In the 1970′s, various combinations of spraying systems emerged. Air-assisted airless was one that developed to fill a need that resulted from escalated material costs and newly enacted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Air-assisted airless, under ideal conditions, combines the best features of air spray along with the best of airless.
Air-assisted airless spray guns first partially atomize the fluid with a special fluid nozzle tip similar to a standard airless tip. Second, they complete the atomization with small amounts of compressed air from the face and/or the horns of the air nozzle that they use. The result is a finely atomized spray pattern closely resembling that of a compressed air system. Newly designed low-pressure, air-assisted airless systems are also available. Some systems restrict the atomizing air pressure to comply with various EPA guidelines; as a result, these systems can be considered HVLP air-assisted airless.