Protecting sensitive machinery from dust during construction
The EGGER Group is a leading international wood-based materials manufacturer with 22 production plants worldwide. The company’s UK site, based in Hexham, processes roughly 700,000 cubic metres of wood annually and is responsible for creating approximately 50% of the UK’s chipboard. To meet these volumes, EGGER continuously invests in the manufacturing plant, refining processes, adding capacity, and adapting the site to meet evolving needs.
In 2016, EGGER needed to reconfigure the space by removing one of the press lines. However, with sensitive machinery operating nearby, it was vital that the team could manage and contain dust and debris from the works. Having worked together previously, EGGER turned to Westgate Global to install a temporary dust screen, quickly and without disruption to operations.
The machinery operating adjacent to the line was highly vulnerable to airborne contamination while the press line removal was underway. In addition to the potential for dust to cause visible defects, texture inconsistencies, or weak spots on the wood products themselves, dust ingress also risked impacting the machinery’s calibration or causing premature wear on conveyors, rollers, and bearings. Given that the demolition of the press line would inevitably cause substantial dust, relying on extraction alone wouldn’t have been reliable enough. A physical screen was needed to fully isolate the two work areas and protect both product quality and operational continuity on the machine that remained running.