Opened in September 2009, the Roundhouse now offers students a wide range of courses including, art and design, building services, gas electric and plumbing as well as engineering and welding.

For the engineering and welding centre, Flextraction through their distributor, Leengate Industrial Welding Supplies Ltd from Nottingham, who were already suppliers of welding and fume extraction equipment to Derby College, were asked, after successfully tendering, to supply the fume extraction equipment for the new welding bays in the apprentice and welder training area.

Leengate supplied a Thermadyne Synergic Pulsed MIG 320A welding machine and a 200A AC/DC TIG welding machine for each of the 12 welding bays, but before welding could commence fume extraction equipment was required and it was here that Flextraction became involved.  Flextraction specifically designed and installed their latest HPD (Hood Positioning Device) system that was able to cater for the constricted space in the lower ground floor of the new Kirtley link building housing the welding shop and which also connects the old engine Roundhouse and the carriage repair shops.

Each welding bay has a self supporting 2m long, highly flexible articulated arm attached to a wall mounting bracket with each arm having an epoxy black 100mm diameter flared hood.  To discharge the fumes away from each bay, spiral galvanised sheet steel ducting was sized and proportioned to give a good conveying velocity through out it entire length.  The whole system was designed to go hand in hand with the structural set up of the building.  Access doors were also installed for inspection and servicing requirements.

A single 3-phase centrifugal, single inlet, medium pressure fan fitted with an impeller with backward facing blades supplies the conveying velocity operating at 2,895 revs/min.

Also included in the installation was a manual plasma cutting machine with a TEKA 600mm x 635mm air suction table to extract smoke and fumes using 160mm ducting under the bench at 1,500 m³/hr and a Grinding bench for weld preparation and finishing work was also supplied.

The complete fume extraction system was installed by Flextraction engineers.

James Thorneycroft, Engineering Lecturer at Derby College said: “Our new Roundhouse facilities allow us to offer students excellent welder and welding theory learning opportunities.  The HPD fume extraction system that we have installed provides our students with an excellent working environment.  The fact, that the equipment needs very little servicing, means that we can carry out apprentice and welder training without interruption.”

Martins Food Group, one of Manchester’s longest established bakeries founded in 1922, has a modern 50,000ft² central bakery in Newton Heath producing and supplying over 150 bakery and sandwich products every day to the Group’s 28 retail outlets in the Manchester area.  The Group also has a 30,000ft² factory including a large holding freezer in Radcliffe, Manchester supplying frozen bakery products cakes and desserts to supermarkets and Foodservice outlets.

Flextraction’s own modular design, 304 stainless steel downflow booths with an acoustically enclosed fan to minimise overall noise level, operate on a re-circulatory airflow principle with a clean evenly distributed down flow of air at 0.5m/second. Extraction is via low level primary roughing filters and secondary bag filters and this then provides downflow via ceiling mounted 99.95% filtration efficient HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arrestor) filters suppressing any dust downwards away from the operator’s breathing zone. Pressure indicating devices continually monitor the extraction performance, whilst automatically controlling the 2 x 2.2kW direct driven variable speed fans to maintain optimum operating conditions.

Louvered grilles in the lower rear wall capture the airborne contaminants. Because the booth operates using continuous re-circulation of the air within the booth, no airborne contaminates can escape into the external environment. Their modular designs allows a size to be manufactured to suit the application and they are found in a multitude of industries in addition to bakeries, these include dye and paint manufacturers as well as pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers.

Neil Martin, Managing Director, Martins Foods Group said: “I first came across a Flextraction downflow booth during a visit to the Birds Bakery in Derby. I was impressed with the dust free conditions in the weighing area and although at the time we were already undertaking good practice to keep the dust levels as low as possible, I realised we could improve our own working environment to the betterment of our employees as well as the Company.

As a major bakery group in the Manchester area, we have to ensure that our operations meet with the most stringent health and safety standards and this investment has enhanced those standards.

After discussions with Flextraction, we decided in 2008, to invest in a 4m. booth, basically because it fitted into the size of our Newton Heath operations and once installed, we immediately saw environmental improvements. We made dust emission checks and found that the employees weighing up and tipping flour or ingredients into removable bowl mixers had the lowest emission levels of anywhere in the bakery, which was excellent. In early 2009 we decided to invest in another one for our Radcliffe operations with exactly the same results.

Both booths have been an excellent investment providing a much cleaner working environment and require very little maintenance, we only have to replace the easy to access filters, which is a very easy task.”

Flexible hoses from Norres

A brand new series of NORRES Protape® ATEX-PUR330-MHF/AS ATEX permanent anti static and abrasion proof suction and blast hoses is now available from Flextraction Ltd, suppliers and manufacturers of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) products and authorised distributor of flexible extraction hoses in the UK and Ireland for NORRES Schlauchtechnik GmbH & Co.KG, the Gelsenkirchen, Germany based manufacturer of technical and industrial hoses.

These highly flexible, super lightweight, ATEX approved hoses incorporate optimised flow properties, are designed to convey inflammable particles, chippings, powder, dust, oil vapours and welding fumes in a multitude of applications and industries ranging from de-dusting and suction plants, industrial vacuum cleaners, air-conditioning and ventilation applications, paint fume extraction, food industry applications, wood processing applications, granulate conveying systems, engine exhaust systems, chemical extraction systems to manufacturing and surface finishing applications. For food industry applications they meet EC guideline 2002/72/EC.

They are constructed using PROTAPE® tape hose and spiral sprung steel wire in special PRE-PUR® premium ether-polyurethane walls having an approximate thickness of 0.6mm. By being permanently anti-static, electro-static charging (separation of charged particles) cannot occur thereby eliminating any discharges that can ignite an explosive mixture of gas, vapour, mist or dust, dangerous or unpredictable behaviour caused by shock when this discharge takes place via the human body, process disruptions caused by the medium sticking to the hose wall or the malfunction of measuring devices and controllers. The average operating temperature range is between approx. -40°C to +90°C, but can be used over short working periods with temperatures up to +125°C.

Other features include a long working life, in that they have abrasive resistance about 2.5 – 5 times better than most rubber materials and are also about 3 to 4 times better than most soft PVC’s, microbe and hydrosols resistant as well as being PVC free.

ATEX Certified Vacuum Units

The Delfin range of DM, Mistral 352 and Mistral 802 industrial vacuums now includes AIR-Ex ATEX compliant air operated versions, available through Flextraction Ltd, supplier and manufacturer of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) products and ‘preferred supplier’ in the UK and Ireland for Italian industrial vacuum equipment manufacturer, Delfin s.r.l

The DM3 AIR EX, Mistral 352 DS AIR EX and Mistral 802 WD AIR Ex are the three new versions added to the existing Delfin range of 3 phase industrial vacuums and are all certified as being ATEX compliant for zones 1,2, 12 and 22 as per the European CE norm 94/9, meaning that they can be safely used where there is a risk of explosion, due to the presence of flammable or explosive dust, fumes or gas in the work area.

All three machine can be used to vacuum up dry or dry and wet substances with different capacities depending on the model in a multitude of industrial applications including manufacturing and engineering, steel plants, building and construction sites, medical and laboratory applications, aircraft building and maintenance, ceramics production, agricultural and food processing and packaging applications, wood turning, paper, plastic and glass manufacturing industries.

The units have either a single or a double Venturi suction unit, which compresses air and turns it into a vacuum effect. There are no electrical or mechanical components, which completely reduces the risk of accidental sparks of either electrical or mechanical design.

Other features include 100% anti static compliance, patented safe disposal ‘seal off bag’ system for safe disposal of hazardous waste, good filtration against fine and toxic dust, stainless steel body and electrical grounding.

LFK Units

It is designed to extract gases, fumes and dust particles in educational, scientific and pharmaceutical laboratories, hospitals, electronic component manufacturing lines as well as in laser branding. The LF70 features highly efficient 3-stage dust filters comprising a G3 pre-filter, a F6 fine filter and an H12 HEPA filter which separate 99.97% of dust particles down to 0.3µm. For gases, fumes and other pollutants, a range of 4 different carbon filters are available depending on the gas to be extracted.

Using an easy to read digital display, shows which type of pollutant the filter is being used for and the easily adjusted airflow speed. For dust extraction, the filter starts at 0 hrs and the number of hours the filter has been operating is shown on the control panel. This will reset to 0hrs when the filter is changed. A LFD (differential pressure manometer) which indicates when the filter is full, is available as an option. For gas extraction the filter starts at the preset number of hours depending on the gas and the airflow. To obtain an exact air flow through the filter, a LFF (flow meter) is available as an option. A remote control to start and stop the fan is also an option.

Depending on the application, the LF70 can be used with either one 75mm diameter extraction arm with an extracting airflow of 42 l/s or two 50mm diameter extraction arms extracting 2 x 21 l/s. Using a plexiglass hood to enclose laboratory or other sensitive instruments, the LF70 with a single 75mm diameter extraction arm is able to extract up to 70 l/s.

The LF70 is EMC- LVD- and CE certified to meet EU Medical Directives and has a very low 56 dB(A) noise level at 100% rpm.  It is compact, mobile and light in weight (25 kg) enabling it to be easily moved from one location to another and then placed under the work station.

Downflow Booth at Martins Bakery

Martins Foods Group, one of Manchester’s longest established bakeries founded in 1922, has a modern 50,000ft² central bakery in Newton Heath producing and supplying over 150 bakery and sandwich products every day to the Group’s 28 retail outlets in the Manchester area.   The Group also has a 30,000ft² factory including a large holding freezer in Radcliffe, Manchester supplying frozen bakery products cakes and desserts to supermarkets and Foodservice outlets.

Flextraction’s own modular design, 304 stainless steel downflow booths with an acoustically enclosed fan to minimise overall noise level, operate on a re-circulatory airflow principle with a clean evenly distributed down flow of air at 0.5m/second.  Extraction is via low level primary roughing filters and secondary bag filters and this then provides down flow via ceiling mounted 99.95% filtration efficient HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arrestor) filters suppressing any dust downwards away from the operator’s breathing zone.  Pressure indicating devices continually monitor the extraction performance, whilst automatically controlling the 2 x 2.2kW direct driven variable speed fans to maintain optimum operating conditions.

Louvered grilles in the lower rear wall capture the airborne contaminants.  Because the booth operates using continuous re-circulation of the air within the booth, no airborne contaminates can escape into the external environment.  Their modular designs allows a size to be manufactured to suit the application and they are found in a multitude of industries in addition to bakeries, these include dye and paint manufacturers as well as pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers.

Neil Martin, Managing Director, Martins Foods Group said: “I first came across a Flextraction downflow booth during a visit to the Birds Bakery in Derby.  I was impressed with the dust free conditions in the weighing area and although at the time we were already undertaking good practice to keep the dust levels as low as possible, I realised we could improve our own working environment to the betterment of our employees, as well as the Company.

As a major bakery group in the Manchester area, we have to ensure that our operations meet with the most stringent health and safety standards and this investment has enhanced those standards.

After discussions with Flextraction, we decided in 2008, to invest in a 4m booth, basically because it fitted into the size of our Newton Heath operations and once installed, we immediately saw environmental improvements.  We made dust emission checks and found that the employees weighing up and tipping flour or ingredients into removable bowl mixers had the lowest emission levels of anywhere in the bakery, which was excellent.  In early 2009 we decided to invest in another one for our Radcliffe operations with exactly the same results.

Both booths have been an excellent investment providing a much cleaner working environment and require very little maintenance, we only have to replace the easy to access filters, which is a very easy task.”

These HPDs have been designed to be used in a multitude of industrial applications, including surface grinding, welding, product tipping and drum filling as well as food processing and all manufacturing applications, where dust and fumes are emitted.  Importantly, they meet HSE requirements for the correct positioning and design of LEV hoods and are totally self supporting mechanisms providing stability and accuracy in the carrying and positioning of a wide range of hoods in different sizes, weights and designs including individual customised hoods plus hose combinations.  Without any internal obstructions, there is no wear, corrosion, flow restrictions or solids built up within the hoses.

The twin support mechanism incorporates two springs to provide a much greater return force than in previous models, producing a lighter as well as a more balanced feel to the arm, especially when manipulating it into the correct extraction position.  This increased return force, as well as an increased surface area around the central pivot, enables the design of fully customised hoods to be added to the HPD.

The NEW Hood Positioning Device from flextraction Ltd

Other features include a rear casing that is fully enclosed giving an improved aesthetic appearance and protection against dirt ingress, a rear boom extension gives a 270° working radius and a new 360° rotating swivel hood enables more accurate hood positioning, whilst quick release clips are used to attach a range of flexible hoses such as standard PVC, FD approved polyurethane, high temperature, chemical and solvent resistant as well as ATEX certified hoses.

Options include tubed, ATEX compliance and stainless steel models plus a fitted electronic airflow indicator.

Flextractor HPD’s are suitable for standard wall or stanchion mounting, as well as upward and downward swivel, joist and ceiling mountings and are available in five standard lengths between 1,5m and 4m.  Optional solid tubed sections in the same diameters and with flexible joints are also available to further reduce the risk of solids build up.

The Extended HPD provides the user with the additional option of a longer reach up to a maximum 8m. The wall or bench mounted mini HPD is available in three standard diameters – 75mm, 100mm and 250mm with either 1m or 1.5 m reaches.

The Flextender HPD has a telescopic extraction arm giving the user a 1,200 – 1,650mm reach, especially useful in low headroom or limited space applications. Flextractor HPDs and Flextender HPDs are available in either 75mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm and 200mm diameters.

A range of hoods is available in a wide variety of designs including bell mouth, flare, fish tail, flat screen and custom designed. These are available in epoxy coated, stainless steel, polypropylene and ATEX versions.

flextraction Downdraught Bench

The FB70011 downdraught bench complies with Health & Safety Guidline 258 covering the control of airborne contaminants at work.  It features an inverter (variable frequency drive control) to regulate the operating speed of the single phase 230V, 50/60Hz, 500w high power backward curve centrifugal fan producing an air volume of 2,300m³/hr.

Other features include filter gauges with spring loaded filter clamp mechanisms and filter full indicators, a G4 pleated filter for efficient 0-500Pa gauge pre/primary filtration to remove any particles within the airstreams and 0-1000Pa HEPA Filter, both with ‘filter full’ indicators and an optional HEPA cartridge to remove submicron particulate with an efficiency up to 99.9%.

It also includes a motor fault warning light, 3 sided enclosure, levelling feet and an on/off push button control with a ‘power on’ light.  It measures 1,200mm high, 1,060mm wide and 740mm deep and it weighs 180 kg. It is also mobile having swivel and brake casters.

NORRES hoses are used in a multitude of applications and industries ranging from de-dusting and suction plants, industrial vacuum cleaners, air-conditioning and ventilation applications, paint fume extraction, food industry applications, wood processing applications, granulate conveying systems, engine exhaust systems, chemical extraction systems to welding and surface finishing applications.

Paint Fume Extraction Hose from Norres

Lee Darton, Sales Manager at flextraction commented:  “We wanted to expand our portfolio of high quality hoses that we could offer our client base. NORRES is an international company with an excellent reputation, innovative products and a 24hr delivery service, which fitted our bill.  The Company is ISO 9001:2000 certified and their hoses comply with a wide range of standards and specifications in the most diverse industries, including the ATEX Directive and FDA conformity and food regulations.”

Ricarda Pieper, Export Sales Industrial Hoses at NORRES said: “We are pleased that flextraction has agreed to be our Authorised Distributor in the UK for our hoses and ductings for spot extractors, extraction arms, filter systems, dust and fume extraction and for high temperature hoses up to 1,100°C.  Their considerable knowledge of and expertise in the market for fume and dust extraction products will be a positive advantage in the marketing of our products.”