As the name indicates, a dust collector system traps dust particles and purifies the air. It is an industrial piece of equipment that’s used in wood or metal working processes. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about these machines.

What Are Dust Collectors?

These systems are designed to filter air. Dust collector systems are available in a wide range of designs and sizes. You’ll find much smaller designs that are suitable for small woodshops or larger, more robust machines that are used in industrial sites. You can also opt for customer dust collection systems that are tailor-designed to attain better air quality and higher levels of sanitation.

Why Do We Need Dust Collector Systems?

The answer to this question is fairly straightforward – to comply with dust-control government regulations. Dust collector systems also contribute to employee safety, ensuring the air is cleaner. In some cases, these systems may also help you reduce cost and reduce the risk of fire hazards.

Where Are They Used?

Dust collector systems are commonly used in the manufacturing sector where excess dust and fumes in the air can be detrimental to an employee’s health and safety. They can be found in:

  • Factories
  • Woodworking shops
  • Welding shops
  • Chemical processing plants
  • Factories
  • Other manufacturing facilities and plants

How Do Dust Collectors Work?

This piece of equipment essentially works by sucking in air and passing it through a thorough filtration system. The clean air is exhausted and the dust particles and impurities are deposited in a collection area which can be disposed of.

Benefits of Dust Collector Systems

Installing a dust collector system offers the following benefits:

  • Reduces Operational Costs: Using a dust collector prevents dust accumulation in expensive machines and equipment. This can help cut down operational costs and prolong the life of the equipment. Not to mention, all this contributes to reduced maintenance costs as well.
  • Contributes to Health & Safety: At VeriCUT, we’re serious about health and safety. Having a dust collector system contributes to cleaner air and a better working environment for your employees. This will automatically reduce the number of on-job-injuries and reduce the risks of respiratory diseases.
  • Reduces the Risk of Fires: Excess dust accumulation in machinery can act as a dangerous fire hazard. Installing a dust collector takes care of this problem, thus reducing the risk of fires.
  • Results in Improved Product Quality: Reduced dust accumulation in machinery results in better performance and reduced wear and tear.

What Are the Different Components in a Dust Collector System?

A well-designed dust collection system consists of several important components. These range from collector hoods to ductwork, material separators, fans, and various types of air locks and valves.

Can Ductwork Design Affect the Performance of a Dust Collector System?

Despite it being the largest component of a dust collection system, the ductwork design of a dust collector system is often overlooked. Essentially, it is the transportation network that will provide the pathway for the dusty air to move from one place to another. Its size, including the number of side streams, will depend on the size of the dust collecting system you have installed.

Like any good transportation system, well-designed ductwork layouts mostly consist of straight lines. This controls the overall size and reduces the friction-based losses in flow and velocity of the air moving within them.

Another factor determines how well a ductwork design will perform for example; its diameter. Correct diameters ensure the velocity and flow of air are balanced to move the dust. The diameter of ductwork is influenced by the material being conveyed and how long the distance is between the collector and pickup points. Subsequent improvements, such as altering the fan rotation speed and addition of dampers, to duct design should also be taken into account as to how they affect the performance of the whole dust collector system.

A dust collector system that fails to do its job or doesn’t perform at its peak may directly impact a company’s bottom line. It will have an impact on both the health and safety of the workers of the said organization. Besides choosing the right system, it is also imperative that companies run periodic system performance evaluations on it. Understand that all dust collection systems don’t have the same characteristics or requirements. A customization of the design is necessary when the situation demands specific considerations be met. So, begin by informing yourself about these basics of system design and operation and then contact us to arrive at more informed judgments when it comes to dust collector systems performance.

Want to Learn More?

Want to learn more about the dust collector system? Visit our site and if you have any further questions please feel free to contact our team at VeriCUT. Our specialists will be happy to reach out to you and help you pick out the perfect dust collector system for your woodshop.

A downdraft table works as a self-contained filtration system. It’s not only portable, but also customizable and multipurpose – in that, you can also use it as your workstation, dust collectors, and fume extractors. Simply put, downdraft tables will remove harmful particulates from the immediate environment and replace dusty air with filtered, breathable air. You will discover how they work and the way they can be customized for lower operating costs and better performance.

What Are Downdraft Tables?

Consider these as indoor air quality devices that work without external ventilation. They will draw-down air during finishing processes, such as welding, sanding, and grinding. Thus, the dust-laden air and fumes can be removed from the breathing zones of workers. The filters on downdraft tables can snatch up particles as small as .5 microns. Pulse-jet blasts of compressed-air ensure that those filters function at peak operational efficiency.

What Are the Different Types of Downdraft Tables?

The two basic types are wet and dry downdraft tables. Wet downdraft tables have both a liquid – usually water, and a standard filter element. They are more commonly employed for the capture of flammable/explosive metal dust. On the other hand, dry downdraft tables have only a standard filter element that catches smoke, fumes, and vapors.

Why Do We Need Downdraft Tables?

Workers can use a downdraft table as a working bench. Before starting a finishing process, such as sanding, they switch it on. That creates a downdraft airflow, which will catch the debris they remove and suck it down. This prevents the dust from ending up in the eyes, nose, or lungs. Additionally, any shavings and bits of materials will also get sucked down. Consequently, the working area remains clean and provides maximum visibility to workers.

Where are they used?

Generally, downdraft tables are perfect for the following applications:

  • Sanding & Woodworking: They produce fine dust that can be easily inhaled and cause health issues later on. 
  • Welding: particularly heavier-duty welding applications, such as MIG, TIG, and stick welding. A downdraft table will reduce the risk of inhalation of carcinogenic fumes.
  • Deburring: Abrasives used in polish or finishing can produce toxic/hazardous fumes.
  • Grinding: Involves the production of fine particles from the metal and plastic refuse.
  • Cutting: More specifically plasma cutting – a cleaner table can improve overall productivity
  • Mixing: To prevent the powders and granules in use escaping into the air and into the workers’ lungs. 
  • Chemical Preparation & Processing of Explosive Materials

How Do Downdraft Tables Work?

Essentially, a downdraft table will suck in air and force it through a filtration system. The dust particles and impurities get deposited in a collection area for disposal. The resulting exhaust then consists of clean air.

Benefits of Downdraft Tables

A feature that makes sure downdraft tables stand out from other dust collecting systems is that they also get rid of fumes. Some relevant benefits based on specific applications include:

  • The personnel at small welding firms, can prevent endangering their well-being due to the carcinogenic fumes their job exposes them to.
  • Woodworkers run higher risks of injuries in cluttered workspaces. Downdraft tables can help take care of that problem by maintaining a clean surface area. 
  • Fitting a downdraft table with a filter for solid particles can protect those who work with metals. They face a lowered chance of injuring themselves on metal chips or inhaling metallic particulates.
  • For more specialization, an industrial custom downdraft table can also be equipped with heavy-duty work surfaces, spark guards, and exhaust chimneys.

Find other benefits these tables can provide for your employees.

The VeriCUT Difference

Our experts are well-known for the crafting of the unique and custom downdraft table for every client. Two main traits set our downdraft tables apart from the others:

  •  A revolutionary zonal design
  • Continuous improvement

VeriCUT creations are based on zone-by-zone ducting design. Simply put, that means your dust collection system clears the area immediately affected by cutting. There’s a clean workspace at all times and the custom downdraft table fulfills its capacity requirements while reducing the energy needed to do so.

The results of these innovations are:

  • Reduced air make-up costs
  • About 40% larger capacity and thus, higher dust recovery rates
  • ROI in under 8 months
  • About 7-80% lower operating costs
  • Close to 100% greater green-light operating time
  • Almost zero maintenance time and efforts

Find out more about possible customization options that specifically suit the way your employees will be using a custom downdraft table here. If you have any further questions regarding a custom downdraft table feel free to contact us, and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.

Downdraft tables are useful for any type of machining, including plasma cutting. Take a closer look at how these tables can improve your plasma cutting. 

A Brief Introduction to Downdraft Tables

Downdraft tables are a type of workbench that includes ventilation built into the unit. This ventilation is designed to bring smoke, fumes, and dust away from the current project as well as the person working on it. Most downdraft tables achieve this goal with perforations connected to a dust collection system or ventilation that draws the materials like smoke and dust away. 

Benefits of Downdraft Tables

From health to efficiency, downdraft tables are associated with a number of benefits. Overall, these tables can improve various aspects of the work area. 

  • Fire minimization benefits: Some excess dust, like oxy-acetylene and plasma, could start a fire. By controlling this dust, downdraft tables reduce the risk of fire. 
  • Health benefits: Breathing in the smoke and dust present without a downdraft table can lead to long-term health issues. These include continuous coughing, throat and lung cancer, asthma, eye irritation, and more. Therefore, downdraft tables protect employees from these health problems. Businesses can also avoid expenses related to sick employees, such as workers’ compensation claims and training of new workers. 
  • Legal benefits: Downdraft tables help employers provide a safe, clean workspace, showing compliance with the OSHA and other regulations. 
  • Monetary benefits: The reduction in fire risk and improvement in employee safety associated with downdraft tables frequently leads to lower insurance rates. 
  • Productivity benefits: Having a clean and safe working space improves productivity. Visibility and accuracy are higher, helping employees work more efficiently with fewer mistakes. There is less time wasted on cleaning, and workers need fewer breaks to cough or clean their safety glasses. 
  • Quality benefits: Having dust in the air can result in poorer quality work, such as when dust ends up in paint booths. This can require rework, lead to an increase in products not up to quality standards, and lost clients.

How They Can Help in Plasma Cutting

When it comes to plasma cutting downdraft tables, you will notice many of the above benefits, including improving the quality of the work and productivity.  

About Plasma Cutting

Plasma cutting uses jets featuring hot plasma to cut through electrically conductive materials. It is suitable for cutting copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and steel. 

Just some of the common uses of plasma cutting include fabrication, auto restoration and repair, salvage, scrapping, and industrial construction. 

Why It Is Used

Plasma cutting is commonly used because of its ability to deliver precise cuts at high speeds while maintaining low costs. Overall, plasma cutting provides a range of benefits, including: 

  • Automation: Plasma cutting allows for automation. 
  • Improved speed: Plasma cutting is twice as quick as using oxyfuel, with 2-inch-thick metal. It even has a higher cutting speed when used with thinner metals. Plasma cutting can increase the speed by 12 times or more. 
  • Improved speed for inside piercing: Plasma cutting also increases the speed of cuts for interior piercing. 
  • Less dross: The dross or oxide slag from oxyfuel cutting sticks to cuts, requiring grinding or chiseling to get off. By contrast, the high-temp gas in plasma cutting is electrically charged and removes this molten metal from the cuts. 
  • No (or less) plate warping: Plate warping is a common issue with thin materials cut with other methods, but not with plasma cutting thanks to the fast speeds involved, which limit the exposure to heat. 
  • Safe: Plasma cutting relies on non-flammable gas, making it safer than processes using flammable gases. 
  • Underwater option: You can also set up plasma cutting to take place underwater, further reducing the noise and heat exposure. 
  • Versatility for materials: Plasma cutting is also versatile enough to work with a full range of electrically conductive materials, including all non-ferrous metals. 

How a Downdraft Table Can Help 

Using a plasma cutting downdraft table combines many of those benefits of a downdraft table with those of plasma cutting. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to improve the quality of the cuts, combined with a boost to productivity. 

The downdraft table removes fumes and particles that can interfere with visibility while using plasma cutting. That lack of visibility slows down productivity while reducing the accuracy of cuts. By contrast, with a downdraft table, workers can clearly see the area, making it easier for them to create precise, accurate cuts and, therefore, improve productivity. 

Compared to the common alternative of using water to control fumes from plasma cutting, downdraft tables are easier to clean, cost less initially, eliminate the issue of rust, and improve the quality of the cuts on steel. 
To start taking advantage of the benefits that a plasma cutting downdraft table provides, explore the VeriCUT website. You’ll learn more about our services, including creating custom downdraft tables to enhance your plasma cutting.

Machine shops can serve a variety of purposes, as the term refers to anywhere that machining takes place. This means that as long as your shop takes raw materials and converts them to a different shape and size, it is a machine shop. Machine shops can include inspection equipment, welding machines, drill presses, milling machines, metal lathe machines, grinding machines, and more. Machine shops can be part of numerous industries, from aircraft to automotive to customized parts. 

The Poor Air Quality Typical of Machine Shops

Unfortunately for those who work in machine shops, as well as those who run them, the metalworking that is so common in machine shops can generate pollutants and debris. Just some of the potential pollutants include hexavalent chromium, lead, and manganese in fumes, as well as dust and oil mist. The risk associated with these pollutants and debris is so strong that OSHA carefully monitors metalworking facilities and has regulations in place for air quality. 

Most of the air quality issues associated with machine shops are from fumes and weld smoke. The specific problem depends on the materials and processes used. Generally, welding results in between 1 and 2 percent of the metal for weld-joining becoming particulate that can collect. It increases to 6 to 8 percent for aluminum welding. 

How Poor Machine Air Shop Quality Can Affect Workers’ Health

In addition to the need to improve air quality enough to meet OSHA standards, improving the air quality at machine shops is in the best interests of the workers and owners. 

OSHA reports that workers who are exposed to welding fumes for brief periods of time can experience nausea, dizziness, and irritation of the throat, nose, and eyes. With prolonged exposure, there is a risk of lung damage as well as cancer in the lungs, urinary tracts, or larynx. It is also possible for some machine shop fumes to cause nervous system damage, kidney damage, stomach ulcers, or metal fume fever over time. In confined machine shops without proper ventilation, there is also the risk of carbon dioxide, argon, or helium levels in the air increasing, causing suffocation. 

Welding is not the only issue, as some of those issues are shared with other types of machining. Machining also commonly uses lubricants or fluids that can lead to fine mists of oil in the machine shop. They can irritate the lungs, throat, nose, skin, or eyes when inhaled. Longer exposure can result in chronic bronchitis, asthma, cancer, lung fibrosis, and impaired lung functionality. There is also a slip-and-fall risk. 

Employees are more likely to be satisfied with their workplace if they do not have to worry about safety concerns. This prevents the need for repeatedly wasting time to hire and train new workers. Additionally, healthy employees will be more productive and less likely to have to take time off work. 

As a bonus, improving the shop’s air quality can also help with certain tasks. For example, shops that use laser welding may notice lower-quality parts if there is too much smoke in the air, as this can reduce the intensity and delivery of the beam to the part. 

How Custom Downdraft Tables Offer a Solution

One of the most effective and simplest solutions to improve air quality in machine shops is to utilize downdraft tables. Downdraft tables are upgraded versions of typical workbenches that include built-in ventilation to draw dust, smoke, and fumes away from the materials and the workers. The result is dramatically improved air quality. 

Improve Worker Health

By improving the air quality, downdraft tables improve the health of workers. They reduce the risk of the various health-related problems that workers could experience from inhaling smoke and dust, such as eye irritation, asthma, sneezing attacks, continuous coughing, throat or lung cancer, and sneezing attacks. 

Benefits of Improved Worker Health

As mentioned earlier, having healthier workers improves employee retention and satisfaction, reduces sick days, improves productivity, and can reduce claims for worker’s compensation. 

Specific Advantages with VeriCUT

VeriCUT’s downdraft tables are engineered to uniformly and effectively draw smoke away across the entire width of the table. This can even include smoke that is up to two or three feet higher than the table. That ability reduces the risk of the dust, smoke, and fumes spreading throughout the rest of the shop. The VeriCUT Downdraft System also has a dust recovery rate of up to 99% and air ducts with a capacity that is 40% greater than the standard size. 
Start improving the air quality in your machine shops by exploring downdraft tables and other options from VeriCUT.

When you run a woodworking shop, an efficient dust collection system is more than an optional add-on. The issues that can arise from fugitive dust go beyond a messy workshop: wood dust is highly combustible and can present a health and safety hazard. In this blog, we’ll review the various ways that downdraft tables can make your woodworking facility a cleaner and safer place to work. 

What Is a Downdraft Table?

Downdraft tables are workbenches with a built-in system for drawing smoke, fumes, and dust away from the work area and sending it into a dust collection system, where it is filtered before being released back into the environment. Unlike other types of dust collectors, such as cyclones and baghouses, they double as a work surface for cutting, sanding, welding, and other operations involving wood, plastics, metal, and certain other materials. In general, you won’t have to invest in a separate dust collection system, so you save money.

How Does Downdraft Tables Support Woodworking?

Woodworking facilities such as pallets and furniture manufacturers can generate huge volumes of sawdust. These fine particles can cause breathing problems if they get into your respiratory system and larger pieces often fly up during the cutting or sanding process, making it difficult to see during production. Impaired vision can also lead to accidents and employee injury.

When you install a downdraft table, this wood dust is captured while the employees work, preventing it from becoming a health or safety problem. The system also stops sawdust from getting into expensive machinery and electronics so that you don’t encounter unexpected repairs and downtime.

Downdraft tables are also used in metalworking applications, which involve a lot of grinding, welding, cutting, polishing, and other processes that generate toxic fumes and hazardous dust. When inhaled, these pollutants can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and even serious health complications. Downdraft tables prevent this outcome by drawing in contaminated air, filtering it, and sending a purified version back into the environment. 

The VeriCUT downdraft system uses industry-leading technology to effectively and efficiently extract airborne contaminants from the work area. Advantages include:

  • Dust recovery rates of up to 99%. Your employees will be protected from airborne pollutants and there is reduced risk of downtime due to illness.
  • Debris removal occurs directly at the cutting/sanding source. The air draw is localized instead of taking place across the entire table.
  • The table air ducts have a capacity that is 40% larger than the standard. This means that more dust is captured without incurring extra energy costs.
  • There are no internal flanges to interfere with steady airflow.
  • Air make-up costs are reduced via the zone-by-zone ducting design. Zone activation is mechanical: there are no costly electronics, hydraulics, or pneumatics involved.
  • Duct doors are laser-cut and precision-fitted to maximize air draw efficiency.
  • Telescopic ducting is available for extra-long tables, so if you manufacture large workpieces, we have a system that can accommodate you.
  • Compact design that won’t require you to make expensive alterations to your facility.
  • The slag trays are removable, reducing maintenance downtime by up to 400%.

VeriCUT downdraft tables also come with software that allows them to scale back when not in operation. This feature allows you to specify setback parameters and save up to 80% a year in energy costs. One study found that the VeriCUT system saved $9,000 in electricity expenses compared to a similar system. These numbers indicate that you will realize a return on your investment in a relatively short amount of time.

Contact a Trusted Canadian Downdraft Table Provider

At VeriCUT, our high-quality, industry-grade woodworking downdraft tables can eliminate shop challenges due to poor air quality and dust accumulation. Whether you manufacture furniture in high-volume quantities or run a smaller artisan-style facility, our systems will keep your employees safer, save you money, and keep the business productive. We are also Canadian-owned and operated and proud to support local businesses with their dust collection needs. For more information or to speak with one of our specialists, please contact VeriCUT Inc.

Downdraft tables give you the best of both worlds. You get a work surface designed specifically for your application and a dust collection technology that draws smoke, dirt, dust, and shavings away from the work area. This contaminated air is filtered before being sent back into the environment, reducing energy loss and making expensive exhaust systems unnecessary.

For years, VeriCUT Inc. has been a leading manufacturer of high-performing and energy-efficient downdraft tables for metal and woodworking applications. In this blog, we’ll provide an overview of the various ways that these systems can improve your operation.

Create a Healthier and Safer Workplace

When you work with metal and wood, it can release pollutants into the atmosphere. When inhaled, fumes, fine particles, and smoke can all be dangerous to a worker’s health and lead to both short and long-term illnesses and complications. Larger particles can even interfere with one’s line of sight, increasing the risk of an accident.

Downdraft tables are designed to maintain the health and safety of your workforce, especially if you deal with welding, composites, plastics, and other applications that produce large amounts of toxic dust.  When you support a clean work environment, it sustains a healthy workforce and eliminates downtime or production delays due to illnesses.

VeriCUT industrial downdraft tables remove 99% of the smoke from the breathing zone of all employees working at the table. The high-efficiency smoke draw system pulls in contaminated air, preventing your shop from dangerous dust accumulation and preserving indoor air quality. 

Reduce Energy Waste

Most dust collectors run 24-7, even when the facility does not have round-the-clock operations. Studies have indicated that welding, cutting, and other operations that generate dust and smoke are seldom active more than 30% of the time, which means that anywhere between 70% and 80% of the electricity used to power these dust collection systems is wasted. 

VeriCUT downdraft tables automatically scale back on shutdown, so that your operating expenses are not inflated by unnecessary energy usage. We understand that every facility and even every production line is different, so our systems have an onboard software that lets you indicate setback parameters. This degree and control ensures that you only pay for the energy that you need- no more.

One case study reviewed how the VeriCUT system could make a huge difference in a facility’s yearly energy bill. A 13,000 cfm, 40hp downdraft table used 70% less energy than comparably-sized systems that did not scale back when not in use. The cost savings were as follows:

  • The VeriCUT system used $3,937 worth of energy that year while the other system used $13,124, representing a savings of $9,000.
  • The VeriCUT system used $1,848 worth of heat while the other used $6,160- a difference of over $4,300 per year.

In total, the VeriCUT technology had an annual operating cost of $5,785 while the other table incurred a cost of $19,284. This is money that could be used to invest in superior equipment that takes your facility to a whole new level.

Meet Legal Obligations

Across North America, there are federal as well as state/provincial and local regulations governing workplace safety. Depending on your operation, there may also be union rules in effect. In the U.S. the NFPA has mandated that all facilities undergo a dust hazard analysis and repeat the process every five years afterward.

By removing harmful smoke and preventing combustible dust build-up from your shop environment, you can meet your legal obligations to your employees and the environment, thereby reducing the risk of a stressful and time-consuming investigation or lawsuit. Your business will also be seen as a more desirable place to work.

VeriCUT- Your Trusted Downdraft Table Provider

At VeriCUT, we have been providing clients across Ontario with downdraft tables that support a healthier, more productive, and energy-efficient production line. We support a wide range of industries, from woodworking to metal fabrication and general manufacturing, and can design a system that meets the process-specific needs of your facility. To learn more about how we can contribute to the success of your business, please contact VeriCUT Inc.

All manufacturing facilities, no matter how big or small, can cut their carbon footprint and become more sustainable by changing the way they operate. This includes increasing the efficiency of indoor lighting, optimizing their HVAC use, and investing in production equipment that lets you manage their energy usage.

Dust collector efficiency can play a key role in improving the sustainability of your business. A system designed and programmed specifically for your operation and its schedule is a proven engineering control that removes dust and fumes from the air while minimizing energy waste.

At VeriCUT, we have spent over 10 years designing, developing, and engineering next-generation downdraft cutting tables. Our commitment to the community and the environment at large is reflected in the dust collector systems that we make available to clients across a wide range of industries. In this blog, we’ll review the ways that our equipment makes your shop sustainable as well as safe.

Cleans the air 99%

Downdraft tables operate by drawing fumes and dust away from the breathing zones of personnel working at the table. Our dust collectors have a smoke draw system that pulls polluted air with equal efficiency across the full width of the table. Airborne debris from as far away as three feet above the table can be drawn in, preventing your shop from being contaminated with dust build-up. Because smoke removal is 99% with VeriCUT systems, indoor (and outdoor) air quality remains healthy.

Prevents energy waste

Studies have confirmed that at most facilities, the operations that generate fumes and dust are rarely active more than 30% of the time, while dust collectors are constantly in operation. This means that upwards of 70 to 80% of the power used to run the system is wasted.

When you install a VeriCUT system, you benefit from greater dust collector efficiency because the dust control variable motor automatically scales back upon shutdown and remains in that state until the system is needed again. Every production line or workshop has its own unique needs in terms of operating schedule, so our downdraft tables include a software that allows owners and operators to specify the set-back parameters. You only use and pay for the energy you really need.

Reduced energy waste also translates into a huge cost savings. One case study reviewed how much money could be saved on utility costs for a plasma cutting table with a 13,000 cfm, 40hp dust collector. It used 70% less power than other, similar dust collectors at sites that operated 80 hours a week and produced the following savings:

  • Over $9,000 in energy costs for the year. The system controlled by the VeriCUT software cost $3,937 while the other system cost $13,124.
  • Over $4,300 per year in heating costs. The VeriCUT system incurred a heating cost of $1,848 for the year while the other system came to $6,160.

In total, the cutting table with the VeriCUT system cost $5,785 to operate for the year while the table without the software scale-back control cost $19,284. It was a total win-win for the customer and the environment.

Enjoy a reputation for being an environmentally-friendly business

Facility owners and managers are required to meet all applicable environmental requirements as well as quality requirements as outlined by ISO 14000. However, the benefits of compliance are not limited to regulatory approval. 

When your business is publicly perceived as one that makes a sincere effort to reduce waste and pollution, it sends the message that you are doing your part to make the community safer and healthier. Many consumers and businesses have stated that they prefer to support companies with sustainable operating practices. A VeriCUT dust collector can resolve many of the environmental problems associated with manufacturing and elevate your standing in both the community and the industry.

Contact a trusted Canadian downdraft table provider

At VeriCUT, we are proud to use our knowledge and resources to improve downdraft technology and help our customers operate a cleaner, safer, and ‘greener’ facility. We specialize in custom solutions, so contact VeriCUT Inc. to learn how we can help you reduce your carbon footprint while enjoying cost savings and superior productivity.

Metal downdraft tables are increasingly popular in workshops that generate a lot of dust and fumes on their work surfaces. They pull contaminated air away and downward, removing it from the worker’s breathing area and preventing dirt and debris from building up on fixtures and equipment. Cutting, grinding, and welding are all applications that can be made safer and more efficient by installing a downdraft table.

How a metal downdraft table works

Downdraft tables are built-in ventilation systems for workstations. They are designed to catch and filter dust, smoke, and fumes. A blower installed under the table’s surface sucks in the air, which is enclosed in an airtight space to prevent contaminants from getting out. The air is then filtered through the ventilation system to eliminate any impurities before being sent back into the environment.

What are the health and safety benefits of metal downdraft tables?

Downdraft tables accomplish two important workplace goals: protecting employees and meeting industry-specific workplace standards. VeriCUT’s mechanical systems will deliver the following health and safety benefits to your facility:

  • Minimize employee exposure to contaminated air. A metal downdraft table can help prevent coughing, sneezing, and throat phlegm build-up triggered by exposure to airborne pollutants. Your employees won’t be forced to take production-limiting sick days or risk serious illnesses like lung and throat cancer, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and eye irritation, all of which can inspire workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits.
  • Meet your legal obligations. There are laws and regulations in place that require employers to provide a safe and healthy work environment. By eliminating dangerous dust and smoke from your building, you can meet your legal obligations and avoid fines and sanctions by industry regulators.
  • Eliminate fire and explosion hazards. Many types of industrial dust are flammable or combustible. Plasma and oxy-acetylene dust in particular represent a serious fire risk, so if you do a lot of welding and cutting, installing an automatic downdraft table is a proactive move that can protect your workforce and prevent property damage. 

Our industrial downdraft cutting tables make sure that you’re up for the challenge of maintaining high air quality in a busy machine shop. By capturing and removing dust and smoke at the source, you’ll enjoy the following advantages:

  • Manufacture quality products without putting the building at risk for a dust fire or explosion
  • Prevent dangerous powders and granules from getting into the air during mixing operations
  • Eliminate fumes created by painting, soldering, or welding, which have been known to cause headaches, dizziness, and serious health issues

We have provided metal downdraft tables to clients in different industries across North America. For example:

  • A 24’ x 13.3’ downdraft system was shipped to Illinois to grace the showroom of a high-profile client. The signature VeriCUT design, combined with a slat frame concept developed by the client, allows lasers to cut through two-inch thick steel plate using up to 10 kilowatts of power, all the while clearing the surrounding air of harmful pollutants.
  • This 16’ wide x 66’ long downdraft table system was manufactured to meet the needs of a client’s operation in Minnesota. Their employees can operate the cutting machine without worrying about exposure to airborne toxins.
  • This super-sized 12’ x 200’ system supports multiple-machine plasma cutting and beveling. Productivity remains high without compromising indoor air quality. We can design a system to meet the most unique or demanding applications.

With a downdraft table in place, your workforce will thrive in a dust-free environment, which means fewer sick days and lost production time due to air quality issues. Everyone will be able to breathe easier (including you!) and your operation will realize both short and long-term cost savings.

Contact a trusted Canadian downdraft table provider

At VeriCUT, we design, manufacture, and install metal downdraft tables that can eliminate harmful dust generated by workstations dealing with wood, metal, plastics, composites, and welding. Each table is custom-designed to meet the ventilation needs of your facility, so your exposure to harmful dust particles will be limited and everyone on the premises will breathe in cleaner, purer air.  To schedule a consultation to discuss your dust collection needs, please contact VeriCUT Inc.

Downdraft cutting tables are gaining in popularity as an effective and sustainable method of dust and smoke collection and removal, particularly in plasma and laser cutting applications. While the plate is being cut, a blower pulls air out of the enclosed table underneath, preventing unhealthy smoke from escaping into the building.

VeriCUT manufactures downdraft cutting tables with a zoned design, meaning that they are divided into sections (zones). A duct runs down the length of the table, with an opening in each zone where it pulls in smoke right at the cutting source. Our tables improve the air quality in manufacturing and production environments where dust and fumes are produced, with a smoke capture and removal rate of 99%. Because the system draws smoke only in the cutting area instead of across the whole table, no energy is wasted and you can save money.

The VeriCUT system also has a dust control variable motor that automatically scales back when your production lines are closed down for the day. Although dust collectors rarely operate for over 30% of a production shift, they run constantly, which means that you’re paying for energy that you’re not actually using. Our software allows you to specify your preferred set-back parameters, so that the system runs only when needed. One case study actually showed that a typical first-year return on investment (ROI) is 161%.

VeriCUT Crossflow™ Downdraft Cutting Table

The mechanical VeriCUT Crossflow™ downdraft cutting table is our premier product. It delivers high-efficiency dust and smoke removal during laser, plasma, and oxy-acetylene cutting operations. Your staff remain productive without being exposed to potentially harmful particulates, your shop stays cleaner and, because the system is 100% mechanical, you’re not looking at expensive cylinder replacement costs or hydraulic / pneumatic component repairs. 

VeriCUT Downdraft Table with Messer MetalMaster Evolution

This exciting new technology combines our popular downdraft table with Messer MetalMaster Evolution to create a high-definition plasma cutting system. It can cut metal plates up to 1.5” thick, resulting in premium-quality aluminum and stainless steel parts without high expense associated with water jet cutting.

Other advantages include:

  • A more weld-friendly cut surface that avoids laser-oxide buildup. 
  • By only cutting with pure oxygen, porosity and nitrating are eliminated, so welders don’t have to grind the cut edges before welding parts together.
  • Our Sigmanest nesting software, which lets you save money by achieving minimal scrap.

VeriCUT Manual Downdraft Mini-Tables 

If you run a smaller shop or use unique welding or handheld plasma cutting applications, VeriCUT can design, manufacture, and install a manual downdraft mini-table that delivers maximum smoke capture efficiency despite its minimal footprint.

Why You Should Invest in a Downdraft Cutting Table

The advantages of installing a high-efficiency dust collector in your workplace include:

  • Improved workplace health and safety. Airborne dirt, gases, and chemicals can cause health issues and accumulate on surfaces, causing a fire or explosion hazard. High-efficiency dust collectors remove these pollutants from the air up to three feet above the worktable and reduce the risk of your employees becoming ill. 
  • Other equipment stays in good operating condition. When dust and debris collect on other equipment in your shop, it can get inside the gears and internal structures and affect the way these machines operate. Downdraft cutting tables will help your entire production line maintain optimal performance and limit expensive downtime.
  • Product quality is preserved. It doesn’t take long for airborne dirt and dust to settle over newly manufactured products and parts and damage their quality. By keeping these contaminants out of the air, all of your shipments will arrive at their destinations looking brand new.                           

Because they play such a critical role in the health and safety of your employees, the last thing you need is emergency dust collector repair during periods of peak production. To ensure that your people and processes remain at top efficiency, invest in a downdraft cutting table that needs practically no maintenance or repairs. This is where VeriCUT can make a huge difference in your operation.

Contact a trusted Canadian downdraft table provider

By installing VERICUT dust collectors throughout the production floor, you’ll continue to meet quotas and deadlines while maintaining an environmentally-safe workplace. To learn more about how we can support your operation, please contact VeriCUT Inc.

If you own or manage a facility that generates combustible dust, dust collection is a fundamental consideration. It doesn’t matter whether you run a large commercial metalworking operation or a smaller shop where you pursue a woodworking hobby: once dust accumulates, it can become dangerous. The solution: a professional dust collection system.

There are different types of dust safety solutions out there, from baghouses and cyclones to downdraft tables that filter smoke and particles created by grinding, welding, and polishing operations. In this blog, the team at VeriCUT will introduce and explain the important considerations in buying a professional dust collection system that works for you.

What to look for

When you’re on the market for a dust collector, there are six considerations that should inform your final purchase.

  • It must be able to capture different types of dust. Not all dust is powder-fine. Some processing operations produce larger particles that still present a combustion hazard. You need to invest in a system that captures all types and sizes of dust equally effectively.
  • It should be easy to maintain. While advanced problems should only be addressed by the pros, a good dust collector needs to be easy for you and your team to clean, maintain, and troubleshoot. A system that’s too complicated can also be too expensive to keep in efficient working order.
  • It should be compatible with your process. Not all professional dust collection systems operate the same way. For example, cyclones separate larger particles from the airstream, so they are recommended for applications that produce bigger debris, such as wood chips. Downdraft cutting tables, on the other hand, have built-in ventilation systems that capture and draw fumes, smoke and/or dust away from the work area, protecting both employees and the materials being worked on.
  • It should be energy-efficient. Most dust collection systems operate 24-7, but studies have shown that dust and fume-producing operations rarely account for over 30% of your facility’s operating time. The best machines will let you scale back the variable motor on shut down and leave it off until it’s needed again.

The VeriCUT advantage

If you want to invest in a professional dust collection system with a proven track record for energy-efficiency and reliable performance, VeriCUT will design, build, and install a machine that removes smoke and dust during laser, plasma, and oxy-acetylene cutting operations. Our proprietary Crossflow™ Downdraft Cutting Table clears the work area of contaminants, improving worker safety and productivity while lowering your energy costs and dust accumulation levels. The mechanical design also means more uptime and fewer costly repairs.

Features and advantages include:

  • A dust recovery rate of up to 99%.
  • A smoke draw system that evenly pulls in smoke across the full width of the table. The ducting has been specially engineered to have the same feet per minute air pull no matter where the cutting torch is working on the table.
  • Smoke can be drawn back down from as high as two or three feet across the table, helping to ensure that your facility does not become polluted by smoke and dust.
  • A zone-by-zone ducting design that saves you a lot in air take-up costs. The duct doors are laser-cut and precision-fitted to improve air draw efficiency.
  • The dust control variable motor automatically scales back when not in use, preventing unnecessary electrical costs. 

We understand that every client has unique dust and fume collection requirements for their space, which is why our downdraft cutting tables are custom designed and built. For added compatibility, we can do a retrofit on existing installations, make future expansion easy and cost-effective by using bolt-in-place, fully self-contained table modules, and offer optional features like under-the-table hidden caterpillar tracks for tight spaces.

Contact a trusted Canadian dust collection system provider

At VeriCUT, we have a national reputation for supplying unique and innovative professional dust collection systems for all industries, needs, and budgets. Our professional team will engineer a safe and reliable solution based on your business type, its processes, and the properties of the dust handled. Our systems are energy-efficient, require little to no repairs, and designed to make your facility a safer place to work. To schedule a consultation to discuss your dust collection needs, please contact VeriCUT Inc.