ProEnergy’s turbine overhaul and repair facility installs custom dual downdraft tables for weld fume and dust collection
ProEnergy’s turbine overhaul and repair facility installs custom dual downdraft tables for weld fume and dust collection
ProEnergy’s 900,000 square foot corporate campus in Sedalia Missouri provides repair services and manufactures equipment for the power generation and oil & gas industries. After learning about the project Diversitech completed at Dresser Rand in Houston Texas, ProEnergy sought Diversitech’s expertise to develop a similar solution for the reconditioning of turbine blades. The downdraft tables were installed in the turbine services facility where operators repair and refurbish turbines by grinding, deburring and TIG welding various steel parts.
After reviewing ProEnergy’s project requirements, Diversitech’s application engineering department designed a custom downdraft table workstation to accommodate their welders and operators. The downdraft table includes a downdraft and backdraft suction to allow for weld fume and deburring dust to be removed higher from the table surface. The tables incorporate an 8600 CFM 15HP blower with 6 nanofiber filter cartridges to power the dual workstation system.
The downdraft table workstations were ergonomically designed so that operators could comfortably sit at the table with kick space for their legs. Explosion proof light kits were specified for each work cell along with sound attenuation media on the inner walls to reduce noise levels for workers. A blue cushion grid mat was also placed on the surface of the steel bar grating to prevent parts from getting damaged or scratched. 110v outlets were strategically installed on the table to provide power for hand deburring and finishing tools.
Shelving was installed on the sidewalls of the table to provide space for weld consumables and abrasive discs with weld wire and grinder holders. The downdraft tables also included a manual height adjustment feature, to allow for the unit to move up or down for various work pieces and operators.
Diversitech understood ProEngery’s unique application and indoor air quality issues, and designed a system that would fit the operator rather than providing a standard inflexible solution. Our application engineering team is ready to design a flexible cost-effective system for your air filtration application.
GE Aviation’s additive manufacturing facility installs a wet downdraft table to collect 3D printing dust
GE Aviation’s additive manufacturing facility installs a wet downdraft table to collect 3D printing dust
GE Aviation’s additive manufacturing facility in Cincinnati Ohio is focused on producing 3D printed parts for use in advanced turbofan jet engines. One of the parts produced is a 3D printed fuel nozzle, a critical component of the LEAP jet engine. The plant uses a variety of different 3D printing machines including direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), Electron-beam melting (EBM), Selective Laser Melting (SLM) along with other types of 3D printing processes.
These parts are frequently produced from exotic metal alloys including, aluminum, titanium, magnesium, cobalt chrome and stainless steel. In order to prevent fires and combustible dust explosion hazards from 3D printing dust, GE Aviation required a solution that would protect their workforce from the dangers of explosive dust.
Following a site visit by Diversitech’s local representative, a wet downdraft table system was custom designed for their specific deburring and finishing application. The table was divided into 6 workstations, each with a work area of 32” deep by 42” wide with side and back walls and middle dividers to contain the airborne dust. The tables were ducted to two W5000 CFM wet dust collectors with dual silencers and hydrogen vent fans to exhaust flammable hydrogen gas produced as the metal dust oxidizes in the collector’s water reservoir.
The downdraft table was ergonomically designed so that operators could comfortably sit at the table with kick space for their legs. Explosion proof light kits were specified for each work cell along with sound attenuation media on the inner walls to reduce noise levels for workers. A blue cushion grid mat was also placed on the surface of the steel bar grating to prevent parts from getting damaged.
Diversitech’s application engineering department is capable of providing a tailored solution for your 3D printing finishing dust collection application and can custom design a downdraft table work area to meet your specific needs. Companies know that combustible metal dust is a serious workplace hazard and that employees and property need to be protected from the risk of dust fires and explosions. Diversitech has the experience and the team to design the right dust collection system to suit your specific needs.
Héroux-Devtek streamlines capture of aerospace combustible dust
Héroux-Devtek streamlines capture of aerospace combustible dust
Héroux-Devtek is a tier-1 manufacturer of aerospace components with facilities in Montreal, Toronto, & Kitchener - Canada, and in Cleveland & Springfield, Ohio. The Landing Gear Division asked us to review their titanium and magnesium deburring workstations, and advise on how to reduce any risk of explosion or fire.
The challenge at hand was to safely capture the combustible dust emitted during component finishing, in a facility that was extremely limited by space. The small footprint excluded any typical wet dust collection equipment. Héroux-Devtek had been using several small dry downdraft tables, but there was a concern about the possibility of a filter cartridge fire.
Héroux-Devtek’s application clearly called for a customized Monsoon Wet Downdraft Table, so our engineers set out to learn more about how the operators would be interacting with the equipment
Their first priority was operator health and safety. The Monsoon’s wet filtration system immediately helps mitigate the risk of explosion or fire from combustible dust. We added an auto wash-down spray kit that actively rinses surfaces of the table that tend to accumulate dust, and included custom gauges on the inlet/outlet to alert the operator when the filter needs to be serviced.
Héroux-Devtek’s second priority was “ease of use”. We custom installed a thermal motion sensor that detects when an operator approaches the workstation, immediately switching on the machine. When the operator leaves the station, an automatic time delay runs the machine for 30 more seconds, so that all hazardous dust can be sequestered. We also installed a high-power, dust proof, vapor-proof, LED light kit for improved workstation visibility.
We learned that the client had installed improvised tool racks on their old downdraft tables. Understanding this need, we custom installed an air tools shelf, complete with compressed air distribution and an inline filter regulator lubricator. To accommodate left-handed and right-handed operators, we installed the tool rack on both sides of the table.
The Monsoon Wet Downdraft Table is fitted with high-strength, industrial swivel castors as standard, allowing the unit to be re-positioned with ease. To maintain the machine’s mobility with all of Héroux-Devtek’s customizations, we engineered the electrical control panel to run everything on a single input power plug.
The duct muffler silencer was fitted with a custom butterfly damper allowing the machine to either recirculate clean air into the facility or be connected to a central collection system.
Héroux-Devtek’s third priority was “ease of service”. The fact that the Monsoon’s water tree can removed and cleaned without the need for any tools was a significant advantage.
Diversitech’s versatile Monsoon downdraft table platform is compact and self-contained while also allowing for many customization’s to suite various aerospace combustible dust applications. Weather you have Aluminum, Titanium or Magnesium dust to collect, Diversitech’s Monsoon series provides an affordable wet solution while complying with all OSHA and NFPA standards.
