What makes a good fully automatic Spray Tan Booth?
The design of a good automated tanning booth has many facets all of equal importance and when brought together in the correct way produce spray tanning products which are not simply good but excellent
The tanning booth designer and manufacturer must have a clear understanding of the technical performance of the tanning medium (the DHA solution) and produce a spray tanning system to deliver the tanning medium, onto the body in the most effective and efficient manner possible. The booth designer must strive to achieve a very high transfer ratio of tanning medium used by the machine and that delivered to the client’s skin. Naturally it impossible to deliver 100% of the tanning medium to the body as some waste is inevitable but this should be kept to a minimum in order that the minimum of solution can be used to keep the costs as low as possible. After the capital cost of the machine the cost per treatment is a major consideration and this is where efficiency comes into play in keeping costs down. When considering the raw running costs of a spray tanner in most cases this will only be electricity and the amount of the solution used per session. So it is important to know when choosing a machine the amount of solution used per session and the electrical running costs.
The booth designer must consider the delivery method of the tanning medium and opinions will differ on which system is the best. It could be that the designer considers the use of compressed air to atomise the tanning medium. Compressed air will produce good atomisation, but has the disadvantage of requiring a large compressor which could be noisy, expensive to operate and could possibly require siting externally. Automated spray booths and manual air brush systems incorporate the use of an air compressor unit and would fall within the scope of the ‘Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000’. In the case of the automated spray booth system, the compressors have a capacity and operating pressure which would normally warrant a written scheme of examination and possibly an annual site inspection. The designer may consider a dynamically charged hydraulic system; this is more challenging to produce good atomisation but requires no compressor is very energy efficient and quiet in operation. The use of compressed air to atomise the tanning medium produces a dense “fog” in the booth whilst coating the body and for first time users this can be quite an un nerving experience. Once this “tanning fog” has been produced in the booth any excess must be removed by ventilation and or filtration with some booths requiring ventilation to outside. With a hydraulic system a fine mist is produced leaving little or no excess in the air and requires no fans or ventilation.
Tanning on a sunbed is considered by many to be a warm, relaxing and wonderful experience and even though a spray tanning session will never be described in the same way the Spray Tan designer should strive to make the spray tanning experience as pleasant as possible. Many people find the fog produced by some systems to be an unpleasant experience whilst machines producing a fine mist give the client a much more pleasant treatment
Spray tanning is a new experience for most people and as such the customer must be given a good induction into the tanning experience. A machine offering the user voice instructions is a definite advantage and helps give the customer more confidence and in turn a better result
Some tanning booths offer a variety of “tanning programs” to optimise the tanning session to the clients height thus optimising solution use and in turn costs. It has long been recognised that legs are the most difficult part of the body to tan in natural sunlight or on a sunbed, and generally legs fade faster than other parts of the body. The same can be said when using a tanning booth and some manufacturers have recognised this and offer the option of just leg tanning to allow the client to top up or simply darken only the legs.
The machine should have the ability to present itself clean and ready for the next client after each treatment and therefore a good wash down system is important. Some machines require connection to mains water and waste supplies for the wash down cycle whilst others have the option to wash down from integrated fresh water and waste tanks, being particularly important for installations where no mains water or waste is present in the treatment room.
With today’s costs it is important that a modern spray system has as small footprint whilst also offering the client ample space in the booth. Health and safety is another consideration and all the working components of the booth should be totally enclosed within a separate lockable area of the booth. This area would also hold all waste/clean water and also keep solutions secure & well out of harms way.
Spray tanning is without doubt in its infancy and further development of machines will continue over the next five to ten years and beyond. It is possible for the designer to consider that developments will take place and design a tanning system that has the ability to take on change and updates as developments occur.
Which is the best, who can say – Some machine have some good points others have all, but in the final analysis it is up to the buyer to decide what is most important for their salon and clients. To sum up you should choose a booth that delivers good and even coverage whose treatment is as pleasant as possible and easy to use, maintain and keep clean, economical in electrical use and solution delivery and the ability to be upgraded with the latest programs as further developments take place
For more information call Leisure Sales 01625 501611.