Shipbuilding and marine repair combine welding, thermal cutting, grinding, blasting, coating and work inside large sections or confined spaces. Extraction solutions must adapt to changing work fronts while controlling fume, abrasive dust, overspray and process vapours.
Why source capture is essential
Welding and cutting fume forms close to the operator, while grinding projects abrasive particles. Movable extraction arms, local hoods, downdraft equipment and temporary duct connections can follow the work. General ventilation supports air replacement but should not be the only control for concentrated hot-work emissions.
Confined and enclosed spaces
Work in tanks, hull sections and compartments requires a task-specific ventilation and safety plan. Supply and extract points are arranged to prevent short-circuiting and avoid drawing contaminants through occupied zones. Access, gas monitoring and emergency procedures remain part of the wider confined-space control system.
Dust, blasting and surface preparation
Abrasive particles require robust capture, wear-aware ducting and suitable pre-separation. Blasting and grinding streams may need dedicated circuits, particularly when sparks or incompatible materials are present.
Painting and coating
Overspray is captured with dry or water-based separation appropriate to the application. Vapour treatment and discharge are evaluated from coating safety data and project requirements. Filtered make-up air helps maintain the intended airflow through the finishing zone.
Equipment protection and environmental control
Effective extraction limits deposits on tools, structures and sensitive equipment and directs collected material into a controlled waste stream. The protection concept follows the pollutant, ignition sources and conditions at the shipyard or fabrication hall.
Energy and flexible operation
Mobile or modular branches can serve active work zones without running the entire system at full airflow. Fan control and gates are coordinated so that capture and duct transport remain stable. Any air recirculation decision is made only after contaminant and compliance review.
Engineering and commissioning
A project maps operations, materials, simultaneous teams and enclosure geometry. It then defines capture, ducting, filtration, fans, make-up air and monitoring. Commissioning verifies representative work configurations rather than an empty hall.
Browse ALWO industrial equipment or contact us to discuss extraction for shipbuilding or marine-repair processes.
