Maximize Manufacturing Plant Layout and Increase ROI with Modular Industrial Air Filtration

Dedicated spray booths, gantry cranes, complex HVAC systems, workflow redesigns … these are just a few of the manufacturing plant layout expenditures for creating clean rooms to capture particulates from messy coating, painting, sanding, and finishing procedures. For large-scale manufacturers, clean rooms are critical not only for a compliant, safe work environment, but also for preventing machine damage and compromised project quality due to corrosive contamination.

Unfortunately, conventional clean rooms or process enclosures cut into valuable, productive floor space and increase material handling expenses associated with moving large work pieces into dedicated areas. This is also the case for R&D and prototyping manufacturing that work with small volumes of components throughout the factory. R&D procedures can require frequent, repetitive processes such as bonding or adhesive applications where precise climate control is critical. Likewise, cellular fabricating models with intermittent coating applications means that moving the workpieces to permanent clean rooms or enclosures is not a viable option.

But, what if you could bring a climate-controlled environment to your work pieces without a dedicated clean room and without redesigning your entire factory floor?

Modular industrial air filtration is a flexible, cost-effective option for manufacturers who want to retain floor space, protect employee health, and avoid space-consuming process conflicts. Here are a few ways modular air filtration solutions are reducing factory floor footprints and increasing overall ROI for manufacturers, big and small.

Equipment Reduction for Manufacturing Plant Layout ROI

Bottom Line Killers

Bulky workpieces like aircraft engines or ship propulsion systems often require retractable roofs and overhead cranes to transport each large component into designated clean rooms for welding, grinding, spraying, or finishing tasks. Costly ductwork and/or HVAC systems may also be required to control dust and fume contaminants, as well as expensive, cumbersome PPE for employees.

Equipment purchases like these add up to significant capital expenditures, not to mention the expense associated with factory redesigns to accommodate equipment installation.

Bottom Line Boosting

Modular solutions reduce or eliminate the need to use cranes to move large work pieces for dusty or fume-producing tasks by employing non-vented, industrial air filtration to create a controlled atmosphere around the product itself.

Unlike options that require outside venting and integration with an existing HVAC system that leads to additional ongoing maintenance, modular solutions only require an initial investment. Modular air filtration does not require ductwork installation or time-consuming, ceiling filter changes. The need for PPE is reduced or eliminated.

As each process is completed, the retractable clean room or enclosure can be folded and stored. More factory floor space can be used for actual production, rather than accommodating forklift trucks and gantry cranes.

In-House Capacity for Manufacturing Plant Layout ROI

Bottom Line Killers

For many manufacturers, redesigning the plant layout floor for clean air workspaces is not a cost-effective option. So they turn to outsourcing for coating or finishing tasks, which may require expensive equipment to transport components off-site. Each outsourced process can add weeks to project lead times, not to mention the labor and material handling costs associated with damage repair for transportation mishaps. If there are project delays with the off-site vendor, inventory doesn’t move out and profits don’t move in.

Bottom Line Boosting

With modular air filtration, workers can quickly set up temporary spray booths or clean rooms for grinding or sanding, and keep tasks and delivery assignments on schedule. Keeping projects in-house also enables more oversight for complying with industry standards and maintaining consistent quality control.

Reduced Downtime for Manufacturing Plant Layout ROI

Bottom Line Killers

Rearranging a manufacturing floor layout to accommodate or move large work pieces drains capacity and (again) increases material handling costs. Even more significant is the downtime and negative OEE impact of having to relocate projects to a dedicated space for clean room or other operations.

Permanent clean rooms and enclosures also require unplanned downtime, as filters are often accessed through ceiling panels. Replacing these filters is time-consuming and can dislodge dust particles and contaminants into the production environment. Additional man hours are also wasted cleaning surfaces and machinery after filter replacement.

Bottom Line Boosting

With modular air filtration, filter units are adjacent to the enclosure for fast and easy access. Modular clean air rooms can also be installed in a matter of days or even hours, compared to the weeks it takes to install and commission a permanent room. With modular air filtration, manufacturers can say goodbye to bottlenecked operations that drain valuable man hours.

Safety ROI While Maximizing Manufacturing Plant Layout

Bottom Line Killers

Fiberglass dust, oil mist, and numerous volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are just a few of the air contaminants from grinding, welding, and coating tasks. With the addition of new composite materials in aerospace and military manufacturing, air contaminants have become even more challenging to control. Contaminated air not only risks OSHA and EPA penalties, it kills worker productivity and morale.

Bottom Line Boosting

Modular air filtration provides significant ROI benefits that go beyond safety compliance. Retractable spray booths and clean rooms exceed environmental and safety requirements, while reducing overall operating costs. They can be tailored to each factory floor’s unique layout and quickly set up with minimal impact on workflow and productivity. There is also the added bonus of reduced workers’ comp claims, fewer insurance costs, reduced absenteeism, and improved employee morale.

Making the Most of Your Manufacturing Floor Layout with Modular Industrial Air Filtration

A portable solution for improving air quality without restructuring the entire shop floor means having retractable, clean rooms and enclosures for various production processes that have minimal impact on manufacturing floor layouts and don’t interrupt your value-driven work. From sanding air tanks to coating engine exteriors, modular solutions bring clean air to the workpieces — eliminating the need to build a bigger factory or purchase oversized handling equipment to move large work pieces.

At Duroair, we create modular air filtration solutions that are helping manufacturers expand their capacity, reduce downtime, and improve safety for their valued employees. Contact our industrial clean air experts today for a free consultation on how we can customize an air filtration solution to work with your existing plant or shop floor layout and help maximize productivity.