Pay your airless by liter capacity instead of buying a whole sprayer

For some time now, we have been discussing an alternative model for marketing and servicing airless paint spraying equipment, a model that charges by the liter. The customer no longer buys the airless equipment, but pays for its use based on the number of liters processed. This model is already known from aviation and is offered by Rolls Royce with billing per flight hour for aircraft engines.

In the following blog post we have summarized our ideas and thoughts on this model and hope to get your feedback to adapt the model for airless equipment and the painting trade and start some initial tests with a handful of customers.

Rolls Royce – die Stunde der Kraft

The idea goes back to Rolls Royce, where this model is called “powered by the hour” and was introduced almost 60 years ago. At that time, Rolls Royce no longer just sold aircraft engines, but charged for them according to their useful life, i.e. per hour of operation. The owner of the engine therefore remained Rolls Royce. At the respective maintenance dates, the operating hours were then read out and billed to the customer accordingly.

However, not only the use of the engine was billed in the operating hour, but also the maintenance and repair was included in the price. The airline can therefore calculate a fixed cost pool and does not have to expect any price surprises when it comes to maintenance and repair. This gives the airline planning security and reduces the cost of investing in the aircraft, since the engines do not have to be purchased. For Rolls Royce, the introduction of this sales and service system has meant much closer customer ties and the expansion of engine maintenance and services, as these are carried out 100% by Rolls Royce.

What could this model for airless equipment look like?

Some airless sprayers have liter meters, so the amount of material processed can be read. Instead of the hour of operation, as with Rolls Royce aircraft engines, you would simply read the liters used and use that for billing.

One would calculate the service life of an airless unit in liters, plus maintenance and repair over this period, and would then convert this sum to the individual liter. This calculation could even include consumables such as filters, nozzles and maintenance products. The contract could be structured over 12, 24 or 36 months.

Maintenance – after 10,000 liters or annually

Maintenance is carried out after 10,000 liters or annually at a lower mileage and is not associated with any further costs for the customer, as the maintenance costs are already included in the price per liter.

What happens in the event of damage?

In the event of damage, the sprayer comes to us in the workshop and is repaired free of charge, as the costs for this are already paid via the usage price per liter. Another advantage is that the customer does not have to wait for the airless unit to be repaired. We could send the customer a suitable replacement unit directly, which would then remain with the customer.

Which airless devices have a liter counter?

Only a few airless devices have a liter counter, currently Graco airless devices from the Ultra Max series such as the Ultra Max II 695, 795 or the 1095 are suitable. These sprayers are suitable for the application of, for example, primer, emulsion paint and fabric adhesive indoors and facade paint or roof coating outdoors. In addition, the Graco Mark models such as the Mark V, Mark VII or Mark X have the ability to read the amount of liters processed.

In addition to wall and facade paint, the models in the Mark series can also be used to spray filler.

• Graco Ultra Max II 695
• Graco Ultra Max II 795
• Graco Ultra Max II 1095
• Graco Mark V
• Graco Mark VII
• Graco Mark X

Advantages for the painting company

The advantage for the painting company is the immediate price transparency. The costs, even for maintenance or possible repairs, are fixed, so the risk is minimized. In addition, there are no acquisition costs, since the spraying equipment does not become the property of the customer, but is only provided for the agreed useful life (for example, 12 or 24 months). From a tax point of view, this model could also offer some advantages, as the costs could be settled and claimed directly.

When purchased, the depreciation of an airless unit is usually spread over 5 years. In the event of damage, replacements are available immediately, as there is no need to wait for repairs. A replacement unit can be given or sent directly to the customer. In addition, it is ensured that the airless unit is always serviced regularly.

Here is a summary of the most important advantages:

• no financial burden for the purchase of the Airless
• directly and every month tax deductible (no depreciation over 5 years)
• clearly calculable, no surprises, all costs are included (also for maintenance and repair, nozzles, filters)
• immediate replacement in case of damage (less downtime)
• Airless is properly and regularly maintained

Advantages for Airless Discounter

For us as a specialist dealer, this creates a closer customer relationship, the customer is 100% with us and we know that this airless unit has been serviced safely and regularly by our specialist technicians. This enables us to strengthen the workshop share of sales and to calculate a clear workshop utilization.

In addition, we increase the condition of our customer equipment through more regular maintenance intervals. These maintenance intervals can then also be scheduled for times when the workshop is less busy, which makes it easier for us to plan service capacities.

Here is a summary of the most important advantages for us:

• the customer is 100% with us from the airless unit to the accessories and maintenance
• high customer loyalty
• better maintenance condition of our customer equipment
• better planning of our workshop capacities

Problems & risks of the liter model in the painting trade

However, some problems and risks cannot yet be fully assessed, and it is questionable overall whether the liter model described can be transferred from the aviation industry to the painting trade without any problems. Here are some of the most burning issues.

Damage due to errors in the operation of the airless device

The painting trade as well as other user groups are not as standardized and controlled as the aviation industry. A pilot who overloads or damages the engines through incorrect operation will not remain a pilot for long.

In the painting trade, not every journeyman or even every master painter is familiar with airless equipment, and airless technology is not necessarily part of the training. There is therefore a higher risk of damage due to user errors, such as insufficient cleaning or overloading the sprayer.

We have been trying to counteract this for years with our Airless Discounter Academy training program. This not only helps to avoid user errors that lead to damage to the airless sprayer, but also increases professionalism and efficiency in its use. This results in higher quality surfaces, higher area output per hour and less overspray and paint consumption.

Measurement of the flow rate in liters

How accurate is the measurement? We are in contact with Graco for further details and accuracy of the consumption measurement.

Very low use of the airless device

This liter model does not make sense for a very low consumption quantity of a few liters per year. A minimum quantity or minimum fee per year would therefore have to be agreed in order to cover the provision costs even in the case of low use or non-use.

In return, the pricing model could also be made more favorable upwards. For example, customers who use the airless unit more heavily would then have a lower price per liter. The model can also be designed transparently as a graduated price, for example up to 5,000 liters per year price X, from 10,000 liters and 20,000 liters per year a lower price per liter then applies.

Feedback on the liter model

What do you think of the liter model? Can you imagine it for your business or do you prefer to buy it? Feel free to give us feedback, we don’t know if this model will work either, but we would like to test it with a handful of customers in Germany soon.

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