“The grind never stops” may be a popular figure of speech across all fields, but in manufacturing it can be taken quite literally. Grinding is a key operation to many manufacturing processes in metal fabrication, masonry, and woodworking. Often used as a finishing step, grinding can be performed on the go with the use of an angle grinder or a grinding wheel attachment on a drill. However, grinding material away from a dedicated station can pose numerous challenges- namely the health and safety hazards that become a risk.
There is one easy way to address this health and safety challenge with the use of a portable fume extractor. In today’s blog we’ll be going over the importance of grinding on the go, the risks that come along with it, and how a portable fume extractor can help you stay on your grind as safely as possible.
Material Grinding On and Off The Shop Floor
Material processing doesn’t always start and stop on the shop floor. Oftentimes there will be cases in which material must be ground outside of a manufacturing facility’s walls, like at a construction site or at a client’s facility. In cases like these, equipment portability is critical to safety and success. Even within a single facility, a portable fume extractor gives operators the flexibility to easily move between stations as needed while still ensuring the same level of air quality regardless of their surroundings.
Whether you’re working on the go or staying put at the shop, Diversitech offers a variety of industrial air filtration solutions including portable and stationary machinery.
The Hazards of Grinding Without Fume Extraction
Without the proper fume extraction equipment, material grinding can pose safety risks to nearby operators as well as dangers for the entire workplace. Here’s how.
Health Risks of Grinding Without Fume Extraction
When a part is ground into its final shape, the excess material doesn’t just disappear. Every particle of that material enters the air, and a significant portion of that can enter the operator’s airways without proper ventilation or air filtration. When these ground materials like wood, minerals, and metals become embedded in the lungs, they can cause both acute and chronic respiratory conditions. In the short term this can take the form of increased coughing and overall discomfort- but in the long term, serious conditions like silicosis and cancer are very much possible.
Workplace Hazards of Grinding Without Fume Extraction
Beyond the health risks that come with industrial material grinding, insufficient fume extraction can result in additional workplace hazards. One extreme danger that is produced by grinding operations is the creation of combustible dusts. These dusts consist of flammable particles like sawdust and ground metals which travel through the air. As these particles make their way around the shop floor, any surrounding operations that involve the use of high heat- like welding- are capable of igniting them. The resulting explosions can deal devastating damage to manufacturing facilities and personnel, creating a hazard that nobody wants to leave unchecked.
How A Portable Fume Extractor Makes Grinding Safer
So, how does one go about minimizing the risks associated with combustible dusts created by grinding industrial materials? One way to do so is with a portable fume extractor- or rather, extractors.
While fume extractors are commonly applied in welding operations to capture fumes and particulate matter (PM) directly from the source, they can also be applied similarly in grinding operations. Despite the name, fume extraction equipment isn’t just for capturing smoke. Our equipment can also extract process dust from the air thanks to its high capture velocity. The key here is to employ a method of dust collection not just at one station, but at both stations. This prevents the spread of PM away from the grinding area, and also captures fumes from the welding table before they have the chance to mix with any combustible dusts in the air.
By using a portable fume extractor for grinding and one for welding (or multiple, if your facility has different stations for multiple operators) the dangers of combustible dust can be drastically cut, resulting in a safer manufacturing facility with improved air quality overall.
No other air filtration manufacturer can match Diversitech’s rugged construction. If you’re looking for a portable fume extractor that will excel at any job site, view our offerings today.
Our Portable Fume Extractor Options
While there are many options available for extracting fumes and capturing dust on the go, Diversitech’s equipment stands out for its durable construction that helps maximize machine longevity.
FRED Portable Fume Extractors
Our flagship line of fume extraction equipment is the FRED collection. This line has been engineered for maximum portability without sacrificing performance, making it the ideal solution for fume extraction both on and off the shop floor. If you need only mild fume extraction, choose our FRED Mini-Vac II unit- or if your requirements are more demanding, try out FRED Sr. Our equipment covers a broad range of capabilities with air flow rates as low as 210 CFM up to as high as 2,500 CFM to reliably provide the right amount of fume capture wherever your job may take you. With the ability to capture particles as small as 0.5 micron directly from the source, the FRED family of fume extractors can help you safely stay on your grind- any time, any place.
Shop our line of Fume Extractors
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