Advanced technology improving LEV design

Phil Black - PII Editor 15/07/2024

306 3 minutes read

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Local Exhaust Ventilation Specialists Vent-Tech are extremely proud of their 20-year history of investing in training, equipment and technology to produce the best team and service possible. They are also proud to be at the forefront of raising standards within the LEV industry and making safety a priority for all.

LEV is not a one size fits all. Many factors need to be considered when it comes to LEV design. Environmental and operational factors will have a major impact on the required attributes of your LEV system, so it is of paramount importance that the design is correct.

Some of the factors that need to be considered include:

The size of work area
The properties of the hazardous material requiring control
The volume of the hazardous material
How the operators work
Does the solution cover the entire process
Are there any potential explosive risks

Vent-Tech starts every system with a design. The design service includes a detailed site survey, production of designs and a costing report.

During the design survey they look at the processes taking place, the amount and type of contaminants in the air and discuss the individual needs of the client. Afterall, a system that gets in the way of the operator is unlikely to be used properly.

During a Vent-Tech design visit the engineer will utilise a FARO Focus Core 3D Laser Scanner. This not only allows accurate measurements of buildings and work areas down to a few millimetres but also create accurate 3D models of client’s work areas. The days of sending an engineer to site with a tape-measure are gone and clients can now expect more from their LEV design service.

The accuracy of the scanner is incredible, and it takes into account any existing obstacles on walls, floors and ceilings, existing pipework, wall cabinets, other machinery or access points. This allows the design engineers to work out any logistical issues at the design stage, long before any parts are ordered, or any installation has begun.

The scanner allows Vent-Tech to create a truly bespoke LEV system that is not only fit-for-purpose but works seamlessly with the client’s work area and processes. They can plan ductwork routes to work around existing plant and how staff are using the facility.

After the 3D scans are imported into the CAD software via the cloud, any number of system designers can collaborate on a single project at any given time so every project can benefit from the years of experience that comes from having designed over 400+ bespoke LEV systems.

As the project starts to take shape, they can present a proposal to the client in an accurate model of the work area so that the client can properly visualise how the system will look. This is also very beneficial when discussing duct-runs and filter plant locations as images and videos of the areas being discussed can be shown with models of the plant in place. All of this leaves less ambiguity and a more accurate service. It also gives the client a confidence in knowing exactly what they can expect for their investment.

During the design service, airflow simulations are run to determine whether the hoods will provide adequate control based on the source of the contaminant. Any issues can be picked up long before installation takes place.

The client also benefits from seeing the proposed design in a model of their building, to truly bring the vision to life. Vent-Tech can even walk the client around their premises in 1^st person (similar to Streetview on Google maps).

When all the details have been agreed, Vent-Tech provide a design report to the client. As part of these design documents, they provide:

3D Design drawing showing:

Hoods, type, and size.
Ductwork, route, and size.
Discharge stack (if required), size and height.
Fan and filter (if required) location.

Design file, containing:

Analysis of hazardous substance and control options required.
Capture velocities at source of fumes.
Face velocities of hoods.
Transport velocities within ducting.
Discharge velocity at stack termination.
Fan duty and pressures.
Fan and filter (if required) specifications.

This tangible report will demonstrate compliance with all relevant regulations including COSHH, Noise at Work, DSEAR and HSG258 control benchmarking for hazardous substances.

The whole experience means that the client is completely satisfied with the project before moving to the next step and have all the required information to become an informed buyer.

Vent-Tech are proud to be providing a design service experience befitting of a bespoke LEV design.