Wide Format Imaging

Your wide-format solvent inkjet printer has been printing beautifully and operating flawlessly. But, boy does it smell! Luckily, there are many solutions to this problem. But, with so many options, choosing a method of fume and odor reduction can be confusing.

Room ventilation reduces odor and fumes by drawing air out of the room and replacing it with new air. Most buildings have existing HVAC systems that provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Some buildings are equipped for the high ventilation demands of the printing industry. If this is the case, increasing the capacity of these systems can be relatively simple and cost effective. However, HVAC systems found in commercial buildings rarely ventilate the air quickly enough to handle the extra demands of operating a wide-format printer. They are usually designed with maximum energy conservation as a primary objective.

In order to significantly reduce odors and fumes, the ventilation function of an existing HVAC system needs to be dramatically increased. This will almost always require upgrades to the heater, air conditioner, and any other air related environmental controls within the room. Given the complexity of these systems, an HVAC engineer should be consulted to design and specify modifications. The initial investment and the increase in energy consumption are high. Future growth of your business must also be considered. However, justifying the cost of an oversized HVAC system that can accommodate the possibility of future needs can be difficult.

Alternately, Do-It-Yourself exhaust ventilation kits or booster fans may be used as a low-cost alternative. However, improper selection or installation of these kits may result in insufficient fume reduction, as well as ventilation imbalances within your building that may cause increased levels of dust, the migration of unwanted odors from other sources, or the transfer of fumes into other occupied offices. In addition, anytime one exhausts fumes to the outdoors, a consult with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and/or other local regulatory environmental agencies is recommended to avoid legal complications and fines. Thus, an HVAC engineer should be consulted to guide you through these modifications.

Room scrubbers or room air purifiers reduce the concentration of fumes by filtering the air with activated carbon and returning the cleaned air into the room. This recirculation of air means that you will be avoiding the complications and increased energy costs associated with ventilating to the outdoors. Generally, the effectiveness of a room scrubber is dependent upon the number of times the volume of air in the room is exchanged through the scrubber and the amount of fumes emitted by the printer(s). A room scrubber is most suitable for small room applications. It is important to select a room scrubber which is suitable for the size of the room and for the number of printers that will be operating in it. An air scrubber manufacturer should ask you to provide information about your room dimensions, the amount of fumes emitted, and the amount of airflow your existing ventilation system provides before recommending a product. An HVAC engineer or an industrial hygienist should be consulted to verify the recommendations.

The problem with any room based solution, including room ventilation, is that the fumes are only filtered after they have been allowed to enter the room.

How do these fumes affect your workplace before they are filtered or exhausted? The solvent fumes are in fact heavier than air and will tend to reside near the floor in an environment devoid of any air currents. Ironically, room scrubbers are designed to stir and circulate the air in the room which can create unpredictable, fume-laden airflow patterns that can bring the fumes into direct contact with individuals in a room, or allow the fumes to migrate to other rooms. Fumes can be significantly reduced with proper use of room scrubbers or room ventilation, but because the fumes are only filtered after the fact, it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate the odor while the printer is operating.