HEALTH & SAFETY
Non compliance with regulations.
Cause: Many health and safety regulations
worldwide state that "the employer must not expose
personnel to substances that are hazardous to health"
and "should constantly monitor process exhaust gases for
fume and particulate levels". Most fume extraction units
only indicate when a filter is blocked and have no
safety features to prevent contaminated air being pumped
into the workplace should a breach occur.
Solution: Purex systems ensure personnel safety
and legal compliance with health and safety regulations
by employing gas and particulate sensors to monitor
exhaust air. Audible and visible alarms alert the user
to any contamination.
Filters not actually working.
Cause: Individual laser processes will generate
unique amounts of fumes and dust, therefore filters will
become blocked over differing periods of time.
Consequently, an average filter change period cannot be
given. If an average time is specified, the filter may
have become blocked earlier and contaminants may have
been pumped into the workplace.
Solution: Purex systems constantly monitor the
state of the filter and give audible and visible alerts
when a filter is blocked, saturated, damaged or where a
seal is compromised. A signal to the laser can also be
sent.
LOST
PRODUCTION
Cleaning production machinery.
Cause: The lasing of a material can produce large
amounts of dust. This dust settles onto production
equipment and necessitates periodic cleaning to prevent
breakdown. The resulting loss of production can be
significant.
Solution: Purex systems remove and contain all
contaminants from the process in specially designed,
corrosion proof filters.
Corrosion of machinery.
Cause: Some materials, when lased, produce acidic
substances which corrode production machinery e.g.
Hydrochloric Acid from PVC. In conventional (top
loading) fume extraction systems, acid saturates the
filters then drips downwards corroding the electrics and
motor below.
Solution: Purex cabinets and filters are
manufactured from acid resistant materials. Reverse
airflow means that the motor and electrical system are
positioned at the top of the machine, not in the base,
where acid droplets would collect and corrode these
components. Reverse airflow also causes air to be drawn
upwards through the filters, forcing larger particles to
drop out of the airstream, thus preventing premature
filter blockage. The patented concertina pre-filter
causes acid vapour to coalesce and drip onto an
absorbant pad where it is neutralised.
Spares and maintenance.
Cause: As a process cannot operate legally
without fume extraction, poor customer support can cause
problems. Waiting for spares or maintenance for fume
extraction units can be expensive in terms of downtime.
Solution: Purex systems are the most reliable on
the market. Should the unit require servicing, most
procedures can be carried out in minutes with few or no
tools required. Purex carry over £1/2 million worth of
spares in stock, ensuring that the unit can be serviced
as quickly as possible. UK customers enjoy the benefits
of a 24 hour response time and worldwide, there is a
network of highly trained distributors.
VENTING TO ATMOSPHERE
External emissions regulations.
Cause: Venting of contaminants into the
atmosphere is not environmentally friendly. There are
also stringent regulations which govern what and how
much can be released. These regulations can carry large
financial penalties should the limits be exceeded.
Solution: Purex systems capture all contaminants
in disposable filters and return purified air to the
workplace.
Moving the process.
Cause: In a modern production environment, it is
necessary to have flexible production lines that can be
moved as the factory grows or the production emphasis is
altered. Vent to atmosphere extraction requires
extensive, fixed pipework which cannot easily be moved.
If moved, this pipework can harbour contaminants which
must be cleaned up and made safe. Planning permission is
often required to cut holes in the factory roof or
walls. These holes must be sealed again if the pipework
moves! This lengthy process interrupts valuable
production time.
Solution: Purex systems are easily moved on high
strength castors. Simply disconnect from the process,
move and reconnect!
Excessive heating or air conditioning costs.
Cause: Venting to atmosphere removes heated or
conditioned air from the factory, leading to higher
energy usage and costs.
Solution: Purex systems return purified air to
the workplace in virtually the same conditioned state as
when the air entered the machine. |
