When paint shop support specialist Ultrimax Coatings Ltd relocated to new premises it had its new facility fitted out with an array of Gallito fume extraction equipment. As a supplier of Gallito equipment to its own customers, Ultrimax was obviously more than happy to have the same quality products installed for its own use.
Ultrimax Coatings is a family-owned business that has been serving the paint and coating industry since 1973 and, as Managing Director Giles Hoare explains: “It’s the continued support we receive from our loyal and growing customer base that’s made the move to our new premises a viable reality. The new facility provides us with three times the floorspace which will help us to achieve our goals for future growth and improved customer service, and it has enabled us to develop a bespoke production area.”
Ultrimax’s new production area with Gallito Paint Kitchen and ‘twin’ Fume Extraction HoodExtraction ductwork is configured to discharge via the back wall of the building… outside, the ductwork is capped with Swedish cowls
Although paint shop consumables and spray equipment have become a significant part of the company’s business, Ultrimax is primarily a manufacturer of protective coatings and high-performance industrial paint systems. In addition to its own-branded products, the company is also a distributor of Jotun Protective Coating products, and has long-term partnering relationships with the likes of 3M, Mirka and Devilbiss. As well as a new production area, the increased storage space now at its disposal allows Ultrimax to hold large quantities of stock lines ready for immediate dispatch.
Acquired in 2019 by Filtermist International, the Gallito brand itself was also established over 40 years ago. All Gallito equipment continues to be produced at the company’s manufacturing facility near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, and the equipment supplied for Ultrimax’s new premises was installed by Gallito engineers. The scope of supply included bespoke Fume Extraction Hoods, a Paint Kitchen, dismantling and re-installation of a Bench Booth that Gallito had previously installed at the old premises, along with design and installation of all internal and external ductwork.
A major consideration for the system design was the fact that extraction ductwork would not be permitted to exit directly through the roof of the building. Drawing on the extraction system design and installation expertise available within the Filtermist organisation, the ductwork was configured to exit through the back wall of the building, with vertical stacks neatly installed in a very narrow space to the rear, and topped off with Swedish cowls.
Internally, the key feature of the installation is a custom-designed twin extraction hood, with a central dividing wall. At over 5m in length, and almost 2.5m deep, the completed structure covers a working area of approximately 13m2 and provides a working height of 2.3 metres. The hooded construction effectively comprises two rows of five individual hoods, manufactured from folded galvanised steel panels, and each connected to the main 560mm diameter extraction ductwork. Fumes are drawn from the main duct by an internally-sited, ATEX-rated centrifugal fan, and expelled to atmosphere via the external ductwork stacks.
Arran Slingsby, Ultrimax’s Quality Manager, is delighted with the Gallito Paint Kitchen
This large unit is divided vertically by a galvanised steel wall to create two identical, adjacent work areas; allowing concurrent production of different coatings with no cross-contamination. Each side of the dividing wall provides fume extraction for a number of production processes and the work area is illuminated with integral fluorescent lighting. Transparent PVC strip curtains at each end of the unit allow clear visibility around the entire working area.
Gallito Paint Kitchens are designed to provide a safe environment for storing, mixing, thinning and blending paints, and are individually manufactured to meet customers’ specific needs. To minimise VOC emissions, Ultrimax actively work on reducing the use of solvents in their products and, as Filtermist’s sales engineer, Mike Lodge, explained: “For more demanding situations, Gallito Paint Kitchens can be double-skinned and insulated but, at Ultrimax, a single-skin, galvanised steel panel construction was sufficient for their needs. We laser cut and fold the steel sheet to ensure accurate alignment of the finished panels, and an airtight seal is achieved by the simple application of sealant during construction.”
Clean air enters the room by way of an inlet filter in the ceiling, and a roof-mounted extraction fan completes a full air change every minute; with extracted air being discharged to atmosphere via dedicated ductwork. Internally, the Gallito unit is fitted with 500mm deep steel workbenches along each side, leaving a central work area which is accessible from either end via self-closing, double-skinned and glazed doors.
A further bespoke extraction hood was installed above a section of standard workbench to remove any noxious emissions resulting from the charging of aerosol containers. The hood is 800mm deep and covers a 2.4 metre length of the worktop. The open front face is 1.2 metres high, and clear strip curtaining again provides good visibility as well as offering some protection to the work area. The project at Ultrimax’s new facility was completed with the installation of a 1500mm wide Gallito Dry Filter Bench-type Spray Booth that had been dismantled and transported from the old building. Gallito engineers installed the re-built booth and configured new extraction ductwork to discharge at the rear of the building.
Gallito is a Filtermist brand and part of the Absolent Group which operates globally, through subsidiary companies, manufacturing products for collecting oil mist, oil smoke and dust within almost all industrial sectors.
01952 290500
www.filtermist.co.uk
