Thorne Clears the air at Wigan pier
22nd July 1997

A new dust extraction system based around a Polytex L35 unit from J.B.Thorne of Leicester is now ensuring the highest standards of air quality in the woodwork shop of the British Waterways Board in Wigan. The shop, located at the famous Wigan Pier, handles all the Board's woodwork needs for the north-west area including repairs to lock gates, signage and fencing.

Thorne was called in after a comprehensive survey by Blackpool health and safety specialist Ashleigh Safety found that existing LEV equipment in the shop was insufficient to cope with the wood dust being created. The company, a division of Ashleigh Industrial Supplies, recommended installation of a total dust extraction system.

This is based on the Thorne Polytex unit serving a circular saw, a thicknesser/ planer, bandsaw and a router. It includes a ducting system designed and installed by Thorne, incorporating Plymovent flexible arms at extraction points. The system copes with all fine dusts generated in operations on both soft and hard woods. The inclusion of a top-mounted high-efficiency particle arrestor (HEPA) ensures extraction efficiency of 99.997 per cent, and thus allows cleaned air to be returned to the working area as an energy saving measure.

Polytex units work by collecting dust at source, drawing it through ducting by a powerful fan and trapping it in the filter bag system. Waste dust is collected in bags at the base of the unit, for sealing and disposal. In a multiple installation covering several work stations, units may be switched on individually, bringing further energy-efficiency.

Because of their relatively small footprint, Polytex units of various sized and extraction capacities may be sited in even restricted areas, both inside and outside.