Fleming College is renowned as a world-class learning institution, attracting students of all ages from across Canada and a growing number of international students. Fleming College boasts several campuses, each specializing in fields such as trades and technology. The Sutherland Campus located in Peterborough, Ontario included a state-of-the-art welding program.
The Challenge
This program included 30 manual weld booths, 6 manual plasma cutting and grinding booths, a robotic welding cell, and a few remote manual welding areas. A full curriculum means that these locations would be used at a 100% duty cycle. Its location in a basement with low ceilings presented ventilation challenges as there was no way of exhausting welding fumes outdoors, nor could anything be installed outdoors. With a 100% duty cycle, the amount of welding fumes and particulate generated by welding, cutting, and grinding would be a major concern. Additionally, any solution needed to be quiet enough to allow for teachers and instructors to speak to students.
The Solution
Plymovent designed, supplied, and installed one automated welding and cutting fume extraction system with filtration. 30 telescopic extraction arms, 6 down / backdraft tables, and one robotic cell was fitted with motorized dampers and damper control boxes controlled by an S-100 Hood Mounted Switch.
This setup allowed for the fan frequency to automatically ramp up and down according to the required workload. The benefits of the system meant that it was suitable whether one student was welding or 30 are all welding at once, providing maximum energy efficiency, with the fan turning off once all dampers are closed. The fan speed is controlled via a variable frequency drive connected to a duct-mounted pressure transmitter. This allows the fan to automatically adjust to filter pressure in the dust collector as it increases over time.
This solution now allows up to 40 students to simultaneously weld and cut within a classroom with no hazardous fume or dust build-up. The energy-efficient system features low maintenance requirements and consumable costs, while low noise levels allow the teachers to instruct students.
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