DOWNDRAFT PLATEN SYSTEMS REDUCE SMOKE, WELDERS BREATHE EASIER

By providing the downdraft ventilation system, management has made it clear that the well-being of welders and other shop personnel is an important concern for the company.

The HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) industry manages the temperature and humidity in every heated and air-conditioned area where people live and work. Liebert Corporation, a manufacturer of high-quality HVAC solutions, builds the frames, bases and enclosures for HVAC products, and assembles complete heating and air-conditioning systems. The company has an installed base of more than 500,000 clients, worldwide, including medical imaging centers, office networking and industrial automation applications, telecommunications centers, and many others where heating and air conditioning are critical considerations.

Liebert’s industry performance has been a history of growth, with a unique combination of product application innovations and customer service. The company routinely conducts detailed on-site energy cost analysis for their customers, and their customer service team is trained to deal with field service situations both before and after system installation.

In manufacturing their various products, Liebert uses Weldsale cast iron platen tables and tooling in their fabrication shop. Before installing the Weldsale clamping system, the shop had been using plate-style fixture tables that were made in-house, which included inflexible "ad hoc" (special) clamping systems. Unlike cast iron platens, these steel tables warped from the heat of the welding arc and refused to stay flat. Over time, the products welded using the table fixture table were not always square; and, because of the warped table, the parts could not be welded to close tolerances.

Also, the solid steel tables did not provide universal clamp positioning on the table. The tooling for the cast iron platens, on the other hand, can be used in any square hole anywhere on the platen surface. This makes the entire surface of the platen available for clamping and welding, providing maximum flexibility and productivity. These downdraft platen systems also serve to reduce the weld smoke in their welders’ breathing zones.

Platen Tables Make Craftsmen More Productive

Liebert has a reputation for excellent reliability, better performance and greater value than their competitors. The stable, flat cast iron platens provide an accurate, dependable platform with the flexibility to build virtually any cabinet or frame from a set of blueprints. The shop’s craftsmen can build cabinets and frames to the exact specifications and tolerances required. The advantages of using platens in their fabrication process are recognized throughout the company.

At Liebert, craftsmen/welders build all kinds of subassemblies, enclosures, bases, frames and miscellaneous weldments on two Weldsale cast iron 5' x 8' platen tables equipped with Weldsale tooling. Both tables are equipped with the downdraft feature, which allows weld smoke to be pulled down through the platen’s square holes, removing it from the welders’ environment.

Since they are made of cast iron, the platens have an almost indefinite life. This ensures their use well after the tables have been fully depreciated. The combination of platens and tooling provide a modular system building blocks; with the pattern of cast square holes, any part can be clamped anywhere on the table. As a result, sales and marketing departments are able to quote, and provide rapid delivery from the shop floor, on new or custom products without the delay of developing special tooling.

Liebert routinely uses a welded tubular frame for their industrial, communications, medical and computer room cooling units. The flexible cast iron platens enable their welders to build any structure for an existing product or specialty item on the platen surface, quickly and easily. The Liebert units are packed with many features and factory tested for trouble-free operation. For example, their "Datapad" and "Little Glass House" units offer flexible, modular computer room protection by including air conditioning, a UPS (uninterruptable power supply), surge protection, and cable management.

As Liebert’s product line expands, many different size frames are required. Developing individual tooling for all these frames would be cost prohibitive, making the flexibility of the Weldsale platens and tooling that much more appealing and productive for the company.

Liebert Corporation is a good example of a company with all its talents working in harmony. They have a global sales and marketing presence, a well-equipped shop floor with the latest production equipment, and they have earned a reputation for high quality and innovation. If the craftsmen in today’s modern fabrication shops are given the latest equipment, such as they are at Liebert, they will be able to build whatever future products are developed to meet consumer demands. Weldsale Company

Circle 229 for more information

CAPTIONS: (1) A variety of bases for HVAC solutions are fabricated on Weldsale platens.

(2) Craftsman welding a frame assembly for a Liebert air conditioning and heating unit on a 5' x 8' downdraft platen table

CALLOUT: Build any structure ... or specialty item on the platen surface, quickly and easily