Aluminum body tools required for vacuum capture

June 10, 2015
With the aluminum body here to stay, one critical factor that collision repair shops must get right are the tools and attachments used to capture potentially explosive airborne dust. 

With the aluminum body here to stay, one critical factor that collision repair shops must get right are the tools and attachments used to capture potentially explosive airborne dust. This dust, created mainly during grinding and sanding, can also affect paint quality due to cross-contamination with steel. When it comes to aluminum dust, no vacuum can adequately capture it at its source without specialized shrouds, sanders, and hoses.

Special vacuums called immersion separators are needed to capture and wet potentially explosive, aluminum dust. The best of these direct the air stream and aluminum dust through a series of air filtration baffles that burst the air bubbles to thoroughly wet the dust before the air exits the vacuum. But even these require tool attachments to sufficiently capture the dust at its source and direct it.

To help collision repair shops optimize their safety and performance working with aluminum bodies, here is a tool selection guide from Clayton for the company's offerings of critical shrouds, sanders, and hoses.

Shrouds
Because grinding, cutting, drilling, and routing can launch a large amount of dust in the air, shrouds have long been used to contain the dust as close to the source as possible. But traditional grinding shrouds have some significant limitations in terms of dust capture, operator visibility and precision. Many of these issues have been worked out in the aerospace industry, which has decades of experience with aluminum and composite, and the technology is now transferring to auto collision repair.

“Grinding shrouds are typically very restrictive and cumbersome,” says Mike Donnelly, a composite specialist in Britain with decades of experience. “With typical grinders, the shroud is usually opaque or metallic and much larger than the grinding disc rotating inside it, so you can’t see the edge of the rotating disc inside it. This vastly reduces the composite repairman’s view of what he or she is grinding.”

According to Donnelly, a new Clayton grinder shroud design, when used with an appropriate vacuum, has not only enabled the capture of respirable composite dust at its source, but also significantly improved operators’ hand control and view of what they are grinding.  Clayton Associates (www.jclayton.com), a manufacturer of source capture tools and vacuum sanding equipment that has dealt with aluminum and composite for over a decade in aerospace, is bringing that expertise to auto body collision repair.

“Before Clayton Clear Revolution grinding shrouds were introduced in Europe, it was virtually impossible to use a die grinder with high precision for composite repair without making a lot of dust,” says Donnelly.

According to Donnelly, because the Clayton dustless grinding shroud system has been designed to be unrestrictive to the user, it is not bolted to the die grinder body or transmission like traditional units.  Instead, it is a standalone shroud with a pair of internal precision sealed bearings, which an incorporated mandrel rotates on, and the mandrel shaft locks into the grinder collet.  In use, a vacuum dust collection hose attaches to the shroud body.  This allows the grinder operator to use the hose as an effective hand-steady, enabling two-handed grinder operation when very fine precision is required.

“Because of the shroud’s unique design, when mounted on the grinder it can rotate 360 degrees on two internal precision bearings so the vacuum hose never gets in the way,” explains Donnelly.  “The shroud is made of clear, tough, durable Lexan (the same material as NASCAR windshields, aerospace cockpits, and space helmets), which allows you to see through it.  Since the shroud head’s outer diameter is no larger than the abrasive disc rotating beneath it, you can always see exactly what you’re grinding.”

“The versatility of the Clayton grinding shroud enables proficient operators to do complex jobs they’d be reluctant to try with a traditional grinder or sander,” adds Donnelly.

Gary Gardella Jr., a County Line Auto Body co-owner and production manager in Howell, N.J., uses Clayton Clear Revolution grinding shrouds for both dedicated aluminum and traditional bodywork.

“Now we’re catching all the dust even when we grind down to bare metal or ecoat,” says Gardella, who credits the shroud’s design for a 99 percent dust capture rate at the source.

Historically, dust control shrouds were attached to the tool body and designed to fit a single make or model tool, which raised the cost of ownership since a new shroud was required for each new tool.

In contrast, a universal shroud design can dramatically reduce the total cost of ownership, since the shroud can be moved from one tool to another, whether grinder, sander, or router, straight or right angle, Dotco or Dynabrade.

“Since Clayton’s universal shroud design allows it to be compatible with any grinder or tool with a 1/4” collet, we don’t need to replace our existing tools or buy proprietary shrouds,” says Gardella.  “This significantly lowers our cost of ownership, and makes the shrouds easy to use wherever they’re needed.”

Sanders
Sanders must also be considered, since they can generate tremendous dust in repair processes from paint removal to surface prep, which can be particularly problematic for aluminum bodies.  A major challenge with traditional sanders, in fact, is that most are not vacuum capable.  Instead, they typically rely on ineffective skirts or dust bags that do not adequately contain the dust. 

“With standard sanders in the past, we used a kit with a dust bag that made an absolute mess,” says Gardella.  “The dust capture rate was horrible, particularly on long boards.”

Gardella found what he was looking for when he turned to Clayton sanders, which are specifically designed to be vacuum capable with a 98% dust capture rate.  As such, the dust shroud has been engineered to allow a clear, straight path for the dust to flow, and the sanders backup pads incorporate a large number of holes for more airflow and dust capture.

“Our dust capture rate on sanders now approaches 100%, which has enhanced the safety and quality of our aluminum and steel body work,” says Gardella. 

Another issue to consider is that traditional sanders often only come in round shapes, which can limit their function in collision shops and quickly tire technicians if they are not ergonomic.

Choosing sanders that offer a range of shapes suited the job, on the other hand, can improve work efficiency.  For instance, 3”x4” orbital sanders can improve sanding in tight areas and corners where traditional round sanders can’t reach.  3-2/3”x7” orbital sanders, in turn, can facilitate paint removal with a longer pad that quickly covers more area, yet are narrow enough to fit tight spots that round sanders cannot.

“The variety of sander shapes and types Clayton offers, a choice of over 20, helps us to work more efficiently, as does ergonomic wrist support,” says Gardella.  The ergonomic wrist support included on all Clayton sanders, for instance, facilitates two-handed sanding, which can improve operator precision and reduce fatigue on long sanding jobs.

Hoses
For dust collection to safely work as intended, choosing the right air and vacuum hose is also critical.  Typical hose, for instance, can build up and discharge static electricity, which could ignite or explode aluminum dust.

Traditional vacuum sanding also requires technicians to carry separate air and vacuum hoses, which can be cumbersome.  The ribbed edges of typical hose can also catch on table edges or auto body panels, pulling back on the hose and disturbing precise bodywork.  And typical black or gray hose can pose a heightened trip hazard in dimly lit auto body shops.

Some manufacturers have addressed these challenges with innovative hose designs.  According to Gardella, for instance, a number of Clayton hose design features have enhanced safety and productivity for County Line Auto Body technicians. 

For example, to prevent potential aluminum dust ignition or explosion, conductive carbon black hoses and cuffs eliminate static buildup and prevent technicians from getting shocked.  Bundling air and vacuum hoses allows technicians to carry one hose instead of separate air and vacuum hoses.  A durable sheathing with no exposed fasteners enables hose to slide over edges and rough surfaces without snagging and catching, extending hose life.  A hose support belt supports the weight of long vacuum hoses from the waist, not from the arm, minimizing worker fatigue, and bright yellow compressed air and vacuum hoses enhance visibility and safety.

“To optimize safety and performance for aluminum body work, you need a complete system including specialized shrouds, sanders, and hoses,” concludes Gardella.  “Used along with a Clayton immersion separator, our dust capture rate is phenomenal.  We’re creating a clean, efficient, dealership-like shop where customers have confidence and technicians want to work.”

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