Lightweight construction with GRP: Not without vacuums

Customer:	Lätzsch
Extracted material:	Glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) residue
Industry:	Plastic processing
Vacuum cleaner:	Ruwac DS 1120 M (DustEx zone 22)

Lätzsch GmbH in Kitzscher near Leipzig specialises in processing PUR moulded components and fibreglass-reinforced plastic. Glass-fibre reinforced components “made by Laetzsch” are used in travel buses and railway vehicles, for instance, as well as in process engineering and container construction.

Problem

Styrene vapours are released during curing of GRP components. These are considered hazardous to health and are also explosive. Dusts are produced during process steps like lamination and grinding that stick to surfaces due to their fibrous consistency. They stick to skin and work clothing, and although they are not toxic in and of themselves, they can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. Because of this, a high-performing extraction solution is essential for GRP processing.

Solution

Lätzsch uses a Ruwac DS 1120 M industrial vacuum cleaner approved for use in Zone 22 hazardous dust areas. It can be operated with various attachments, depending on the work process.

The Ruwac vacuum cleaner, which is fitted with a dust class M filter and retains 99.9% of even very fine dusts, has come back to its roots in a sense. Lätzsch manufactures GRP housings for Ruwac, so it is effectively using its own products produced in house to protect the health and safety of its own employees.