Compliant welding bay screening for new trade training bays

PROJECT:

Welding bay screening, acoustic separation and floor protection package

INDUSTRY TYPE:

Education

CLIENT:

Alchemy Construct

LOCATION:

Chisholm Institute, Frankston, VIC

Initial project requirements:

As part of a new welding bay development at Chisholm Institute in Frankston, Alchemy Construct needed the bays fitted out to a standard that would stand up to daily use by students and satisfy Australian Standards for welding environments.

A part-solution was not going to work. The bays needed screening, structure, acoustic separation and floor protection specified as one package, and specified for a training environment where the people using the equipment are still learning to use it.

The scope covered spark and arc flash containment across the front of each bay, dividers between bays, fixed rear wall treatment, and electrical and spark protection at floor level. The layout also had to allow practical access without compromising worker protection.

Alchemy requested a site consultation by a Flexshield technician to confirm measurements, site access and installation sequencing before anything was manufactured.

Flexshield solution:

Following consultation and site measure, Flexshield supplied a complete engineered bay combining screening, structure, acoustic separation and floor protection.

Front of bay screening

Weldflex™ strip curtains were supplied ready for installation, manufactured from heavy-duty extruded red PVC strips 300mm wide by 2mm thick, hung with overlapping coverage, with anodised mounting track and fixing sets.

The material is UV-stabilised for long service life, manufactured in accordance with AS/NZS 3957, and KANGA Certified with a 10 year warranty. The strips contain sparks and welding flash reliably while keeping visibility and workflow intact, which matters in a training bay where an instructor needs to see what is happening.

Structure and bay dividers

Duragal SHS posts were installed at the centre and rear of the bays with the required spigots, and Duragal steel head rails form the structural dividers. This framework carries both strip and sheet curtains and provides the stability the bays needed for daily use.

Sliding access curtains

Eight Weldflex™ sliding sheet curtains were supplied at 1800mm high by 3100mm wide, each with stainless steel hooks and rollers, anodised mounting tracks and fixing sets, manufactured to AS/NZS 3957 and KANGA Certified with a 10 year warranty.

The sliding configuration is what allows controlled access to each bay while screening integrity is maintained during active welding.

Fixed welding bay walls

Nine fixed wall panels were installed at 3185 mm wide by 2150 mm high using 50mm Sonic System acoustic modular panel V50, pre-coated in Surf Mist and finished with a 2 mm Duragal capping channel.

These panels do two jobs at once. They provide physical separation between bays, and they reduce noise transfer across the workshop, which matters considerably when a full class is working across multiple bays at the same time.

Floor protection

Industrial FlexWeld welding mats measuring 900mm x 900mm were installed with high-visibility yellow ramped edges. The mats are spark-resistant and non-conductive, provide ribbed traction underfoot, offer dielectric strength to 30,000 V AC, and withstand molten metal and sparks to 1500 degrees Celsius on short exposure.

They conform to AS/NZS 2978 and ASTM D178 Type II Class 2. The result is protection against electric shock and welding dross, with clear edge visibility that reduces trip hazards around the bay.

Results achieved:

Alchemy Construct handed over a structured, compliant welding bay environment built around how the bays would actually be used, rather than assembled from separate parts bought separately.

Spark containment, arc flash screening and electrical protection underfoot work together to protect the people using the bays. Compliant materials, visible hazard demarcation and durable structural supports are specified for industrial conditions and long service.

Clear bay separation and controlled access through the sliding curtains mean one bay can run without interrupting the next, which is what lets a training facility teach several students at once.

By combining Weldflex™ screening, structural steel components, Sonic System acoustic modular panels and Flexweld floor protection, Flexshield delivered a system aligned with Australian Standards and built for the long term.

For a detailed assessment and consultation, call Flexshield on 1300 799 969 or contact us online.