Some interesting news from BOFA — or should we say Donaldson BOFA?
BOFA has long been a respected provider of accessories to the 3D print industry. They produce fume extraction units.
Fume extraction is typically done for any industrial operation that produces toxic fumes. You’ll typically see this done for laser cutting, chemical work and soldering. It’s also done for 3D printing, as the technologies often emit noxious gases or nanoparticles.
The optimal solution is to vent these substances to the outside air, but in some installations that isn’t practical, either technically or financially. In those cases fume extraction equipment is used to capture chemicals and particles, preventing exposure to humans.
BOFA launched almost 40 years ago as a family business making fume extraction equipment. Over time they introduced devices specifically designed for 3D printers, and now they are widely used in sites requiring filtration.
In 2018 the company was acquired by Donaldson, a large, 100-year old filtration producer.
Six years after the acquisition, the Donaldson has rebranded operations as Donaldson BOFA, firmly under the global Donaldson brand. The company now has offices in the US, UK, and Germany, with sales in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Donaldson BOFA Managing Director Tony Lockwood explained:
“Specifically, the scientific and research facilities now at our disposal, coupled with Donaldson’s global reach, are driving competitive advantage in new territories and in growth and established sectors, including laser, electronics, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, ink printing, mechanical engineering, dental, medical and pharmaceutical. This collaboration is delivering technology innovations which will further extend our market leadership in portable fume and dust extraction.”
Importantly, Lockwood mentioned both 3D printing and additive manufacturing, indicating the company’s strategy to continue producing filtration products for our industry.
There does not appear to be any change in the product lineup from Donaldson BOFA, but they do say their R&D spending worldwide is now an incredible US$78M on “over 100 technical laboratories”. We may see new products from them derived from this vast amount of research.
Via Donaldson BOFA
