Frequently Asked Questions

Ambient air cleaners are designed to improve the overall air quality in a workspace by continuously circulating and filtering the air.

Unlike localized systems that focus on specific workstations, ambient air cleaners operate throughout the entire room, removing airborne dust, fumes, and fine particulates. They’re particularly useful in large manufacturing areas, woodworking shops, or any space where airborne contaminants may linger. By providing a cleaner, healthier environment, ambient air cleaners help enhance worker comfort and productivity.

Since ambient air cleaners recycle existing air within a facility, they help maintain temperature control without the need for constant heating or cooling of incoming make-up air. This leads to significant savings on energy costs and reduces the burden on HVAC systems, making them an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution for maintaining air quality in industrial settings.

It depends on the nature of your work environment and the level of air quality you want to achieve. Source capture solutions, like downdraft tables, portable fume extractors, or hi-vac fume extraction systems are excellent for capturing contaminants right at the source. They’re ideal for tasks that produce concentrated emissions in specific areas, such as welding or grinding. However, even with effective source capture, some dust, fumes, or particulates can escape into the broader workspace.

An ambient air cleaning system helps address this by continuously circulating and filtering the overall air within the room, capturing any remaining airborne contaminants that source capture may miss. This is especially useful in larger spaces, where workers move between different workstations, or when multiple processes generate airborne particles. In short, while a source capture system tackles contaminants directly at the point of production, an ambient air cleaning system provides an additional layer of protection, ensuring a cleaner and healthier atmosphere throughout your entire facility.

Both oil mist and oil smoke collectors are designed to capture and filter airborne contaminants generated in machining and metalworking processes. However, they target different particle sizes:

• Oil Mist Collectors capture larger droplets of oil mist typically produced by high-speed machining or turning operations. They’re effective at removing mist to protect workers and equipment.
• Oil Smoke Collectors, on the other hand, target much finer particles that result from higher-temperature processes like heat treating or certain machining operations. These collectors are designed to handle the ultrafine particles present in oil smoke.

Selecting the right type depends on the nature of the particles you’re dealing with in your specific processes.

The ideal air filtration solution for robotic welding depends on several factors, including the type of materials being welded, the size of the welding area, and the volume of fumes generated. Generally, a combination of source capture systems and ambient air filtration offers the most effective results:

• Source Capture Systems: Robotic welding cells, fume arms, overhead hoods, hi-vac-fume extraction systems, or downdraft tables can be used to capture welding fumes directly at the point of generation. This prevents harmful fumes from dispersing throughout the workspace and ensures immediate removal from the breathing zone.
• Centralized Dust Collectors: For larger-scale operations, a centralized cartridge dust collector can be integrated into the welding area. These systems are designed to handle the high volume of particulates and fumes generated by robotic welding, ensuring efficient capture and filtration. They are particularly effective when multiple robotic welding stations are in use.
• Ambient Air Cleaners: In facilities with multiple robotic welding stations, ambient air cleaners provide an extra layer of protection by filtering out any fumes or particulates that may escape the source capture systems. They help maintain consistent air quality across the entire workshop, making it safer for workers and reducing potential issues with particulate buildup on equipment.

In most cases, the best approach involves combining these systems to target both localized and ambient contaminants. Consulting with an air filtration specialist can help you determine the exact specifications needed for your robotic welding setup.

Horizontal cartridge dust collectors bring their own set of benefits, particularly when it comes to certain installation and maintenance needs:

• Flexible Installation: These systems can often be installed in areas with lower overhead clearance, making them ideal for facilities with space constraints.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Horizontal cartridge designs allow for easier side access to filters, which can speed up maintenance and replacement times, especially in large-scale systems.
• Cost-Effective Solutions: In certain configurations, horizontal collectors can be more economical, both in terms of initial setup and ongoing maintenance.

The choice between horizontal and vertical designs typically depends on your facility’s space and maintenance preferences.

Vertical cartridge dust collectors are known for their efficient design and longer filter life. Here are a few key benefits:

• Improved Filter Performance: The vertical orientation allows dust to fall naturally away from the filter surface during pulsing, reducing the risk of re-entrainment and maintaining consistent airflow.
• Space-Saving Design: Many models have a compact footprint, making them suitable for facilities where space is at a premium.

Overall, vertical cartridge dust collectors offer a reliable solution for operations that need consistent performance and efficiency.