Painting the Motion Sensor 360
The Motion Sensor 360 range offers small motion sensing with a number of options. The 0-10V unit offers a motion and 0-10v brightness (Lux) sensor, the Volt Free option provides a dry contact motion sensor output and the IP67 version offers the same connectivity as the Volt Free option but in a robust IP67 housing.
Both the Motion Sensor 360 - Volt Free and the Motion Sensor 360 - IP67 - Volt Free are available in white and black. As you would imagine our white sensor is our most popular with the black sensor being an option for installation in ceilings that are dark such as cinemas or media rooms.
However - as our sensors are often installed in incredible interiors, we often get the question: “can we paint the motion sensors to match the install?”.
Our sensors can be spray painted, but here is what to consider when doing so.
Selecting colour
If your customer is asking the question of colour matching the motion sensors to the interior you can be quite sure that you will need to go further than finding a similar colour and spraying the unit. More likely they will have an exact shade of paint that they will be using and you will be asked to match it exactly.
There are a number of colour standards available when matching colours.
RAL is a European colour matching standard, it is administered by the RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung. You can ask your customer for the RAL colour of the shade they are using for the ceiling and you can then source the correct shade paint to apply to motion sensors.
Another colour standard is the Pantone colour system is an american company that aims to create a ‘universal colour language’. Should your customer specify a Pantone shade you can confidently seek that shade paint knowing it will match the finished interior. Here is an example of a handy tool that provides a conversion between RAL, Pantone and Hexadecimal depending on what colour your customer provides:
You can find the tool online here: https://www.easycalculation.com/colorconverter/ral-to-pantone-chart.php
What paints can be used?
Once you have confirmed the colour shade that is required it is now time to source the actual paint to apply to the sensor. It is essential that you source a solvent based paint as using a water based paint will not work correctly. There are many options for paints on the market that are suitable but the exact paint we have used in this blog is Plastikote Brilliant Gloss as this works well on our ABS sensor casing.
How to paint the Sensor
To ensure the best possible finished product, we advise carefully taking the motion sensor apart before spray painting the finished colour. To do this - follow these steps:
1 - Loosen rear screws and remove the back part.
2 - Carefully remove the circuit board and leave it to one side.
3 - Remove the window - using even force, push the window back and out of the sensor. Do not paint the transparent window of the 0-10V sensor.
4 - Place the window beside the sensor front on a surface to prepare for spray painting.
5 - Carefully spray the front of the sensor - it might be necessary to apply multiple coats for a consistent finish.
6 - Once completely dried, re insert the window part. To do this, lay the sensor front face down and push in the window from the back using a firm even force.
7 - Carefully insert the circuit board and screw in the back part of the sensor.
The painted sensor is now ready to be installed and commissioned as normal.
Please do share photos of any projects you complete with sensors that have been painted to blend in to the surroundings.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Faradite team.
*Please note - we cannot accept returns of products that have been painted and painting sensors may void warranty.