Thermal cutting fume and dust

COMPANY profile

Jag Welding is a full-service steel processing and fabrication company located in Brisbane, Australia. The company services all areas of South East Queensland offering everything from engineering and drafting to steel supply, cutting, drilling, painting, and powder coating. Jag Welding has over two decades of experience in the industry, working with mild and galvanised steel as well as structural steel and aluminium. The Jag team works on a wide range of projects including schools, office buildings, hospitals, government buildings, bridges, shopping centres and more. 

THE SITUATION 

Thanks to the company’s ongoing success, Jag Welding seized the opportunity to expand its service offering through the purchase of a new plasma cutting table. The fume and dust produced by thermal cutting can be extremely fine and sometimes sticky in nature. Knowing the health and safety risks associated with plasma cutting technology, the team from Jag Welding sought to protect its employees by also purchasing a dust collector. The Jag team met with staff from Camfil, as well as several of Camfil’s competitors to discuss the requirements of the project. The extractor needed to fit within a specific footprint and be supplied with a flexible install date reliant on delivery of the plasma table.

THE ACTION

Camfil’s sales team recommended a Gold Series dust collector due to its modular design. The modular design meant Camfil could deliver on both space and performance requirements. Camfil also worked flexibly with the customer to allow for revised placement of the plasma table and required ducting. After several meetings with the Jag team, Camfil was chosen for the project ahead of competitors, Donaldson and Airblast. Despite delays to the delivery of the plasma table, Camfil installed the dust collector and ducting with the help of a partner company, within the required time frame. 

THE RESULT  

Jag Welding is now providing additional services to its customer base without jeopardising employee health and safety. The new plasma cutting table is operating effectively with dust and fume being extracted away from the table, before it has the potential to harm the operator or other employees working in the Jag facility. By preempting potential air quality issues, Jag Welding has protected its business from increased employee absenteeism, loss of productivity and long-term liability issues. The Gold Series dust collector also prevents build up on the table and other equipment in the facility, ensuring longer equipment life, less maintenance and reduced downtime.