Dust Control Systems (DCS) recently partnered with spray finishing systems specialist, Gallito Ltd, on a project to design, manufacture and install two custom-built spray booths and a drying room, for long-standing customer Chilfen Joinery.
Based in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, Chilfen employs around 70 people and operates from a modern 33,000ft2 manufacturing facility. The company provides a bespoke joinery service to fit-out specialists, predominantly in the commercial and retail sectors.
Commenting on the project, Michelle Dear, joint managing director of the family-run concern, says: “Having reviewed our operation over the last 18 months we identified the need to upgrade our spraying facility to enable us to satisfy increased demand for our sprayed products. We invited DCS to put forward their proposals for two replacement spray booths and a drying room. The drying room was seen as a very important addition in order to increase throughput without compromising the quality of our finished products.”
DCS engineers, working closely with manufacturer Gallito, came up with a scheme which involved the fabrication of two new spray booths, providing a total spraying area of 540ft2, together with a 210ft2 interconnecting drying room which enables finished product to remain in an isolated, dust-free environment until completely dry.
Mike Stephenson of Gallito explains: “Chilfen’s new spraying facility was designed specifically to suit their production requirements. It provides the necessary air flow to meet current legislation, and the control system ensures maximum life is achieved from the filter media and that emissions fully comply with current and future requirements.
“A balanced air extraction / input system, incorporating fan speed control and fan silencing, draws air into the drying enclosure and spray booths from high level in the factory where the air is warmest. This considerably aids the drying process and, because Chilfen generates heat for the factory by burning wood waste, warm air is a plentiful commodity.
“Also, unlike the old system which could only operate for around six hours a day, the new facility is capable of running for over 12 hours at a time.”
Michelle Dear adds: “We now have a spraying and drying facility to be proud of, enabling us to finish products more quickly, and to a consistently high standard. Installation of the new plant also presented us with the opportunity to relocate the spraying facility to better suit production flow in the workshop and, as is always the case with DCS, the installation team worked around us with little or no disruption to production.” The old spray booths were removed and the new system was fully commissioned in just 10 days.
Dust Control Systems
Tel 0800 040 7116
Gallito
Tel 01937 844698
