Pipe manufacturer improves employee comfort, reduces waste with air cleaning system

LK Pex manufactures pipes used in under-floor heating, radiator heating, and tap water systems, as well as braided hoses. Based in Ulricehamn, Sweden, the company has 85 employees working on 14 production lines to deliver about 197 million feet of pipe to the heating, ventilation, sanitation, and plumbing industries in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the efficient and high-speed pipe production process and the raw materials create dust and other airborne residues in the facility, which negatively affects employees’ work environment. For some workers, the dust caused red eyes, dry skin, and rashes.

LK Pex tried several corrective actions to tackle the dust problem, including fans, filters, and increased ventilation, as well as large-scale cleaning efforts with compressed air to remove the built-up dust in the ventilation system and on the surfaces of production equipment. This strategy was not efficient enough to resolve the dust problem fully, so the company went in search of a more productive way to improve the working environment for its operators.

Resolution

In 2018 Zehnder Clean Air Solutions reached out to LK Pex to discuss how it could help the company and its employees. After several meetings, Zehnder’s team conducted thorough dust and air-quality measurements to assess the magnitude of the problem. The two companies worked together to design a system that would filter the air efficiently, eliminating excessive cleaning and creating a healthier work environment for employees.

Zehnder first installed 14 CleanAir 6 units in 2018. LK Pex was so impressed with the results that it extended the installation to include an additional six units in 2019. Both installations went smoothly: The first installation took one day, and the second took half a day to get up and running.

The air was cleaned within two days without any disruption to the factory’s production. There was no temporary shutdown or closure of any section of the production lines during installation.

Overall, the dust particle concentration in the building has been reduced by up to 50% on average and 88% during peak times. One year later, air-related complaints from employees have decreased substantially, with rashes, red eyes, and skin irritations nearly eliminated.

In addition, LK Pex has saved time and money on cleaning efforts, with required cleaning decreasing from once a month to about three times a year. The cleaner working environment has helped the manufacturer maintain high standards and stable product quality while reducing waste.