Environmental Hazards in Carbon Fiber Manufacturing and Fabrication

Modern society owes many thanks to the carbon fiber manufacturing and fabrication field. Since carbon fiber has a low weight, automated manufacturing processes and robotic systems made out of this material operate more efficiently. This increases productivity and decreases energy costs. Industrial manufacturing companies also rely on carbon fiber’s strength to withstand heavy-duty processes and equipment. You can even find this material on planes, bikes, and cars. However, when factories manufacture this versatile product, metallic conductive particulate and microscopic conductive particulate pollute the air. This poses an environmental hazard, especially to any nearby electronics. Keep reading to learn how carbon fiber manufacturing destroysprinters and PCs, and how you can protect your technology.

Environmental Hazards in Carbon Fiber Manufacturing and Fabrication

Effects on Label Printers

One pollutant that can fill the air in a carbon fiber manufacturing facility is microscopic conductive particulate. This airborne particulate can significantly damage label printers. From short circuit issues to destroyed print heads, conductive particulate can decrease print quality or even halt your printing process. On a manufacturing floor, it’s no secret that barcodes must be clearly legible and print quickly for a smooth workflow. The best way to prevent a printing interruption is to protect your label printer.

What to Do: Provide your label printer with the armor it needs with an enclosure. Look for aprinter enclosure that has a fan/filter system to prevent airborne contaminants from coming in contact with your printer. A quality enclosure will also protect your label printer from other debris and even harsh temperatures.

Effects on PCs, LCD Monitors, and Displays

Computer failure – these two words can make you cringe regardless of your occupation. In the carbon fiber manufacturing and fabrication industry, computer failure leads to downtime. Unfortunately, one by-product of carbon fiber manufacturing is metallic conductive particulate, which can cause your computer to overheat. Although the risk is relatively small, the accumulated particulate can cause a central processing unit fire. Does your computer have a touch-screen monitor? Carbon fiber dust can also scratch display screens and short out internal electronics.

What to Do: Purchase a computer enclosure with touch-screen monitor protection. A built-in fan/filter system is a must, so look for an enclosure that filters out at least 98 percent of airborne contaminants to prevent metallic conductive particulate from coming in contact with your computer.

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Although there are environmental hazards associated with the carbon fiber manufacturing and fabrication field, our society benefits from this material tremendously. We appreciate your hard work. And with the right tools, you can prevent carbon fiber airborne contaminants from destroying your facility’s electronics.

If you work in the carbon fiber manufacturing field, and you’re looking for a computer enclosure, contact DustShield. We have an extensive line of enclosures designed to protect LCD monitors, tower and desktop CPUs, and printers in harsh carbon fiber manufacturing environments. Heavy-duty and delivered completely assembled, our enclosures suit a variety of applications. We’ll work with you to determine which upgrades would enhance your company’s workflow. With help from our customer service representatives, you’ll find that customizing a computer enclosure is easy. To learn more, please contact us toll-free at 800-587-9557 or contact us online.