Control of Wood Dust for Horizontal Belt Sanders and Shapers. Engineering Controls

摘要

Control methods were developed for reducing wood dust emissions from belt sanders and wood shapers used in furniture manufacturing facilities and auto model shops. An inexpensive auxiliary ventilation system was developed for horizontal belt sanders that reduced the dust emitted into the workroom by over 75%. The device consisted of a narrow auxiliary hood located between the surface of the belt and the work table downstream of the sanding operation, and an air jet dust stripper located inside the main hood. The device does not interfere with the operation of the belt sander, costs little to install, requires minimal maintenance, and can extend belt life. For the wood shaping operation, when shaping straight pieces of wood into door trim and similar operations, an exhaust system was designed to prevent significant emissions. Dust count reductions of from 16:1 up to 120:1 were expected using the newly designed hood.