Why are air cleaners needed in manufacturing operations when there is a ventilation system in place?

2024-03-13 |

Air Cleaners

In the manufacturing industry, e.g. the metal, concrete, paper and plastics industries, air quality plays an important role in several ways – both from a working environment point of view, but also to ensure the quality of products and to contribute to increased production efficiency. Often, both general ventilation and process ventilation are installed in production facilities to provide fresh air for operations and reduce particles and gases generated by specific processes.

A common question that often arises when discussing air quality at production sites is: Is it not enough to have a ventilation system in place that is adapted to the building for safe and healthy indoor air? Let us look at the facts and why investing in air cleaning can be worthwhile.

Are free-standing air cleaners needed when a ventilation system is in place?

The short answer is yes – it is almost always a good supplement to the existing ventilation system. But it also depends on several factors inside the premises. These include the type of production, what the process looks like, what particles or gases are generated, what the premises look like and, not least, how the ventilation system has been adapted to the various work steps in the business.

Manufacturing industries often generate a large amount of substances and pollutants in the air, such as dust and metal fragments, but also other particles and harmful gases depending on the activities performed. Air pollution can affect both the working environment and the health of employees – as well as the technical purity, quality and service life of products. The particles formed can also lead to clogging of machinery, which can ultimately result in significant costs for production stoppages, maintenance and cleaning. Therefore, it is important to consider an air cleaning solution when needed.

A complementary solution

The ventilation system is needed to regularly exchange outdoor air with indoor air, which helps to regulate temperature, humidity and oxygen levels and contribute to a comfortable indoor climate. Ventilation partly filters out pollutants in the air, but not all. By filtering out a high level of particles and gases generated inside the premises, air cleaners can be both a necessary and beneficial addition to the ventilation system.

Stand-alone air cleaners can also be customized with a unique set of filters depending on your needs. Often, several filter layers are combined to tailor the solution to specific particles. Some air cleaners are also designed specifically to deal with toxic gases the ventilation system cannot usually handle, such as cigarette smoke.

A practical and cost efficient solution

Air cleaners are not only a good complement to the ventilation system to ensure clean air, but also contribute to cost efficiency by recirculating and cleaning already heated indoor air, compared to continuously heating cold outdoor air. The flexibility provided by stand-alone units also allows for easy placement near production processes or sources of pollution. This flexibility makes stand-alone air cleaners an attractive and practical solution that does not require extensive conversions of the entire ventilation system.

Five key differences between ventilation and air cleaning

Ventilation systems contribute by exchanging outdoor and indoor air, by regulating the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels in the premises, but usually do not clean the air sufficiently from pollutants generated inside the premises.
Air cleaners effectively reduce the presence of particles and gases generated inside the premises by recirculating air through several filter stages.
Ventilation systems are stationary and difficult to adapt for local effect near sources of pollution.
Air cleaners are flexible, stand-alone solutions that allow for precision by customizing filters and placement. They can, for example, be easily installed to shower clean air over a sensitive process in the room or supply a room-within-a-room with purified air.
Air cleaners recirculate and clean already heated air, which is cost and energy efficient.

The importance of service and warranty

Regardless of the type of air cleaning solution used, it is important to be aware that air cleaners lose efficiency if they are not regularly maintained. Either the filters become full and must be replaced with new ones, or they require cleaning. Without monitoring and regular maintenance, you run the risk of having an air cleaner that doesn’t work optimally or may even degrade air quality.

Which air cleaner should you choose?

The most suitable air cleaner for your business depends on your needs, i.e. the type of particles or gases present in your premises, the size of the premises and the activities carried out there, etc. Do your research and consult an expert before making a decision.

One step closer to clean air

QleanAir develops stand-alone air cleaners that, with the help of different filter configurations, can be adapted to each unique need, depending on the environment. All our air cleaners use multi-stage mechanical filtration using particle and gas filters to capture air pollutants. In addition, the air cleaners are equipped with automatic flow control to ensure the same airflow over time regardless of filter saturation, helping to maintain optimal air quality in the room.

Depending on your needs, we deliver clean air as a service, with hassle-free installation, ongoing maintenance, upgrades and filter changes. Our unique Lifetime Performance Guarantee, guarantees that our air cleaners work over time.