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Metal processing using laser and plasma releases pollutants into the ambient air. Fraunhofer IWS and partners have developed a filtration system that can effectively remove these substances from the air. The filter can be adapted to various materials and substances. In the future, this technology will be used in other applications, such as additive manufacturing.
When metal is processed with laser or plasma, particles and harmful gases and substances are released. Metal processing companies often use extraction and ventilation systems to remove these substances from the workplace. If this is not possible, employees will wear protective masks. As production becomes more and more automated (for example, using production robots), people are now paying less and less attention to emissions protection, because people will not permanently exist in the facility. “This is a problem because employees occasionally need to enter the facility for repairs and maintenance, and to monitor product quality,” said Jens Friedrich, manager of the Gas and Particle Filtration Group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Particles. Beam Technology IWS in Dresden. "In this case, employees don't know how much the air is actually polluted."
As part of a publicly funded project, Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden, Germany, and a company in Saxony have jointly developed a filtration system that can purify the air in the production plant while effectively adsorbing various pollutants. Today's standard is an activated carbon filtration system, such as retention of volatile organic compounds (VOC). However, metal processing companies and workshops also frequently release substances such as formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides and problematic sulfur compounds. Laser welding also releases particles of metal or welding material. So far, there has not been a system that can remove all substances from the air equally well. As part of the MultiFUN project, the partners developed this flexible filtration system for the first time. It consists of several interchangeable modules. Each filter level contains a filter medium that is specifically designed to remove specific substances from the ambient air. In addition to activated carbon, filtration systems also use zeolites and porous polymers, for example, so-called metal organic frameworks.
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In order to find a suitable filter material, Fraunhofer IWS researchers first tested a series of materials in the laboratory to understand their ability to adsorb various air pollutants. The best candidate was then integrated into the filtration system prototype, which was manufactured by Löbau's ULT company. Compared with the traditional filtration system, a distinguishing feature of this system is its sensor monitoring, which automatically detects when the filter medium is saturated with substances and needs to be replaced. The status of each filter level and pollutant category is separately displayed by colored LEDs. This means that only saturated filter levels need to be replaced.
Due to the increase in automation, the number of factory rooms where the air is not sufficiently purified has increased, such as 3D production facilities. "This is bound to cause conflict, because no one is involved, nothing will completely work out," Jens Friedrich said. "It is absolutely recommended to use a filter system to protect the health of employees in the long-term-even if they only enter the occasional area of automation." During the additive manufacturing process using 3D laser robots, a large number of particles are released. These particles can deposit and contaminate the room and the work piece. These particles can contaminate high-value products. If people slip and fall on the particles, they can also cause accidents and accumulate on the floor.
Fraunhofer IWS is currently working with a number of companies to develop a system specifically designed to filter pollutants and substances released during additive manufacturing. "Our institute has expertise in laser processing, materials and the development of the entire system," Friedrich said. "This makes us the right partner to develop this type of filter solution." He also believes that in the battery production and recycling process, there is an increasing need for filter systems to remove various substances in the air. This is especially the case, because metals such as nickel, manganese and cobalt are used there, and even at very low doses, they can form compounds that are harmful to health.
The MultiFUN project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Its partners include ULT AG from Löbau, SEMPA SYSTEMS GmbH from Dresden, textile manufacturers Norafin Industries GmbH and Fraunhofer IWS from Mildenau.
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