Electronics Industry and Dust Collection

Clean Air Matrix

RoboVent engineers are experts in every category of air filtration and ventilation. The four categories below represent the major options for treating your contaminated air. RoboVent has designed solutions for each of these categories and has manufactured air filtration systems of unrivaled quality.

For more information about these categories, see Indoor Air Quality 101.

Ambient_Filtration

Large blowers and air filtration equipment draw contaminated air from the plant (typically at the ceiling level), filter it and return it to the plant. This is a proven solution in plants welding large parts with overhead cranes. It reduces the haze in the air, resulting in a cleaner working environment, with no negative pressure or heat loss.

SourceCapture_Filtration

Air in the immediate area of the welding activity is captured in a hood system, then filtered and returned to the plant. This is the best solution whenever possible. It allows for a more flexible system and removes the smoke directly from the operator's breathing zone. There are many types of source capture, including overhead hoods, crossflow hoods, fume arms and fume guns, some of which work better than others.

Ambient_Exhaust

Large exhaust fans draw contaminated air from the plant and exhaust it directly into the environment, typically through the roof or walls. This is a traditional method and often results in negative air pressure. Also, it is very difficult to climate-control your plant and the system may not work well in the winter.

SourceCapture_Exhaust
Air in the immediate area of the welding activity is captured in a hood, sent through ductwork, and exhausted directly into the environment. This is a lower capital cost alternative to filtration, but tends to result in high operating costs and large, unsightly ducting systems that work less efficiently with modifications. It also results in negative pressure problems.

Introduction to Dust and Fume Collection for Electronics Manufacturers

The electronics manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in the world, and it continues to grow. The staggering numbers are projected to reach 670 Billion US dollars worldwide by 2018. With numbers like these, anything that offers a competitive advantage to the manufacturer should be considered. But there is one seemingly insignificant component to electronics manufacture that often goes overlooked: dust.

With electronics manufacturing, dust is not just a nuisance—it can be detrimental to factory personnel, as well as to the end product being produced. An electro-static charge in dust can short out components even before they reach packaging. Also, higher concentrations of dust increases the risk of dust combustion. But traditional dust mitigation techniques can fail to meet the demands of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) factory floor.

Dust and Fume Collection Challenges in Electronics Manufacturing

Dust is inevitable, regardless of how meticulous the plan to combat it. However, managing dust with the right dust-collection system can increase efficiency and eliminate side effects of dust and the electro-static discharge it can cause.

Air quality should be a concern for OEM’s who don’t have the proper dust-collection program in place. The long list of hazardous materials involved in creating electronic components poses a serious risk to workers along the manufacturing line.

Materials used in refining, etching and washing of electronic components—such as arsenic, trichloroethylene and even hydrochloric acid—each create significant health risks. These risks can be exacerbated when dust particulates become airborne. A high quality dust-collection system can reduce exposure to these materials, protecting workers’ health and increasing productivity on the factory floor.

Electronics are especially sensitive to static electricity and can be compromised by dust attraction that happens in even the cleanest facilities. Understandably, OEM factories have equipment to ionize and dry the air. This can give the illusion of a clean environment, but dust particulates in the ambient air can be easily attracted to the static charge along the product line. Ideal dust collection pulls dust particles that might be drawn to a static charge and compromise end-product integrity out of the air completely, either at the source or location of delicate processes (as with a source-capture option), or from the surrounding air (with an ambient-air option).

Another factor with dust in any manufacturing environment is dust combustion. Along with being attracted to static electricity, particulates suspended in the air create friction when moving around each other. This expands the gases between the particles. When this expansion occurs, it can create a chain reaction that causes combustion. This chain reaction within an enclosed space, such as a manufacturing facility, could ultimately lead to an explosion. With the materials and dry environment present in most electronics plants, the risk of explosion is a significant concern.

Solutions for Dust and Fumes in the Electronics Industry

RoboVent approaches each manufacturing facility differently. We understand that an electronics facility has unique air-quality needs that likely surpass traditional welding or chemical-venting systems. Our air-quality solutions are designed to make your facilities safer, healthier, and more efficient—while working within your space and budget constraints. RoboVent’s space-saving designs and VentMapping process can ensure that dust collectors clean the air all within a tight, unobtrusive footprint.

With low operating costs, RoboVent dust-collection systems are easy to maintain. Each system comes standard with integrated fire safety and automated controls to ensure your system lasts for many years. The goal of our products, ultimately, is efficiency and optimization of your processes—so you don’t have to think about it.

Our collectors can be setup to only run when they need to, which not only reduces the energy and operating costs that go into maintaining optimum air quality, but it also increases filter life and equipment longevity.