All you need to know about bodywork vacuum equipment

When you're doing a Touch up on a bodywork, you're likely to go through the Sanding stage. This could be on a primer, putty or another body component. And when this work is finished, dirt (dust, liquid residue, etc.) is bound to appear in the process. If you've ever worked in the world of bodywork, you'll know that it's essential for both private individuals and professionals to work in a clean and tidy environment.
Cleaning your workshop is an important step not to be neglected. The quality of future repairs to a car or other vehicle depends on it. If you're looking for professional, high-quality, durable equipment, you can quickly get lost in all the possible choices.
So, should you opt for a central vacuum unit for bodywork or a wet and dry hoover? Carross takes you through it, step by step.

Why is it important to clean your work area?

Cleaning your work area is essential. When your environment is healthy and clean, your productivity increases and your results are better. After making repairs to a car or motorbike in the bodywork sector, it's essential to clean up any paint splashes or dust that has accumulated after sanding your vehicle, for example. If you don't do this immediately after your work, you run the risk of seeing defects appear on your next repairs.
That's right: dirt and dust are likely to cling to your next vehicle, when you do touch-ups on the car paintwork, for example. That's why it's vital to work in an environment that's conducive to getting the job done properly.

Cleaning your work area is essential. When your environment is healthy and clean, your productivity increases and your results are better. After repairing a car or motorbike in the bodywork sector, it's essential to clean up any paint splashes or dust that has accumulated after sanding your vehicle, for example. If you don't do this immediately after your work, you run the risk of seeing defects appear on your next repairs.
That's right: dirt and dust are likely to cling to your next vehicle, when you do touch-ups on the car paintwork, for example. That's why it's vital to work in an environment that's conducive to getting the job done properly.

WET AND DRY HOOVERS

This type of hoover is fairly practical and easy to use. Its main advantage is that it's lightweight, so you can use it every day without any physical effort, for excellent mobility in your bodywork workshop or repair garage. Its small size also makes it easy to carry around. Although we're mentioning the use of wet and dry vacuums in the bodywork workshop here (after all, you're on a site dedicated to bodywork and car paints! ), this type of tool is just as naturally used in many other environments such as company offices, warehouses, or even in a car, quite simply! Generally fitted with a strong, non-woven cloth, it can absorb up to 25 litres of dust and dirt.

Which wet/dry hoover should I choose?

A wet/dry hoover is chosen on the basis of the characteristics described above, i.e. :

• Weight
• Its size
• The amount of dirt it can handle in a single bag
• Its functions
• Its durability over time

The hoover can be configured differently depending on your needs:

• If you need to suck up dust: put the suction bag in its designated place, then suck up the dirt you want to remove.
• If you need to suck up water: remove the suction bag from the inside; if you need to suck up water, the hoover's tank will do the job.

Other criteria for choosing the right wet/dry hoover

The devil is in the detail, and that also applies to the equipment you choose to use on a daily basis. Little things can become big things over time. Be sure to check the following before choosing the tool that's right for you:

• Turbine power
• Check whether you can adjust the suction power
• Check whether your wet/dry hoover has mobile wheels, so it can be taken anywhere in the workshop or office.

BODYWORK VACUUM CLEANER

Bodywork vacuum cleaners are in a different category!
A central vacuum cleaner is a cleaning system that allows you to centralise your bodywork tasks. Supplied with the appropriate sanding machines, the central vacuum cleaner quickly becomes a bodybuilder's Swiss army knife: powerful, versatile and practical all at once.

The central vacuum unit can be installed in the environment of your choice:

- It is, of course, suitable for any bodywork workshop and will quickly prove indispensable for professional bodybuilders.

- If you're an amateur Touch up technician and you're used to doing a lot of this kind of work, a central vacuum unit for bodywork can also be a real investment to make your job easier and more productive.

How do I use a bodywork vacuum cleaner?

Step 1: A central bodywork vacuum is designed to make your life easier: start by installing the appropriate equipment on the unit and prepare all the sanding discs you'll need before Touch up.

Step 2: Once the unit is plugged in, you can start vacuuming: the dust will be properly evacuated through the filter installed in your unit. And that's it!

In the bodywork vacuum cleaner range, we recommend the General Pneumatic brand. It's an example of good-performing equipment:

This Class M central vacuum unit from Général Pneumatic has a suction capacity of up to 37 litres. This device is equipped with an electric and pneumatic synchronisation control to optimise its use.

It's very popular with professionals thanks to its many advantages, which are also the criteria you need to take into account when buying such a machine:

- Power is very important, especially for PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY: in this case, its 1,400 W power rating is excellent for all bodywork tasks
- The ability to remove dust from every nook and cranny of the bodywork or part you're vacuuming. It's important to be sure that the suction system is highly efficient and guarantees precise, clean cleaning.

In the example of the General Pneumatic reference, this Class M central vacuum unit comes with a number of items that are essential for everyday use:

• A cartridge filter
• Nylon filter
• A reinforced paper bag

And as a bonus, Carross offers you a GP4642 orbital sanding machine, diameter 150.

What accessories are available for bodywork vacuum cleaners?

When you buy a central vacuum system, you'll need a number of accessories that are essential when you want to use a hoover or central vacuum system. Here's what you'll need to be as well equipped as possible:

• A vacuum bag. It's obvious, but you still need to think about having spare bags in your workshop, especially if you use your vacuum cleaner equipment on a daily basis! For example, this central vacuum bag from 4CR is sold individually. Thanks to its size and material, the bag filters and stores all the dust and dirt sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. As mentioned earlier in this article, the hoover bag is only needed when you need to vacuum dust. Remember to remove it when you need to vacuum water from the floor, for example.