Cleaning role
Bridgewood UK vacuum forming, polyurethane reinforcement and composite moulding processes with an array of materials to manufacture components and assemblies. The company wanted a safe method of removing unwanted material from both product and employee’s clothing, but had experienced issues with compressed air solutions.
“Here at Bridgewood we trim, cut and rout plastic mouldings” says Iain Douglas, technical manager. “Operators need to clean down between operations and machine processes primarily to stop cross-contamination of different plastics and colours. We have tried various types of compressed air guns, nozzles and restrictors and quite honestly have been unable to find a suitable solution”.
Douglas continues ‘We even investigated fitting OSHA compliant compressed air nozzles with regulated airlines as a solution, so each operator would have two airlines per position. One would be process air, non-restricted, and the other would be a regulated pressure with the OSHA gun. However, the problem with the OSHA compressed air gun and regulated air line is that the pressure was not enough to remove the plastic swarf from clothing! This also lead to concerns that regulators would be modified/tampered with to make them more powerful.”
Following an internet search by the company’s health & safety officer, ACI’s JetBlack cleaning station was discovered. Douglas continues: “Within a week of initially contacting ACI by telephone, I was visited by their business development manager. I was given a quick demonstration of how the unit worked and was also left with trial unit to play with for an agreed period of one week. However, I was so impressed with the unit’s performance I immediately requested an extension to the loan agreement as I knew that I needed to demonstrate it to other department managers."
Richard Clynes, MD of Bridgewood adds, “Bridgewood have an expectation and commitment to safe working”, and as a result of the successful trial and this attitude towards employee safety, the Company placed a purchase order for 11 JetBlacks Cleaning Stations.
Douglas explains. “All of the JetBlacks ordered have now been successfully installed and we are now educating and training all employees on the dangers of compressed air, and how to use the safe alternative that is the JetBlack. I have been so impressed with the JetBlack’s performance I have even made our local compressed air supplier as well as a number of key business partners aware of its abilities.”
