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Clean air solution takes off at Airbus
25 January 2013
When health and safety assessments at Airbus identified a need to reduce the risk of employee exposure to airborne chromate (paint) dust generated during fettling operations the company took prompt action and installed sev
When health and safety assessments at Airbus identified a
need to reduce the risk of employee exposure to airborne
chromate (paint) dust generated during fettling operations
the company took prompt action and installed several Local
Exhaust Ventilation systems
Responding to concerns over skin contamination and inhalation of chromate dust particles, a multifunctional Hawker team was set up to oversee all aspects of the development of a clean air solution and, following tenders, appointed clean air and containment specialist Hosokawa Micron.
Rae Carroll, project engineer at Airbus, says: "Hosokawa Micron engineers worked closely with our team refining and modifying the system specifications to ensure we achieved the optimum solution. These discussions became the catalyst for improvement in our operations which resulted in a very successful installation, which is of interest throughout other areas of the Airbus business." The installation included two downflow booths, one fixed fettling booth, three mobile fettling trolleys and ancillary systems, all designed, manufactured and installed by Hosokawa Micron and which have eliminated the need for Hawker engineers to wear PPE.
Parts manufacturing/assembly The downflow booths are designed to offer high levels of operator protection and product containment when generating dust during fettling, drilling and deburring of large sections of fuselage or other items not suited to the fixed fettling booth. Each booth is built over and around the fettling jig giving full workable access to the panel or unit to be trimmed or fettled during assembly. The booths offer a working area of 3m safe working depth and 5m internal width and incorporate overhead lighting. A uniform, non-turbulent, horizontal laminar airflow is generated behind the operator and flows across the working area into the rear perforated distribution plate, taking airborne dust particles away from the operator's breathing zone. The exhaust air is HEPA filtered before being returned to the booth.
Tests show that chromate OELs are now well below UK legal limits with workers undertaking large scale fettling activities no longer needing to wear face masks.
Parts fettling Large scale parts fettling is now undertaken within the 2m wide fixed fettling booth. The booth with a slotted rear extract plenum is designed with a horizontal airflow of approx 2.2m3/s that takes dust particles away from the operator's breathing zone. Dust particles are extracted to an external filter unit with compressed air pulse jet cleaning system.
Dust collected by the filter cartridge is collected in an external sealed bin for easy removal and disposal. The system is fitted with pressure drop monitors and alarm indicators to further safeguard the operators from potential exposure to increased levels of airborne particulates.
The fettling booth has been ergonomically designed for ease of use and includes overhead lighting and integral compressed air sockets that enable air-driven tools to be operated in the booth with short lengths of airline. The fully ATEX-compliant system also includes vacuum extraction for removal of debris.
A transportable solution designed to reduce operator exposure to potentially harmful fettling dust, polishing dust and swarf created in production of painted and non-painted metal parts or panels, the booths create a safe working environment for operators undertaking polishing, drilling or filing activities where airborne particles are generated.
The three 'plug and play' back-draft extracted booths incorporate a two stage filtration system comprising replaceable panel filter and HEPA filters to H13 grade standard. HEPA filtered air is discharged into the factory working area. Constantly monitored by differential alarm pressure gauges across the filter, the operator has visual indication when a filter is laden with dust and therefore may require cleaning or replacing. A high performance extraction fan ensures a reliable air flow through the booth, even when the filter cells are dirty, maintaining a safe working environment for operators.
Complete with lighting and an integrated Type H vacuum cleaner for the safe removal of swarf or larger filings the wheeled Hosokawa Micron fettling trolleys are easily transported around the workshop.
The LEV project team and workshop personnel are pleased with the installation which has lead to a substantial reduction in the risk posed by chromate dust.
Responding to concerns over skin contamination and inhalation of chromate dust particles, a multifunctional Hawker team was set up to oversee all aspects of the development of a clean air solution and, following tenders, appointed clean air and containment specialist Hosokawa Micron.
Rae Carroll, project engineer at Airbus, says: "Hosokawa Micron engineers worked closely with our team refining and modifying the system specifications to ensure we achieved the optimum solution. These discussions became the catalyst for improvement in our operations which resulted in a very successful installation, which is of interest throughout other areas of the Airbus business." The installation included two downflow booths, one fixed fettling booth, three mobile fettling trolleys and ancillary systems, all designed, manufactured and installed by Hosokawa Micron and which have eliminated the need for Hawker engineers to wear PPE.
Parts manufacturing/assembly The downflow booths are designed to offer high levels of operator protection and product containment when generating dust during fettling, drilling and deburring of large sections of fuselage or other items not suited to the fixed fettling booth. Each booth is built over and around the fettling jig giving full workable access to the panel or unit to be trimmed or fettled during assembly. The booths offer a working area of 3m safe working depth and 5m internal width and incorporate overhead lighting. A uniform, non-turbulent, horizontal laminar airflow is generated behind the operator and flows across the working area into the rear perforated distribution plate, taking airborne dust particles away from the operator's breathing zone. The exhaust air is HEPA filtered before being returned to the booth.
Tests show that chromate OELs are now well below UK legal limits with workers undertaking large scale fettling activities no longer needing to wear face masks.
Parts fettling Large scale parts fettling is now undertaken within the 2m wide fixed fettling booth. The booth with a slotted rear extract plenum is designed with a horizontal airflow of approx 2.2m3/s that takes dust particles away from the operator's breathing zone. Dust particles are extracted to an external filter unit with compressed air pulse jet cleaning system.
Dust collected by the filter cartridge is collected in an external sealed bin for easy removal and disposal. The system is fitted with pressure drop monitors and alarm indicators to further safeguard the operators from potential exposure to increased levels of airborne particulates.
The fettling booth has been ergonomically designed for ease of use and includes overhead lighting and integral compressed air sockets that enable air-driven tools to be operated in the booth with short lengths of airline. The fully ATEX-compliant system also includes vacuum extraction for removal of debris.
A transportable solution designed to reduce operator exposure to potentially harmful fettling dust, polishing dust and swarf created in production of painted and non-painted metal parts or panels, the booths create a safe working environment for operators undertaking polishing, drilling or filing activities where airborne particles are generated.
The three 'plug and play' back-draft extracted booths incorporate a two stage filtration system comprising replaceable panel filter and HEPA filters to H13 grade standard. HEPA filtered air is discharged into the factory working area. Constantly monitored by differential alarm pressure gauges across the filter, the operator has visual indication when a filter is laden with dust and therefore may require cleaning or replacing. A high performance extraction fan ensures a reliable air flow through the booth, even when the filter cells are dirty, maintaining a safe working environment for operators.
Complete with lighting and an integrated Type H vacuum cleaner for the safe removal of swarf or larger filings the wheeled Hosokawa Micron fettling trolleys are easily transported around the workshop.
The LEV project team and workshop personnel are pleased with the installation which has lead to a substantial reduction in the risk posed by chromate dust.
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