Page 60 - Australasian Paint & Panel Jan-Feb 2020

Sanding and dust extraction
60
PAINT&PANEL JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2020
DEFEATING THE ENEMY
THE TRADITIONAL PERCEPTION OF A COLLISION REPAIR SHOP IS A DUSTY AND DIRTY ENVIRONMENT AND ONE OF THE REASONS IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT YOUNG APPRENTICES TO THE INDUSTRY SAYS 3M'S GEORGE DI SCALA
OVERRECENTYEARS,THIS'DIRTY'
image has been changing significantly with new shop fit outs and businesses changing the culture to focus on cleanli- ness and high quality output.
WHAT MAKES A SHOP A CLEAN SHOP?
In Europe, the environmental and work- place safety regulations mandate that shops are required, by law, to use a dust extraction system to capture any dust that is produced by sanding throughout the process. While there are no similar regu- lations in Australia and NZ, shops are re- quired by Safe Work Australia, through the spray painting and powder coating code of practice, to provide a safe and healthy environment for their employees.
There are many options available with dust extraction systems. Years ago, many shops invested in full central vacuum systems. This sort of system uses a large stationary dust collector and is piped throughout the shop so that every techni- cian has a vacuum line drop to connect to while doing their work. Today the most common systems seen are mobile dust extraction units. This type of system uses a small mobile dust extractor that can be moved around the shop from job
tojobandsomesystemscanevenbeuti- lised by two technicians at a time. In most cases, the shop would invest in a number of these mobile units to equip every technician with dust extraction. The mobile option is very practical for all size facilities due to its versatility and mobility allowing use in any part of the shop. Another dust extraction option is self-generated vacuum sanders. This type of sander uses pneumatic air and the Venturi effect to pull the dust through the tool and into a dust collection bag or hose. Unfortunately, this option does not have as high efficiency of dust collection, however is a lower cost option to having a dust extraction system.
HOW DOES A SHOP CREATE
A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT?
Consider what the origins of the dust and dirt are. The vehicle is dropped off by the customer. Most likely the vehicle is not clean. One mistake many collision repair facilities make is not cleaning the car prior to it entering the shop. Wheth- er it is a quick rinse or an on-site car wash, cleaning the vehicle prior to re- pair will reduce dirt, dust, and contami- nants from entering the shop. Shop lay-
out is another important factor. Grinding, painting, and polishing don’t mix well. It is important that these areas of the shop remain separated. This will help reduce extra cross contamination from dirt and dust migrating to other ar- eas of the shop.
Next step is to reduce or eliminate dust produced from sanding. Body filler and primer dust have a huge impact on the cleanliness of a shop. Determine a dust extraction system that works best for your shop layout and technicians’ needs. Whether it is central vacuum or mobile dust extraction units, this is key to keep- ing a shop clean. Most of the dust is pro- duced by dual action sanders and hand blocks. The optimised system will con- tain a dust extraction unit, a hose to con- nect the tools, a dust free sander, dust free blocks, an organized work center, premium dust free abrasives and all the adapters to connect the system together.
Lack of dust extraction not only affects the cleanliness of the shop, it also affects the disc life and quality of finish during the sanding operation. For example, the hole construction of 3M’s Cubitron II Clean sanding range has been designed to provide optimal dust extraction, while