Architecture Model Making Workshop

When installing the AES Centralised Vacuum System, it is not always possible to have the unit located indoors. A recent installation at the Glasgow School of Art was one of these situations, as the workshop size was very small, and space was at a premium. The C-Vac system is modest in size, with the two parts of the system sized similarly to a tall fridge-freezer and a washing machine. The system was installed outdoors, in a weatherproof sound reducing box. This dual door housing means that the system can be easily serviced despite its location.

The workshop is mainly used for the manufacturing of wooden models by architecture and product design students. These models often need sanding and shaping – producing very large quantities of dust. The supplied and installed machines were connected to the C-VAC using unobtrusive ducting. The C-VAC system drastically reduces the amount of wood dust present, by removing it directly at source.

Any dust created by students away from the machines, such as with handheld power tools or sanding blocks, can also be extracted to the C-VAC system, by means of a clean-up kit. This kit connected to the C-VAC ducting via a flap valve. The hose section can be used to pick up wood dust on surfaces, and a floor cleaning kit can be added to the hose to allow users to vacuum dusts away easily.

Downdraft Solution

Students also required an area to use solvent glues on their models within the workshop. A specialist workbench from AirBench was installed in order to combat fumes created during the gluing process. This downdraft bench sucks fumes into the top of the bench and passes them through a series of filters. The filtered air is then exhausted back into the workshop, clean and breathable. Downdraught systems are particularly useful for applications that involve high levels of access, and where an extraction arm or cowl wouldn’t be practical.