Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

Health Protection and Dust & Chip Extraction Technologies

© Fraunhofer IPA, Rainer Bez

When machining modern lightweight materials, large quantities of extremely fine dust are produced. Airborne particles are a health hazard to the machine operator and can also cause damage to electrical and electronic components. Dust deposits in the machining area increase tool wear and impair process reliability. Enormous manual efforts are required to clean components, clamping devices and processing machinery, which leads to high labor costs.

The Department of Lightweight Construction Technologies has over 25 years’ experience in the field of extraction technology. Our experts develop effective solutions to capture chips and dust generated during the machining in mass or single productions.

Parallel to this, we measure and analyze dust emissions, as well as assess the suitability of devices and components for use in environments with high concentrations of CFRP dust and carbon fibers.

 

Extraction Technology for Dry Machining Processes

To ensure reproducible machining processes, it is essential that dust and chips are collected effectively. Particularly when it comes to 5-axis machining operations, conventional extraction systems soon reach their limits. We develop innovative extraction solutions to effectively capture chips generated during the manufacture of mass products and prototypes.

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Dust Emission and Machine Resistance

Fine dust from fiber reinforced plastics and fibers are not only a hazard to workers but also to machines and electrical equipment in the vicinity of machining devices. In addition to measuring and analyzing dust concentrations, we evaluate resistance to abrasive and electrically-conductive dust particles.

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Extraction Systems for Welding and Soldering Fumes

To minimize the welder's exposure to the resulting pollutants and to comply with statutory workplace limits, certain organizational and technical safety measures must be taken. One of the most important aspects is to ensure a favorable working position of the worker outside the immediate danger zone, as well as the reliable extraction of fumes at the point of origin.

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Further information