
Exitflex Spray Tips – Quick & Right Selection Guide | Technical Airless Nozzle Selection
What is Exitflex? Technical Highlights
Exitflex produces airless and air-assisted spray tips with 40+ years of industrial spray engineering experience. The products are treated with high-quality tungsten carbide material, ensuring superior performance in professional paint/coating applications.
Production with Swiss engineering
Wide range of types & sizes
Airless and air-assisted options
Structure compatible with almost all airless systems
What is Spray Tip and Why is it Important?
The spray tip is the critical part that controls the fan angle, flow volume and surface finish of the liquid in airless paint systems. Choosing the right type:
Optimizes paint consumption
Improves surface quality
Incorrect selection can lead to surface defects, inadequate coating, or increased costs.
Technical Parameters – What Do They Tell?
1) Fan Angle (e.g.: 10°, 20°, 40°...)
The fan angle determines the surface width of the spray pattern:
Acute angles (10°–30°): Precise applications, narrow surfaces
Medium angles (40°–60°): General painting work
Obtuse angles (80°–120°): Large surfaces such as walls, exteriors
Fan width example:Fan angle 50° → provides coverage of approximately 50 cm width (at a distance of 12")
2) Orifice (Hole) Size
The Orifice number determines the flow rate and material permeability:
|
Orifice (inch) |
Application Recommendation |
|
0.006 – 0.013 |
Fine coatings, lacquer, varnish |
|
0.013 – 0.015 |
Oil-based paints |
|
0.017 – 0.021 |
Latex & general paint |
|
0.021 – 0.029 |
Thicker latex, elastomeric |
|
0.029 – 0.061 |
Heavy coatings such as filler & epoxy |
Small orifice = thinner coatingLarge orifice = high volume, thick coating
Exitflex Product Families – Quick Look
Speedy 6 Spray Tips
Designed for everyday professional use with Swiss construction
715+ different types and sizes to choose from
Ergonomics + quick installation and safe handling via integrated seal
Application:
General paint jobs
Thin/flat surfaces
Medium pressure projects
Speedy 7 Spray Tips
Optimized for high pressure and heavy duty
Withstand up to 5000–7700 psi
More line striping & wide-angle options
Application:
Heavy industry
Exterior
Heavy coating projects
Air Assisted / Airless Dual Types
Suitable for both airless and air-assisted applications
Provides more controlled atomization
Perfect for fine surfaces and detail work
Selection Chart – Quick Guide
|
Application |
Fan Angle |
Orifice |
Recommended Type |
|
Cabin Full Fine Paint |
10°–20° |
0.006–0.010 |
Fine / Low Pressure |
|
Door & Furniture |
20°–40° |
0.010–0.015 |
Fine Finish |
|
Wall & Facade Painting |
50°–120° |
0.017–0.025 |
Production |
|
Sport & Line Marking |
20° |
0.012–0.018 |
Line Striper |
|
Heavy Coating |
60°+ |
0.025–0.061 |
High Volume |
Compatibility – Which Systems Does Exitflex Spray Tips Work With?
Exitflex tips are compatible with most airless spray guns (7/8" or 11/16" threads). It can also be used with universal guard systems such as TwinFit®.
Advantages:
Compatibility with various dyeing machines
Quick assembly & removal
Cleaner and more controlled spray pattern
Usage Scenarios & Recommendations
Cabin & Small Parts
Narrow fan angles + small orifice
Less overspray
Wall & Large Surfaces
Wide fan angle + medium/large orifice
Suitable for quick coating
Heavy Coating
Thick coatings + high flow
Line striper or Twin types
Common Mistakes
Uncontrolled overspray with too large fan angleInadequate coating with wrong orifice
Wrong material fit for Air-assisted
Always account for paint type, viscosity, and surface area.
How to Choose the Right Exitflex Tip?
1) Determine the Application Type
The choice of spray tip depends on the purpose of application. The following criteria form the basis of the selection process:
Small detail work (door, furniture, cab): Narrow fan angle tips
Middle surfaces (wall, roof): Middle fan angled ends
Large surfaces (façade, large panels): Wide fan-angled tips
Fan width directly affects surface coating speed; wide fan = faster coating but more overspray, narrow fan = more controlled but slower coating.
2) Understand the Fan Angle / Pattern Width
Spray tips usually have a three-digit code (e.g. 517). The first digit of this code indicates the fan pattern angle and therefore the coating width.
How to read?
First digit × 10 = estimated fan angle (degrees)
⇒ Example: "5" → ≈ 50° fan angle
This angle gives an approximate width at a distance of 30 cm
⇒ 5 → 5×5 cm ≈ 25 cm fan width (Note: This value may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer and pressure.)
Fan angle selection:
10°–30°: Detailed work, narrow surfaces
40°–60°: General paint jobs
80°+ : Large surfaces, exterior
3) Select Orifice (Orifice/Hole) Size
The last two digits in the tip code represent the orifice (atomization hole) size (in thousands of inches). This value is directly related to the flow volume and coating thickness.
Technical Impact
Smaller orifice: Thin coating → less material migration
Larger orifice: Thicker coating → more material passes
As the orifice grows, the material spreads wider and thinner with the same fan width.
Practical Recommendations
|
Material Type |
Orifice Range |
|
Thin coatings (varnish, clear coat) |
.009 – .013 |
|
General paint & interior (latex, acrylic) |
.015 – .019 |
|
Heavy coatings (elastomeric, filler) |
.021 – .035+ |
Example: "517" tip — 50° fan + .017 orifice → suitable for medium surfaces and medium viscosity paints.
4) Check Machine Compatibility
The spray tip should not exceed the maximum tip size supported by the airless sprayer model you choose . Because:
Excessively large orifices cause pressure drop
Uneven atomization
It can cause pump and motor overload.
Be sure to check the max tip size value in the technical data sheet of the machine you will use.
5) Pressure & Viscosity Balance
The quality of the spray stream is not only related to the tip but also to the application pressure:
Higher pressure → smaller droplets → more uniform surface
However, if used with high pressure, inappropriate tip, it can overspray and waste paint
According to the viscosity of the material:
Fine materials atomize well with low pressure
High pressure may be required for thick coatings
6) Test Spray and Setting Review
Practical trial after choosing the right tip:
Test On Carton/Sheet:
Check the pattern width and the distribution of the dye
If the coating is too thin → the larger the orifice / narrower the fan
Smaller orifice / wider fan → if too thick or drop by drop
In standard practice, hold the tip at a distance of 12–30 cm and examine whether the pattern is uniform.
7) Performance and Efficiency Tips
Narrow fan + small orifice: Controlled application in detail work
Medium fan + medium orifice: Wall, interior painting
Wide fan + large orifice: Large surfaces / fast coating
Must be changed every time the tip wears out: Worn ends expand and quality deteriorates
Summary — Selection Steps
Determine the type of surface
Calculate fan width (according to job area)
Choose Orifice size according to paint viscosity
Check machine compatibility
Detect pressure setting
Test spray and fine-tune
Conclusion
Choosing the right spray tip is not just about reading code, but also about optimizing the application area, material type, pressure and tip compatibility together. This technical process, combined with quality tips like Exitflex, maximizes surface finish and efficiency.




