock: the driver will not unload it, and panel pallets are heavy and awkward rather than merely heavy. Terminal pickup is the alternative if your site has no equipment.

Count and inspect before signing. Booth panels are the classic freight-damage item — a bent edge on a panel is a panel that will not bolt up square. Photograph everything, check the pallet count against the packing list, and write any damage on the bill of lading in front of the driver.

Residential delivery carries a residential fee. Freight is quoted live at checkout for your ZIP code.

Warranty

Terms and the claim process are on our warranty claims page. Do not dismantle a suspect fan or control component before a claim is opened — photograph it in place and call us.