Camfil Air Pollution Control partnered with a major auto parts manufacturer that used dust collectors to ensure clean air in robotic welding cells. Their collaboration led to a significant reduction in downtime for maintenance of the dust collection systems.
The facility’s operators believed they had the most advanced system available, as the previous vendor provided them with detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data showing airflow performance. The goal was to demonstrate that the system design would effectively prevent fires. However, reality proved otherwise—frequent downtime, high maintenance costs, and even fires within the dust collectors became common issues.
Fire, Filter and Fan Frustrations
The company constantly struggled with its dust collection systems, which caused major production delays. When fires broke out in the collectors, entire production lines had to be shut down for days. Additionally, when the differential pressure increased, 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 short intervals, causing at least two hours of daily downtime. Moreover, the filters needed to be replaced every six months, adding both time and cost to operations.
The noise from the fans also became a problem, leading to complaints from nearby residents. The fans themselves were prone to overheating, requiring frequent and expensive replacements of 50-horsepower motors each year. Accessing the fans for maintenance was particularly difficult in winter, as the collectors were located outdoors, making repairs more challenging and time-consuming.
Welding Dust and Fume Experts
Facility managers realized they needed a reliable partner for their dust collection systems—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 features firsthand.
Camfil APC then installed a new Gold Series dust collector system with an entirely redesigned ductwork layout for the weld cells. This system allows safe return of filtered air into the plant using integrated safety monitoring filters. Thanks to the improved efficiency, the manufacturer has not 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 these results, the company decided to install two more dust collection systems from Camfil APC.
Watch the Full Switching Story
Learn more by watching Zimmer in this video titled “Preventing Downtime for Filter Cleaning.â€
Dangerous Airborne Particles in Welding Operations
Whether manual or robotic, 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 fumes, and the amount increases with higher production levels.
The best way to reduce exposure to hazardous metalworking fumes is by installing well-designed dust collection systems equipped with high-efficiency primary cartridge-style filters. In some cases, secondary safety filters may also be necessary to capture specific particulates.
Important Safety and Health Regulations
After installing customized Camfil APC systems, this auto parts manufacturer was able to recirculate cleaned air back into the workspace. However, the reintroduced air must stay below OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs) for metal contaminants generated during welding. Facilities that exhaust air outdoors must also meet EPA emission standards.
OSHA PELs are based on an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) for metals found in welding fumes. These limits determine the minimum filtration efficiency required for dust collectors. Even if the air meets PELs, some workers may still experience health issues due to long-term exposure. In such cases, stricter exposure limits 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 hazardous air pollutants from metal finishing, including cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and manganese.
Cartridge filtration is recognized under Rule 6X as an acceptable control device for eliminating visible emissions. Installing dust and fume collectors with high-efficiency cartridge filtration systems like the Camfil APC Gold Series helps welding facilities maintain EPA compliance.
Click here to discover more solutions for controlling airborne particles in welding environments.
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