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Why Do You Need an Aluminum Body Shop Enclosure?

When it comes to auto body work within a shop, it’s not uncommon for multiple projects to be going on at once. For that reason, many facilities opt to install vinyl curtains to keep things like chemical vapor, dust and dirt, paint, and other debris from contaminating different workspaces. When you’re working with aluminum parts or vehicles, it’s important to keep the debris and contaminants away from that particular metal, as contact can have many adverse affects. CAFE requires changes in procedures for body shop workstations, so if you’ve just begun working with aluminum in your workshop, consider these reasons for why you might need an aluminum body shop enclosure.

Preventing Hazardous Contamination

Common vehicle metals, such as steel, may contaminate aluminum, and rust can be expelled when grinding or sanding steel. If rust is being ground off and gets into the air supply within a workspace and comes into contact with aluminum equipment or vehicle parts, it can bond with the aluminum and negatively affect structural integrity. Additionally, rust can hinder paint adherence if it bonds with aluminum, so every effort to keep the two separate should be made. Another reason metals often need to be kept separate is because some metals, such as iron oxide, aluminum, and magnesium, can present a hazardous environment when mixed together.

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Additional Safety

Using aluminum body shop enclosures can also help ensure safety within aluminum car repair workspaces. In addition to existing enclosure regulations, aluminum car repair enclosures are required to adhere to combustible dust and toxic metal programs to ensure optimal safety conditions within. Typically, aluminum enclosures become necessary in shops when shops become aluminum-capable, or in other words, when an auto body shop adds new services that cater to aluminum materials.

Additional Benefits of Using an Enclosure

Some benefits of using aluminum enclosures in your auto body shop include sealing edges off to enclose one job’s debris, dust, and other particles, as well as having optional pass-through strip doors for easy access points. There are retractable and stationary styles available, ideal for creating temporary workspaces within a shop.
Best Placement for Aluminum Enclosures

When installing aluminum enclosures in your auto body shop, the placement is something you’ll need to consider for optimal efficiency. In order to minimize the amount of contamination with other projects, particularly steel body work, the aluminum enclosure should be closest to the paint/primer areas, and as far away from the other metals workspaces as possible. This helps ensure that the amount of cross-contamination is kept at a minimum.

For more information about creating aluminum body shop enclosures in accordance with CAFE implementation, or to build a body shop curtain wall, contact AmCraft today. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and address all of your concerns. Where you should install aluminum enclosures will, of course, depend on the size of your workspace and the type of work you do within your facility.
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