When lead pastes are applied on X-ray matrices for the production of marking crosses and are then manually washed with solvents, pollutants are produced that complicate working conditions and require high safety standards. For example, the company AgfaGevaert HealthCare from Schrobenhausen has to carry out this process in a separate ATEX-room (Atmosphères Explosives) and at the same time equip its employees with respiratory protection masks. This results in an increased workload for employees.

“In order to improve working conditions, we have developed an individual system solution that significantly improves the quality of the workplace and also meets the customer’s increasing occupational health and safety requirements,” explained Gisela Klepp, Managing Director of Klepp Absauganlagen.

Klepp, based in Bad Aibling, Germany, designs and manufactures individual system solutions for capturing and cleaning working air of pollutants. Klepp is a specialist in extraction plants and filter systems. All filter systems are assembled by hand from system components “Made in Germany” into high-quality individual items tailored to the customer’s specific needs.

In Agfa-Gevaert’s individual system solution, the specialists at Klepp designed height-adjustable extraction tables with integrated edge slot suction on the underside of three workstations. That way, the pollutants produced during the application of the solvents are collected directly from the table and led below the work surfaces to the Klepp ATEX filter system for cleaning. The cleaned air is then returned to the workspace.

When designing the work tables and selecting the appropriate filter system, the experts paid particular attention to ensuring a smooth work process.

“To ensure that the activities can continue to be carried out without restrictions, we opted for the solution of an under-table extraction system in the design, as this means that the heavier pollutants in the air are collected directly,” said Klepp. In addition to the tables, a small scale which is used to weigh lead pastes, was also equipped with an under-table extraction system in order to completely capture and remove the pollutants directly as they arise.

Albrecht Grünwald, production manager at Agfa-Gevaert HealthCare, commented: “The newly designed system solution has enabled us to eliminate our challenges in solvent application and at the same time improve the working conditions of our employees, since from now on no respiratory masks have to be worn when cleaning the stencils,” emphasizes “Therefore, the experts from Klepp have even exceeded our high demands through their experience with this solution.”

For more information, visit: www.klepp.de