Novotema’s facility in Villongo, Italy, recently replaced their existing gas extraction and fume abatement systems, significantly improving the company’s environmental, health and safety practices.
When team members manufacture molded O-rings, gaskets, rubber seals and elastomer components, small amounts of fumes and gasses are generated and must be collected and treated before they can be released into the atmosphere.
Novotema team members worked with a vendor to design and install extraction hoods over each molding press and the vulcanization oven, and used a special ducting system to take harmful fumes and gases into the abatement systems. The abatement devices use basic physics to force small gas and fume particles into larger particles that then fall out of the air stream (called “coalescing”). The beauty of this system is that can be done without using extra energy or chemicals. In addition, they added sound-absorbing panels to the system in order to reduce the sound impact of the system while operating.
This method of controlling emissions has been classified by Regione Lombardia as one of the ‘Best Available Technologies’ for the reduction of atmospheric emissions,” Novotema Operations Director Stefano Consonni said. “With this system, we can achieve optimal performance that leads to a proven and substantial reduction of the release of pollutants and olfactory nuisances in the atmosphere.”
The systems help safeguard the health of team members, residents of the community, and demonstrates the company’s sensitivity towards protecting the environment.
