Providing a breath of fresh air at GW Martin

Pictured right: one of the many Filtermist systems at GW Martin. This example is mounted on a robot-loaded Mazak

Eastleigh-based GW Martin & Co Ltd, a precision engineering and manufacturing company, has invested in oil mist extraction technology supplied by Filtermist Ltd, Telford. Serving prominent customers in the defence, aerospace, automotive, vacuum filtration and medical sectors, GW Martin has followed a continuous improvement programme that has seen the Hampshire manufacturer invest heavily in new plant and equipment — including fitting oil mist filtration technology from Filtermist to new and existing machine tools.

Founded in 1959, GW Martin’s transformation from traditional cam auto machines in the 1970s to sophisticated CNC equipment today represents a remarkable journey of technological adaptation. GW Martin’s diverse capabilities enable it to span across multiple critical sectors, and investment in machine tools from Mazak, CMZ, Citizen Miyano, YMT, Star, Doosan and Index are prominent. The one thing these leading machine tool brands have in common is the retrofitting of Filtermist oil mist filtration systems.

Explaining why the ISO:9001 and ISO:14001 company adopted Filtermist systems throughout its 25,000ft² south coast facility, Stuart Yalden, GW Martin’s managing director, said: “Back in the 1970s we had a pretty oily factory, and it was a completely different environment. Over the last 10 years, we have had a big programme of re-investing in the business. We have updated our machines, the sort of business we conduct, and the workshop we have. We also put in new lighting, machines and even solar panels on the roof. What we did not want was the traditional 1970s oily workshop. We needed to deal with any oil and mess that was coming out of the machines — and with Filtermist, we have a great system that handles that.”

Retrofitting of machines
Looking at the transition to installing the Filtermist mist extraction technology in the workshop, Mr Yalden continued: “Many manufacturers supply their machine tools ‘ready to go’, either with some filtration or whatever we specify for our package. What we have done is retrofitted the Filtermist mist extraction units to many of our machines and we are delighted with the units. We have a new Mazak machine that came in just four months ago, and we wanted a Filtermist unit installed on that. We asked Filtermist, and they came in within a couple of weeks of the machine arriving, and very quickly installed the new unit on the machine.”

The FX series of oil mist filtration technology is prominent at GW Martin, with the FX4002 oil mist filter widely adopted on many of the turning centres at the sub-contract manufacturing business. With an airflow of 1,250m³/hr at 50Hz and 1,500m³/hr at 60Hz, the compact 23kg FX4002 has a host of mounting options, and with a diameter of 398mm and a height of 682mm when fitted with an afterfilter, the robust systems are compatible with most machine tools. Furthermore, the units are easily accessible for maintenance and servicing purposes.

Mr Yalden continued: “Maintenance is a critical factor. We have explored a few different options for filter units, and we have had mixed results with other suppliers. What we found with Filtermist is that the units are very easy to retrofit, service and maintain. It was a key requirement for us to make sure it was easy. We wanted to ensure that the units work every day, work the first time, and are easy to maintain and run. We have also found the installation to be very thorough. The Filtermist service package is also straightforward to manage. We even had one of their engineers do a ‘smoke test’ on a machine where a smoke-generating machine was placed in the work envelope to demonstrate how quickly the Filtermist system can clear a machine.”

Commenting upon why every manufacturer should be using an oil mist filtration system, Lydia Barber, the marketing and customer experience director at Filtermist, said: “Any CNC machine using coolant or neat oil will be creating a mist when the coolant is sprayed at high pressure and high speed. This mist can be hazardous for employees’ health if they breathe it in. It can also cause a fire hazard. It is nasty stuff to have in the work environment, especially when it gets in the air — you can taste it.”

Complete range of sizes
Filtermist differentiates its quality, performance and user-friendliness from its rivals through a number of key parameters. Ms Barber continued: “You can fit out your entire factory with Filtermist technology. At GW Martin, you can see our technology on machine brands such as Citizen, Miyano and Mazak, as well as on a popular DN Solutions Lynx machine supplied by Mills CNC. We manufacture a complete range of sizes and air flow extraction rates to cope with all different types of applications and extraction requirements.”

COSHH Regulations have been a driving force in addressing the challenges in the industry. As Lydia Barber explained: “We have all been to machine shops where you can taste oil mist in the air, and it is a legal requirement to get rid of it. COSHH (Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations require employers to protect their employees from exposure to hazardous substances, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) actually recommends putting a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system on every single CNC machine to make sure that mist is removed effectively. If you have got a choice between working in a clean, modern workshop or a factory with mist hanging in the air, it is a no-brainer. This goes beyond compliance; it is fundamental to workplace quality and employee well-being. Nobody wants to work in a dirty environment.”

COSHH Regulations have been in place since 1988. However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is increasingly enforcing compliance through targeted inspection programmes — and this should serve as a notice for manufacturers.

The collaboration between GW Martin and Filtermist represents more than just a technological solution. It embodies a progressive approach to manufacturing that prioritises employee health, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility. As Mr Yalden reflects on GW Martin’s journey — mist extraction is no longer an optional extra but a fundamental aspect of modern manufacturing.