There’s something in the air

There’s a lot more to dust extraction in the workplace than it just being about a glorified vacuum cleaner. I’m in the office of Minden Systems with the family team of managing director & sales, Les Brooker, accounts & administration director, Kathy Brooker and project manager, Claire Brooker and they’re in the process of educating me on the ins and out of cleanliness – and most importantly, safety in the workplace. Apparently, dust extraction is all about ‘capturing at source’. If you feel like this subject has sucked you in, please read on!

Minden’s dust extraction systems are designed and installed to work within any workshop setup ranging from small workshops right through to larger industrial facilities with multiple workstations. The company designs, manufactures, installs and services the units, offering advice to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption. With dust extraction products ranging from centralised systems with multiple workstations through to mobile units and accessories, Minden provides ATEX upgrade options on all of its static units and workstations. And because its systems are designed and built by the company, it can design a solution that works for your bespoke requirements, workshop space, and budget.

“It’s all about education,” begins Les Brooker. “Companies working in the aerospace sector may not necessarily know the name Minden because we used to be almost 100% connected to the automotive sector. This is why we’ve supported and exhibited at the Advanced Engineering show to evangelise the message to other sectors that we’re a British company whose product solutions can help solve a lot of dust-related issues. Our role involves educating companies that range from making low to high volumes and all the dust issues associated.”

Under local exhaust ventilation (LEV) legislation, customers must have their dust extraction unit filters inspected regularly. Minden provides a maintenance service where it will remove the filters, clean and re-seal them. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) mandates that inspection needs to be done once every 14 months. So, how does the operator know when to empty the system and how do they go about cleaning the filter in each unit?

“Initially, we’ll visit the customer, understand their existing set-up and advise on what they’re doing and where they need the dust extraction, because it may require a whole host of different solutions,” explains Claire Brooker. “We can provide bespoke solutions – it’s not off-the-shelf kit, we always design and build it to the customers’ specifications.

“For example, it may be that we can attach our system to their existing production machinery, so there are quite a few different systems required to provide a solution. We always try and work towards a centralised solution. Mobile solutions are fine if the customer only needs one or two units, but too many mobile units could result in a much noisier workplace, because they are often situated right next to where the operator is working. In addition, there’s all the extra maintenance involved in emptying, checking and cleaning the filters, whereas you only need to empty the bag at the end of the week and ensure that the filters are clean using a centralised system, so it’s a lot easier. A centralised system can also be located outside of the general workplace, which removes a lot of the noise. As a UK manufacturer, we only use 100% Minden staff to install the equipment. We also offer a three-year warranty which is quite unique. The industry wants peace of mind – they want their dust extraction equipment to run properly.”

Suction construction

In terms of the ‘capture zone’, what are the benefits of ducting ‘extraction arm-type’ system over an air bench type system? Does it come down to the customer’s specific requirements and if so, what is the criteria that would influence a composite materials-related manufacturing company?

“We undertake a site assessment to measure and assess the process,” states Les Brooker. “A downdraft bench may be ideal, depending on the size of the component and how close you can actually get to the work. Our philosophy is always ‘capture at source’ directly from the tool. It’s the best way to stop the dust getting in the air. If set correctly, you can achieve 80% dust capture - don’t let the dust get in the air and then try and take it away – always capture it at the source.

“This is where we can show industry why we have the best solution. Our system involves constant reverse jet cleaning, keeping the filters clean and putting the waste in a bag. Whilst this minimises background dust to the secondary system, on-tool capture really is the best solution that companies should consider for their production process. This is our thinking – can it be applied to your process?”

Hmm, it all sounds very precise? Les Brooker says the tool and the capture point go to the point of process, whereas any other capture system relies on it being either near to, or possess strong enough suction within the general atmosphere - which doesn’t always work.

“Our Minden systems shift small volumes of air very fast – up to 60m/sec. Fan-based systems actually move higher volumes of air, but much slower. What do you do with that exhausted air? We’ve visited customers where we have installed air benches and on-tool capture, and the air was blowing paper and dust all around the environment, so we’ve then needed to construct the ducting outside of the operator’s workplace. As a result, our system doesn’t affect the atmosphere of the room or create negative pressure.”

Educate to innovate

I’m interested to know how much education is required around the ATEX directive for composite materials-related manufacturing companies, and typically what do they need to be aware of from an HSE standpoint?

“This is all part of industry education in understanding how combustible and potentially dangerous the dust can be, and how much they need to put into place,” Claire Brooker explains. “Composite material manufacturing businesses are really keen to understand the pros and cons of different systems. There’s some confusion between companies and suppliers like us regarding the ATEX directive requirements. Different people have got different ideas about exactly what it entails and what the solution is. We’ve had difficulty in obtaining more information because there’s currently no set regulation. There’s a lack of empiric data of what the standards should be, plus it’s often open to interpretation.”

According to Les Brooker, Minden completed its 1,000^th unit last year, which he says shows just how far the business has come since the family took over the business from German tooling manufacturer, Festool in 2005.

“The industry is demonstrating a much better understanding of dust extraction and an emphasis on keeping their employees in better working conditions,” he concludes. “When we bought the Minden business from Festool, we wanted to maintain the products’ reputation for good quality. Not only have we maintained it, we’ve improved it. We’re proud of the fact that we’re a British manufacturer with the bulk of the components used to build our products either made or sourced in the UK.”

http://minden.co.uk