Safe and Reliable Solution

Welding is a fusion process used in fabrication work that usually involves introducing a molten filler material into the joint area which is raised to high temperature locally sufficient to melt the host material. The filler adds to the host material to form a weld pool that forms a joint that is equal or greater in strength than the base material surrounding the joint. Apart from the risk of burns and eyesight damage there are significant health risks to welders who must be protected from the harmful effects of breathing in the fumes. A metallic carpentry company engaged with AAF® to assist with the efficient extraction of weld fumes that occur during its production processes. Our goal was to provide a collector that was capable of meeting the weld dust and fume output from the plant, thus avoiding respiratory problems for its employees and complying with air quality regulations.

Challenge 

A dust collector currently used for existing panels is no longer effective because it is too small for the amount of welding activity being carried out at the plant. Additionally, the current dust collector is not selfcleaning (by means of air pulses) and can only work for short periods of time, requiring operators to stop the plant every day during work to clean the filters. This
resulted in inefficiencies and increased exposure of fumes to its employees which is what the client wanted to overcome.

Solution

AAF® installed an OptiFlo® RC pulse-jet cartridge dust collector because it is designed for the handling of weld fumes and dimensioned for an adequate airflow, thus providing a continuous operation for the entire welding process of the plant. The OptiFlo® RC was supplied with REDClean® NFR cartridges. AAF cartridge technology allows operators to reduce power consumption, enhance efficiency and extend the time between cartridge change-outs which is exactly what the client required.

Benefits

 With the installation of the OptiFlo® RC, the dense clouds of smoke generated from welding activity quickly dropped and the collector worked for longer time intervals increasing overall efficiency of the plant. This also kept the air cleaner and provided a higher degree of protection for the workers in that environment.