Heavy Equipment 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 Heavy Equipment

Steady global growth in infrastructure construction has kept the heavy equipment industry strong in recent years. East Asia and South America are the leading areas seeing this construction and are contributing the most to heavy equipment sales. Manufacturers are investing in these regions, even rolling out new products when necessary.

The worldwide growth rate for sales of this machinery is predicted to be 5.9% between 2015 and 2025. This means manufacturers can expect to be busy for a while. When orders are placed, production lines must be ready. As always, factory processes like dust collection must be in place and must be error free. Workers' health depends on it, as well as regulatory compliance.

Dust and Fume Collection Challenges in the Heavy Equipment Industry

Producing heavy equipment like earth movers and cranes presents many different challenges. Among them are the dust and weld fumes created from the vast amounts of metal cutting and welding that are necessary. Whether your metal cutting is oxyfuel, laser, plasma or something else, care must be taken to avoid impacts on workers’ health, as well as on the quality of the work being performed. Likewise, welding stations produce serious fumes and harmful particulates, as well.

Both weld fumes and metal-cutting dusts contain tiny particulates of metals. When these particulates are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs, these metals prove to be toxic. If welders are over-exposed to these substances, they are at risk for many different irritations, illnesses and diseases.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the job of enforcing workplace safety rules and therefore regulates worker exposure to these harmful substances. OSHA has separate standards for many different substances found in fumes and dusts. Some of these substances have extremely serious health effects. For example, excessive exposure to inhalable manganese can lead to a condition called “manganism,” a serious neurological disorder with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s Disease. Exposure to hexavalent chromium, a byproduct of welding stainless steel, has been linked to cancer. It is a manufacturer’s job to limit these exposures. This is accomplished by employing high-quality ventilation systems or dust and fume collectors.

Another recent challenge facing manufacturers is recruiting and retaining skilled welders. If a workplace is full of dust and fumes, workers and job applicants know it is unhealthy. Employers must maintain a pleasant and safe workplace in order to attract the best workers. The job of recruitment is getting more and more difficult—the American Welding Society estimates that manufacturing will see a shortage of 290,000 skilled welders by 2020.

Solutions for Dust and Fumes in the Heavy Equipment Industry

RoboVent has numerous solutions for dust and fume collection, but among our most appreciated features is the best warranty in the business. RoboVent guarantees satisfaction. We know that a manufacturer with orders stacked up has no time for surprise maintenance or failing equipment. RoboVent’s dust collectors are designed to run with minimal maintenance and no surprises.

RoboVent’s line of portable dust collectors is well suited to the production of heavy equipment. When cutting and welding large components, the capture of dust can be difficult. But RoboVent’s mobile units, attached to a wide variety of fume arms and hoods, can capture airborne contaminants at the source. This protects workers engaged in the process and everyone else in the facility, too.

Other RoboVent collectors such as the Fusion Series or the smaller-footprint Spire Series offer powerful filtration and efficient operation. All RoboVent collectors are designed to save energy and extend filter life, cutting your costs and saving you time doing maintenance. Collectors come standard with ePad Control Panels to keep plant managers informed and lets you move beyond preventative maintenance to predictive maintenance.

Protection from fire risks is another key feature of RoboVent dust collectors. Systems like the Delta3 spark arrestor and the Supprex-200 Fire Suppression System reduce the risk of fires in ductwork and filters. Stopping fires before they start helps protect both workers and production lines.

Solutions

Manual Welding Source Capture

Source capture is a proven way to reduce weld fumes in manual welding operations. Collecting fumes at the point of welding ensures a more efficient means of capture and a higher degree of safety for workers.

Robovent Manual Welding Ventilation Solutions

Manual Welding Ambient Systems

Ambient solutions for manual welding stations capture weld fumes from the environment, improving the air for workers and the entire facility.

Ventilation Solutions For Portable Weld Fume Extraction

Portable Weld Fume Smoke Extraction

These self-contained systems enable workers to capture weld fumes from any location. When production lines or welding cells must remain flexible, these systems safeguard workers, no matter the situation.

Robotic Welding

RoboVent offers multiple systems for addressing the special concerns of robotic welding. Cutting-edge collectors provide workers and facilities the highest levels of protection possible.

Laser Welding

Laser welding is a growing field, and RoboVent offers solutions for the unique weld fume issues involved. Our enclosed capture solutions are ideally suited for the high-volume, precise nature of laser welding.

Laser Cutting

RoboVent's solution for laser cutting is a powerful ventilation system that both protects workers and ensures the air is as clean as it needs to be. RoboVent's engineers have decades of experience helping customers be leaders in manufacturing.

Plasma Cutting

Plasma cutting is growing in popularity, and RoboVent has developed a ventilation system that is perfectly suited to its demands. The Plaser Series offers powerful airflow, long filter life and the longest warranty in the industry.

Oil Mist Ambient Systems

RoboVent's ambient capture solution for oil mist is a facility-wide system engineered to address the problem in the broadest, yet most effective, way possible. This system's proprietary design creates a circulating airflow throughout your facility that produces extraordinary results.