Dust Collection for General Fabrication

Introduction to Dust and Fume Collection in General Fabrication

After years of industrial decline, manufacturing in the United States and many other countries is seeing a comeback. Manufacturers are finding the advantage of having suppliers close to home. Technological advances have helped to bring costs down, as well. General fabrication operations are humming, and the near-term outlook is positive.

General fabricators face many challenges, from staying on top of orders to keeping up with technology. One challenge that is not going away is complying with air quality regulations and maintaining a safe and clean workplace. Controlling dust and fumes requires constant vigilance. Highly performing dust collectors are a must in an active facility. Ideally, those dust collectors would be flexible or modular, as well, to accommodate changing floor layouts.

DUST AND FUME COLLECTION CHALLENGES IN GENERAL FABRICATION

Air quality concerns in general fabrication originate in common processes such as cutting, machining and welding. As any floor manager knows, dust and fumes can create serious challenges for worker health, plant cleanliness and regulatory compliance.

Welding, in particular, presents serious health concerns, since many weld fumes contain toxic metals. The extreme heat involved in welding creates fumes with metal particulates less than a micrometer in diameter. When toxic particulates are inhaled, their small size allows them to travel deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the body. Hexavalent chromium is a good example of a commonly produced and dangerous weld fume particulate. This substance is a known carcinogen. Without a fume collection system in place, workers are at risk throughout an entire facility.

SOLUTIONS FOR DUST AND FUMES IN GENERAL FABRICATION

LEFILTER has its origins in the automotive parts industry and understands the processes and challenges of general fabrication. LEFILTER provides affordable equipment and engineering services to make your facility safer, healthier and more efficient.

Lower operating costs with LEFILTER equipment are achieved through automated systems. Dust collectors only run when they need to, seriously reducing energy use. No operation can afford downtime caused by a failed or finicky dust collector, so reliability and easy maintenance have been designed into LEFILTER equipment.