FF Journal Article: Case Study on Welding Fumes

The workplace atmosphere plays a large role in the overall manufacturing process. In step with workers’ well-being in mind — and a boost to morale — a clean and efficient workplace can make a positive impact on the bottom line. But changes in production volume or configuration can upset even the most carefully planned shop.

Serving the lawn and garden industry, General Sheet Metal Works also fabricates parts for the solar industry, working primarily with mild steel. The company supplies OEMs that sell products. The majority of its orders call for 1⁄2 in. plate and under. “We’ll do it all,” says Jeff Zelley, plant manager at General Sheet Metal Works Inc. in Tomah, Wis. He says the company frequently welds 16-gauge through 1⁄2 in. plate, but has the capability to work with thicker materials as well.

“The welding in our shop increased and we were doing more welding than we had in the past so we started running more welding booths on multiple shifts,” Zelley says. “We needed something that would ensure we were cleaning any contaminants we were generating, not only to create a better work environment, but so we weren’t polluting the air.”

Continue reading this article and learn what solution General Sheet Metal implemented.

Combustible Dust Compliance: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

It takes ongoing vigilance and management of change to identify conditions in your plant that might cause a potential safety problem. Combustible dust explosions are a risk in many areas of an industrial plant, and one of the likeliest locations for an explosion is in the plant’s dust collection system. To minimize the chance of an explosion, the NFPA sets standards to protect industrial facilities, and OSHA is tasked with enforcing these standards. A range of problems can contribute to explosion risk, but some common denominators exist. Some of these common denominators include: Insistence on Maintaining the Status Quo, Housekeeping Problems, or simply Misunderstanding Risks Involved with ‘Open’ Style Dust Collectors.  But, it only takes one of these to add up to disaster.

A staged explosion is used to test a dust collector’s ability
to withstand a combustible dust event.

Take a few moments to learn more about the frequently encountered shortfalls to combustible dust compliance and how you avoid them by reading the full article here.

Got Dust from Thermal Spray? So Did Thermico!

Thermico GmbH & Co.KG, a German-based company, develops, produces and distributes robot-based coating centres. They specialise in plasma and high velocity flame spray systems that provide coatings for a wide range of products from aircraft turbine blades to Teflon® frying pans.

This company required a new extraction system to handle the dust and fumes from the plasma and HVOF spray systems that were being installed on their new premises. The solution included an ATEX compliant dust collector, which was fitted with explosion venting panels and high efficiency fire retardant filter cartridges.

The installation also included an energy saving setup that incorporated a heat exchange system. In summer, fresh air is provided through the supply air system whilst the warm air from the factory processes is simply exhausted to the atmosphere, therefore contributing to keep the factory cool.

Read more here to learn how the heat exchange system is switched in winter, and how Thermico is delighted with the safety and energy saving benefits of their dust collection system. Learn more here about dust collectors for thermal spray processes.

An Informed Decision: Asking the Right Questions About Cartridge Dust Collection

In recent years, cartridge‐style dust collectors have become the preferred technology for industrial dust collection in processing industries, replacing the traditional baghouses. Combining high efficiency filtration, compact size, and reduced pressure drop; cartridge dust collector will be the system of choice in most cases.

Cartridge dust collectors are not “one size fits all”. Choosing the best system for a given application involves research and attention to detail in several key areas:

1.  Will the dust collector comply with emission requirements? 

2.  Do I have a combustible dust issue? 

3.  Will the dust collector fix the problem?  

4.  Will the dust collector perform reliably?

5.  Is the collector optimally equipped for safety?

6.  Will it provide the best possible return on investment (ROI)? 

Being armed with this information and knowing the questions to ask an equipment supplier, processing professionals will be better equipped to make an informed decision on a dust collector purchase. Learn more in depth information on these key areas here.