A dual-component, or plural-component, applicator mixes a two-part coating at the machine instead of in a bucket. Two pumps meter the A and B materials in the ratio the coating maker sets, heated equipment brings the mix to the gun, and the sprayer has to be cleaned before the mix cures. Titan's version is the Helix family.
Most painters spend their careers with one-part coatings: open the can, stir, strain, spray. Two-part coatings change the routine, and so does the equipment. This is a primer on what a dual-component applicator is, with Titan's Helix family as the example. It stays at the level of ratio, timing and equipment, and leaves coating chemistry to the coating maker.
One component versus two
A single-component coating comes ready to spray, apart from stirring, straining and any thinning the maker allows. A two-component coating is supplied as two materials, an A and a B, that become the finished coating only when they are combined in the proportion the coating maker specifies. Once they are combined, the clock is running: the maker gives a processing time, the window in which the mixed material can still be used.
That is the whole reason the equipment exists. Mixing a whole bucket in advance means racing that clock before you have sprayed any of it. A dual-component applicator is built to meter the two materials in the set proportion at the machine instead.
What an applicator does
The terms dual-component, plural-component and proportioner are used for the same family of machines. They share three jobs:
- Meter the two materials. Two pumps, one for each material, move A and B at a controlled proportion.
- Heat them if the system calls for it. Titan's Helix machines are heated, with the heat carried through the hose to the gun.
- Deliver them to the gun. A hose carries the material from the machine to the gun, where it is sprayed.
Titan's Helix machines are a separate product class from its airless paint sprayers. Whether a particular two-part product can be sprayed on any given machine is something to check with the coating maker and the sprayer manual.
Titan technologies, by name
These are the features Titan and its distributors name on the Helix family. We pass them on as listed, and where a feature belongs to one model only, we say which.
Named Helix features and the model they belong to
| Feature | What it is | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Electronically controlled dual pumps | Two pumps in continual communication, with the Smart Select controller setting the ratio | Helix VR 2.3 |
| Quad+ self-adjusting packings | Packings that adjust themselves as they wear | Helix VR 2.3 |
| Quick Change Fluid Sections | Fluid sections included with the unit | Helix VR 2.3 |
| EasyOut fluid section | Keeps the pump isolated from the environment | Helix FR |
| SureFire heating | Block heater plus an in-hose heating element | Helix VR 2.3 |
Why ratio accuracy matters
The coating maker sets the ratio, and the applicator's job is to hold it. If one pump delivers a little more or less than it should, the mix is off for the whole run, and the cured result may not match the data sheet. Titan says the VR's ratio control is 3 to 5 percent better than the industry standard. It is Titan's claim, and we do not have a separate tolerance figure.
Cleanup and safety
Two things need respect on a plural-component job. The first is processing time: the mixed coating cures, so it must not sit in the gun, the hose or the pump longer than the coating maker allows. The second is pressure. The VR is listed at 3300 psi, and fluid injected through the skin is a medical emergency.
Titan equipment on the site
The Helix family has three members: the VR 2.3 (variable ratio, 1:1 to 1:4), the FR (fixed 1:1) and the LP (low-pressure spray foam). Titan's Helix VR, FR, LP and hose manuals are on our manuals page. The site does not sell the machines. It lists Helix parts as individual products, with no diagram pages, so fitment is the catalog's fits field, and our parts team on (713) 931-0006 can confirm it. Start from the Titan parts list or the sprayer parts category.
- 558981 Repacking Kit and 0509123A Upper Packing Assembly for the pump end.
- 0138638A Heater Block and 138936 Temp Controller for the heating side.
- 0153731 Heated Hose Assembly (100') for the hose to the gun.
Helix parts that map to the three jobs above:
The Short Version
A dual-component applicator meters two materials in the coating maker's ratio, heats and delivers them, and has to be cleaned before the mix cures. Titan's Helix family is built for that. The data sheet sets ratio and timing, the manual covers the machine, and our parts team covers fitment.
Moving from one-part to two-part coatings?
Call (713) 931-0006 with your model and serial number, and our parts team will point you to the right manual and parts.
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