When one of New Zealand’s most established forklift companies needed a safe, compliant spray painting facility, Egmont Air was brought in to deliver the solution. We recently completed the installation of a custom open face spray booth at Centra Forklifts’ Mangere, Auckland workshop — giving their team a purpose-built environment for spray-painting and repairing forklifts safely and efficiently.
Centra Forklifts has deep roots in New Zealand’s materials handling industry. The company originated from the Lees Brothers company, formed in 1935. Lees forklifts became a well-known name in the market, though production ceased in 1987 as it became too costly to compete in an increasingly deregulated market. Much of that production experience and product expertise carried through, and the Lees forklift brand is still recognised in the market today. Now operating as New Zealand’s Mitsubishi Forklift dealer, Centra provides nationwide sales and service of new and used forklifts, and is a leading provider of short and long-term forklift hire.
With branches across Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Palmerston North, and Christchurch, Centra services customers from one end of the country to the other. Their Mangere facility is a busy workshop operation, handling everything from routine servicing to full forklift refurbishment — which means controlling paint overspray and hazardous fumes is not just good practice, it’s essential.
Spray-painting forklifts involves solvent-based paints and coatings that produce fine paint overspray and hazardous fumes. Without a properly designed and certified spray booth, these particles and vapours accumulate in the work area, creating serious health and safety risks for staff, as well as fire and explosion hazards. Centra needed a solution that would meet AS/NZS 4114 spraybooth standards and fit seamlessly into their existing facility.
Egmont Air designed and supplied a custom open face spray booth built to suit Centra Forklifts’ specific needs. This type of booth is ideal for painting and surface coating applications where full enclosure isn’t practical or required.
Project Specifications
The installed system includes:
Booth Dimensions
Construction & Extraction
Controls & Safety
An open face spray booth works by drawing air through the open front of the booth, across the work piece, and into the extraction and filtration wall plenum at the rear. This negative pressure airflow captures paint overspray and solvent fumes before they can escape into the surrounding workshop.
For a business like Centra Forklifts, where forklifts need to be driven into the painting area, the open face design is a practical and cost-effective choice. Located outside the main workshop, the booth keeps spray painting operations separate from the general work area — and the flat-floor configuration means equipment rolls straight in and straight out.
The Zone-rated fan and PLC-controlled purge timers are key safety features. The zone rating ensures the fan motor is safe to operate in a potentially explosive atmosphere, while the purge timers automatically clear the booth of flammable vapours before and after each spray cycle.
All Egmont Air spray booths are designed and supplied in compliance with AS/NZS 4114, the Australian and New Zealand standard for spray painting booths, rooms, and enclosures. This standard covers everything from structural requirements and airflow performance to electrical safety in hazardous areas.
The project also included independent inspection and certification by a registered IQP (Independent Qualified Person). This provides documented evidence that the installed system meets the required safety standards — an important consideration for any business managing WorkSafe obligations and workplace health and safety responsibilities.
What is an open face spray booth? An open face spray booth is a partially enclosed spray painting environment that draws contaminated air from an open front face through a filter and extraction plenum at the rear. It’s commonly used where full enclosure is impractical — such as when painting large or heavy equipment.
What is the difference between an open face spray booth and a full enclosure spray booth? A full enclosure booth completely surrounds the work piece, allowing tighter airflow control and higher levels of overspray containment. An open face booth has an open front, making it better suited to large machinery, awkward shapes, or high-throughput environments where doors would slow production.
Do spray booths need to comply with NZ standards? Yes. In New Zealand, spray painting booths must comply with AS/NZS 4114. This standard covers airflow, construction, electrical safety in hazardous areas, and operational requirements. Non-compliant booths pose significant fire, explosion, and health risks.
What does Zone-rated mean for a spray booth fan? Zone-rated (or Ex-rated) means the fan motor is certified for use in hazardous areas where flammable vapours may be present. In a spray booth, solvent-based paints produce vapours that can ignite if exposed to an electrical spark — a Zone-rated fan eliminates this risk by using spark-proof motor construction.
What is a PLC purge timer in a spray booth? A PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) purge timer is an automated safety control that runs the extraction fan for a set period before spray painting begins and after it ends. This ensures the booth is clear of flammable vapour concentrations before any ignition source is introduced.
How long does an Egmont Air spray booth installation take? Installation time depends on the size and complexity of the system. Egmont Air manages the full process — from supply and on-site assembly through to commissioning and IQP certification — minimising disruption to your workshop operation.
Can Egmont Air supply spray booths for other industries? Yes. Egmont Air designs and installs open face spray booths and full enclosure booths across a wide range of industries, including automotive, engineering, manufacturing, and marine. Open face booths are available in modular widths of 2m, 3m, and 4m to suit different workshop sizes and applications.
If your business involves spray painting, surface coating, or solvent-based processes, an Egmont Air open face spray booth gives you a safe, compliant, and practical solution. We handle everything from design and supply through to installation, commissioning, and certification — so you can get on with the job.
