Further to a telephone conversation with the maintenance manager for Millbrook Proving Ground, (the highly secure site where many car manufactures test prototype and current models for performance on the high speed circuit, or test the suspension on the rough road), a site visit was arranged to discuss line marking paint.
The site was built in the 1960’s on the 700 acre site in Bedfordshire to offer over 45 miles of roads ranging from motorways, sweeping country roads, winding country lanes, a network of off road tracks as well as a specialist test track.
Filming Location
Millbrook also offers a fantastic safe location for filming and many television programs such as Top Gear and Fifth Gear regularly use the facilities. Even blockbuster films such as James Bond used Millbrook to film the record breaking stunt for Casino Royale where the Aston Martin driven by stunt driver Adam Kirley (with the aid of a nitrogen cannon) rolled the car seven times catapulting this amazing stunt into the book of Guinness World Records.
A member of staff from Promain the Industrial Paint specialists arranged for a demonstration of a Graco Line Lazer 5900 with a Drive Unit attached. This powerful compact machine was used to apply the extremely popular Centrecoat water based line marking paint. Centrecoat Water Based Line Striping Paint has been used for many prestigious applications such as Box Hill in Surrey, which was the location for the Olympic Cycling Road Race. The 328 foot long art work known as the Box Hill Road River was painted at night with watering cans and by car headlamps.
Other locations where the Centrecoat Line Marking Paint has been used include a number of airports around the UK, as well as the challenging and exciting Anglesey Motor Racing Circuit, which is located on the beautiful Welsh coast of the Irish Sea and is over shadowed by the stunning Snowdonia mountain range. Again the Centrecoat Line Marking Paint was applied by staff at the track who were trained in the use of an airless spray machine, which was again supplied by Promain.
Benefits of the Graco Line Lazer
The Graco Line Lazer utilises a powerful 5.5 horse power Honda four stroke engine to deliver 3300 psi of pressure. This pressure is ample to deliver high viscosity paints such as the Centrecoat meaning that lines can be painted in just one coat. The pressure can be regulated to suit thinner paints such as chlorinated rubber and epoxy’s.
In recent years the Centrecoat Line paint has become extremely popular as it is suitable, unlike chlorinated rubber, for application to damp concrete or tarmac surfaces. Along with the low VOC levels offered by this fast drying paint, it soon became specified by many organisations including the Highways Agency. A further benefit is that when it comes to cleaning the line marking machine, you only require around 10 litres of clean water and no solvents what so ever.
This matt paint can have glass beads added to it to increase its reflectivity increasing road safety at night and in fog. Originally formulated in the United States of America is has become the most commonly used paint for road striping in the USA.
Antonio, who is the European Technical Services Manager from Graco, flew from Paris to Luton Airport then travelled with the Promain staff to Millbrook to demonstrate how easy the Graco Line Lazer is to use, and after a short demonstration, the staff from Millbrook tried the machine themselves and soon put Antonio to shame with their perfect straight white lines and smooth curves to the side of the service road. We have no doubt that they will be able to paint white lines along the the edges of all 45 miles of road as well as the five lines around the high speed circuit.
The Line Lazer has a detachable spray gun on a 50 foot long hose making it ideally suited to hand spraying logo’s such as Stop Signs or Disabled Parking logo’s.
A discussion took place about the suitability of this pump for spraying their Plastisol cladding with Rustoleum Metal Cladding paint as well as using it for applying Dacfill HZ to the flat roofs of the offices and workshops. Dacfill HZ is a two part water based paint formulated by Rustoleum Mathys that can be applied by either airless spray or by paint roller to waterproof flat roofs. Dacfill HZ has been specified for the flat roofs at Sellafield Nuclear Power Station and work is currently under way on the roofs which is being over seen by the Promain technical department. Promain liaised with the maintenance staff at Sellafield and organised training for them at Rustoleum’s offices and they now have thousands of square meters of flat roofing to waterproof against the Cumbria coastal weather.
There are many areas that need painting at Millbrook that Promain can help with and a discussion to supply Sika water based epoxy floor paint paint took place and a further site visit is to be arranged to discuss their requirements. As Promain are ideally located in Hitchin, only half an hour from Millbrook, they are able to offer regular site visits to discuss their needs.
If you have a project you wish to discuss please contact Promain and you will be able to benefit from their expert knowledge of paints and coatings from companies such as 3M, PPG, Jotun, Sika, Teamac, Rustoleum Mathys and many other.
