Temporary Wire Saw Containment Enclosure

During my co-op, I supported Engineered Syntactic Systems, another company operating in the same facility. A large customer component required a precision wire-saw cut, but the previous operation had filled the room with airborne dust and created a major safety hazard.

The customer needed the repair completed immediately, leaving little time to develop a permanent machine enclosure.

The wire saw measured approximately 26 ft × 20 ft × 29 ft, making a full enclosure impractical under the deadline. I proposed enclosing only the workpiece, reducing the required volume and allowing the solution to be designed, fabricated, and deployed within days.

I modeled a lightweight frame using approximately 40 feet of standard PVC pipe and commercially available connectors.

I sourced the PVC and fittings locally and worked with the Environmental Health & Safety representative to select an appropriate enclosure material. We chose a flame-retardant tarp that met the safety requirements while remaining inexpensive and readily available.

I fabricated the PVC frame, installed the tarp, sealed the assembly with tape, and coordinated placement around the workpiece. Because of its size, the complete enclosure was lifted into position with a forklift.

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The enclosure successfully contained the dust generated by the wire saw, prevented the airborne cloud seen during the previous operation, and allowed the customer repair to be completed safely and on schedule.

The project demonstrated how a simple, practical engineering response can deliver meaningful safety and schedule value under an aggressive deadline.