Camfil Air Pollution Control partnered with a major auto parts manufacturer that used dust collectors to ensure clean air in robotic welding cells. Their goal was to reduce the downtime caused by dust collector maintenance, and they achieved significant improvements.
The facility’s operators believed they had the best system available because the previous vendor provided detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data showing airflow performance. The vendor claimed that the system was designed to prevent fires effectively. However, the reality didn’t match the expectations.
Unfortunately, the dust collection systems led to frequent downtime, expensive repairs, and even fires inside the collectors themselves. This created serious operational challenges for the company.
Fire, Filter and Fan Frustrations
The plant faced recurring issues with its dust collectors, causing costly production halts. When fires broke out in the collectors, entire production lines were shut down for days. Additionally, when differential pressure built up, the fans would kick in, making it impossible to perform pulse cleaning on the filters. As a result, staff had to manually clean the filters during lunch breaks and other off-hours, leading to at least two hours of daily downtime.
Filters needed replacement every six months, which added to both time and operating costs. The noise from the fans also became a problem, leading to complaints from nearby residents. The fans themselves were prone to overheating, requiring the annual replacement of several 50-horsepower motors. Plus, accessing the fans for maintenance was difficult, especially during winter when the collectors were located outdoors.
Welding Dust and Fume Experts
Faced with these challenges, the facility managers sought a more reliable dust collector partner—one that could guarantee continuous operation of their manufacturing lines. Camfil APC’s Wayne Zimmer stepped in by bringing a Gold Series dust collector demo trailer to the site, showcasing the ease of maintenance and filter removal.
Camfil APC then installed a new Gold Series dust collector system with a completely redesigned ductwork layout for the welding cells. This system allowed safe recirculation of filtered air back into the plant, using integrated safety monitoring filters.
Thanks to the efficiency of the new system, the manufacturer hasn’t purchased new filters in over three years. There have been no fires in the collectors, and no additional maintenance has been required for the fans or electrical systems. Impressed by the results, the company decided to install two more dust collection systems from Camfil APC.
Watch the Full Switching Story
To learn more about how they made the switch and reduced downtime, watch Zimmer in this video titled “Preventing Downtime for Filter Cleaning.â€
Dangerous Airborne Particles in Welding Operations
Whether manual or automated, welding and cutting processes release harmful fumes—tiny airborne particles that can contaminate workshop air and pose serious health and safety risks to workers. Activities like arc gouging, plasma cutting, and laser cutting all generate these hazardous fumes, and the levels increase as production ramps up.
The most effective way to protect workers is by installing well-designed dust collection systems equipped with high-efficiency primary cartridge-style filters. In some cases, secondary safety filters may be necessary to capture specific particulates.
Important Safety and Health Regulations
After installing customized Camfil APC systems, this auto parts manufacturer found that cleaned air could be safely recirculated into the workspace. However, the air must remain below OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs) for metal contaminants generated during welding. Facilities that exhaust air outdoors must also meet EPA emission requirements.
OSHA PELs are based on an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) for metals found in welding fumes. These standards determine the minimum filtration efficiency required for dust collectors. Even if the air meets PELs, some workers might still face health risks, so further reductions in exposure may be necessary to ensure safe indoor air quality.
The EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Rule 6X regulates facilities that vent contaminated air directly outdoors. It covers pollutants like cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and manganese from metal finishing processes.
Cartridge filtration is recognized under Rule 6X as an acceptable method to eliminate visible emissions. Installing dust and fume collectors with high-efficiency cartridge filtration systems, such as the Camfil APC Gold Series, helps welding facilities stay compliant with EPA regulations.
Discover more solutions to control airborne particles in welding operations today.
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