Longer Laser Life, Better Quality Engraving and Cutting Results, Environmentally Sound and it adds up to Saving Cash
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Choosing a LGAC removal system that’s good for your pocket book and the environment.
Earlier we talked about Laser Generated Airborne Contaminants or (LGACs); how they can affect your workers, your equipment and which LGAC removal system is right for you. Other than its precision one of the main reasons you chose laser processing equipment was its long-term cost benefits. Instead of conventional methods to process materials there are few or no consumables such as drills, milling cutters, saws, etc. Therefore, in choosing an LGAC removal system it is important that any purification system does not nullify this benefit by passing along excessive filter costs to the user. One method the Purex system offers of prolonging the life of a main filter is to use a pre-filter to remove larger particles (=1um) from the airstream before they enter the main filter. These are come in different forms, ranging from pads to bags to a patented Labyrinth design that offers around 10 times the life of a normal pre-filter. Pre-filters are made from a variety of filter media, and it is vitally important that the correct type is specified by the supplier – otherwise the life of the main filter will be significantly reduced. This is especially true if the material that is processed releases oily or sticky particles.
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“Top-Down” filtration systems are out-of-date.
Many outdated “top-down” filtration systems have been proven not to offer the best filter life and, in fact, may cause filters to split. A filter for laser processes generally contains HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arrestor) media to filter out harmful particles (99.997% at = 0.3um and 95% at =0.01um) plus a chemical layer to filter gases. In low-pressure, “top-down” purification systems, the contaminated air enters the machine at the top and takes the least line of resistance at a high velocity through the filter. This means that only part of the HEPA and chemical filter media is used in that the air is allowed to pass through the media at much more than the most effective dwell time. This reduces filter life and, therefore, increases consumable costs for the user. Particles can also collect in the pleats of the HEPA media due to gravity and can cause it to split (especially when the particles are moist), releasing hazardous material into the workplace.
The solution to the (filter life) problem is in the Purex Industries’ “Reverse Airflow Principle” offered by Jorlink.
The “reverse airflow principle” causes the contaminated air to slow and then turn 90 degrees when entering the LGAC removal system. When this happens the larger particles drop out of the airstream preventing premature filter blockage and particles no longer collect in the HEPA media pleats (causing splits) because the air is moving in an upwards direction. Air equalization plates should be used in conjunction with the reverse airflow system to cause the air to slow to a speed where the fullest area of the filter media is used.
Some materials release corrosive vapor when processed. For example PVC produces Hydrochloric Acid vapor which coalesces inside the system. In typical “top down” units, the liquid HCI can collect on the wiring and the motor causing not only corrosion but a fire risk. Reverse airflow systems like Purex allow the acid to drip into an absorbent pad to be dealt with in a safer manner later.
Finally, utilizing high-pressure pumps that are able to overcome the resistance in a filter as it becomes blocked will greatly increase filter life.
Helping the Environment
Our first instinct is to vent contaminated air to the outside; however, this is neither environmentally friendly nor necessarily legal. There are stringent regulations, carrying large financial penalties, which govern how much can be released into the atmosphere.
Apart from all of that, it’s not economical to vent “paid-for” air into the great outdoors!
There are two common problems with precise control of venting airflow rates; one, if the airflow rate is too high, the small components can be sucked into the pipeworks; too low and the particles escape into the workplace.
In a modern production environment it helps to have flexible production lines that can be moved or altered as the factory grows or as production needs change. Vent-to-atmosphere extraction requires extensive (expensive) fixed pipework that cannot easily be moved. This "fixed" pipework may also harbor contaminants and requires cutting holes in buildings' roofs or walls (which of course must then be sealed if the pipework is ever removed or even rearranged). A re-circulating system avoids these "fixed pipe" pitfalls as well as any regulations that govern external emission. Purified air is returned to the workplace in virtually the same condition as it entered the machine; therefore, not increasing air conditioning costs. Vacuum levels can also be set and altered easily for each process.
Final Thoughts on a Quality LGAC Removal System
Finally a good purification system should utilize a closed loop flow control system to automatically adjust motor speed. When a fresh filter is fitted into the machine, there is little air resistance; therefore a lower machine speed is necessary. As the filter becomes blocked, a higher speed is required to pull adequate air through the filter until that time when the filter becomes “blinded” or full.
A closed loop flow system automatically adjusts the motor speed according to the blockage so that the extraction rate remains constant with a variance of less than 1% throughout the life of the filter; saving money; keeping the environment cleaner; and extending the life of the machine itself.
Best of all Purex systems generally operate at a 50% energy savings cost. Purex and Jorlink; good for your wallet, good for the environment!
Prolonging the life of your Laser equipment and helping the environment without putting a bigger dent in your wallet by shooseing a LGAC removal system.