Smart Parts: MaxFlo SIS

Smart Parts releases Max-Flo S.I.S. air system at Paintball Extravaganza

Smart Parts releases the new Max-Flow SIS screw-in compressed air system for paintball at the Paintball Extravaganza industry trade show in Atlanta, Georgia.
Loyalhanna, PA - February 7, 2009 - February 5th, 6th and 7th, 2009, paintball dealers from throughout North America converged on Atlanta, Georgia for the opportunity to learn about new products, receive technical support and business training, and meet in person with their suppliers at the Paintball Extravaganza. Smart Parts chose the Paintball Extravaganza to officially release the new Max-Flo SIS screw-in compressed air system. Many paintball dealers visiting the 2008 Paintball World Cup were given a sneak peek at this new product and now it has been officially unveiled and is shipping to Smart Parts Authorized Dealers everywhere.

The SIS is the first screw-in style compressed air system to bear the Max-Flo name. “As a player, I understand the appeal of screw-in systems,” said Smart Parts President, Bill Gardner, Jr., “It’s just so convenient to screw it in and go, then unscrew it and put it in your gear bag at the end of the day. We’ve talked about making screw-in systems for years, but there was no way we would release a system until it was done right. We knew it would need to have all of the flow-rate performance, consistency, reliability and safety features associated with the name Max-Flo. We would have to build this regulator at a price that is affordable in today’s economy. We are so proud that our engineering and design teams did that with the Max-Flo SIS.”

Several key features set the Max-Flo SIS apart from competing products:
Preset Convenience - The Max-Flo SIS is preset to deliver approximately 800 psi compressed air or nitrogen to a marker, with no need to spend time at the tech table tweaking and adjusting - the Max-Flo SIS is ready to go.

Stainless Steel ASA Threads - “Remember stainless steel regulator bodies in the early 1990s before so much of the paintball industry was trying to cut corners? We do, because we used them, and we saw how durable stainless can be, and the protection it offers from cross-threading damage,” says Smart Parts Vice President, Adam Gardner.
Increased Diameter Fluted Valve Pin - While most screw-in air systems use brass or aluminum valve pins, these metals eventually dent, bend or chip under repeated use. The Max-Flo SIS’ pin is of a larger diameter and made of stainless steel. In addition to strength, the larger diameter and unique fluted design allows for an increased flow volume from the regulator.

Anti-Launch Neck - Screw-in style air system design must ensure that a regulator cannot be accidentally removed from a pressurized cylinder while the system is being unscrewed from a marker. Competing brands solve this by the use of high torque levels and thread-locking adhesives. These strategies can create dangerous situations. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has reported on the accidental removal of a CO2 tank in which thread-locking compound blocked the valve’s safety vent. Hydrotesters have reported situations of competing brand screw-in regulator necks becoming weakened or broken during removal for hydrotesting. The Smart Parts anti-launch neck design provides extended secondary neck threads deep inside the compressed air cylinder. Quadruple-redundant safety vents ensure that if the bottle is accidentally unscrewed under pressure, it will be fully vented long before the regulator can be removed. Because no thread locking compounds are used, and torque values are lower, the Max-Flo SIS is the only screw-in compressed air regulator that can be readily removed for TSA air travel compliance without violating its manufacturer’s operation guidelines. Smart Parts recommends removal and installation by a factory certified technician, training for which is available to team techs.

Low-Profile Fill Nipple - Keeping with the compact size of the Max-Flo SIS, Smart Parts has employed a compact, low-profile fill nipple. By using an allen-wrench on internal hex flats for installation, the fill nipple avoids the need for external wrench flats, and the height they add has been eliminated. The Max-Flo SIS fill nipple uses industry standard 1/8-inch NPT threads, allowing standard fill nipples to be used as a replacement, if needed.

High-pressure and Low-pressure Burst Disk Protection - Unified burst disk assemblies protect the regulator and cylinder from over-filling, and protect the player’s marker from high-pressure regulator leaks. “It amazes me that some of our competitors have released air systems without the protection of a low-pressure burst disk,” says Smart Parts director of technical sales, Hans Semelsberger. “It may help them to reduce size and cost, but if a bit of dust or if a worn seal causes the regulator to leak, they will end up feeding full tank pressure to the marker, which can be catastrophic. That’s a short-cut we’re just not willing to take.”

Made in the USA - From start to finish, machining of raw parts to assembly and testing, the Max-Flo SIS is made and supported by American workers in the great state of Pennsylvania. “When the paintball industry boomed a few years ago, other companies took profits and ran. We chose to invest in the future,” says Bill Gardner Jr. “We now have one of the most advanced machining facilities in the state with equipment that no-one else has outside of the automotive and aerospace industries. We can machine parts in-house for less money than everyone else in paintball who is manufacturing overseas, while maintaining tighter quality control. This is the reason we can make use of stainless steel components and the longer machining time they require to produce. The bottom-line is that we can deliver better quality to the player at a more affordable price, giving them the most value for their paintball dollar.”

Smart Parts, Inc., is a leading developer and manufacturer of equipment and accessories for the sport of paintball. For more information, visit www.SmartParts.com.