A 30 year anniversary is a significant milestone for any business – but for leading fume and dust extraction company BOFA International it’s seen as a springboard for future growth based on ever more innovative technology.

BOFA launched in 1987 as a small family business and has developed into a global leader, employing over 200 people at its headquarters in Dorset, as well as offices in Germany and the USA. It is business at the forefront of fume and dust extraction system design, pushing the boundaries of technology to help customers maintain healthy workplace environments around the world.

The company developed its first extraction system some four years before the formal introduction of the C.O.S.H.H (Control of Substances Hazard to Health) regulations. Founder Dave Cornell demonstrated that removing airborne contaminants associated with industrial processes not only improved human health, it also had the potential to significantly improve workplace productivity – a ‘win-win’ outcome that quickly attracted the attention of employers.

In its very first year, BOFA installed what remains the world’s largest-ever fume extraction system, serving over 1000 solder line operators, but the most important outcome was a realisation among businesses that an improvement in occupational health meant better productivity.

Since then, BOFA has led the way in the development of innovative fume extraction systems, winning multiple awards along the way, and now serves sectors as diverse as laser, electronics, mechanical engineering, printing, 3D printing, medical, pharmaceutical, dental and beauty in over 100 countries.

Our story is one of remarkable success, says BOFA International Managing Director Tony Lockwood, but we see our 30^th anniversary as an opportunity to push the boundaries of technology still further, to add even more value to customers …in short to use this as a springboard to do even better.

Lockwood believes that innovation is increasingly important in creating benefit for customers, whether this be in system design, filtration technology, diagnostic connectivity or in sector application.

For example, our revolutionary Intelligent Operating (iQ) System has introduced performance enhancements, such as independent filter status monitoring, that have improved extraction efficiency, reduced the risk of downtime and lowered the cost of ownership. We’ve designed-in local and remote diagnostics capability and we’re now looking at how enhanced connectivity can help customers further.

We’re also enabling employers to stay ahead of regulatory guidance through designs such as the FumeCAB range – a partial enclosure system that satisfies the new HSG258 code of practice for operator protection from hand soldering, solvent use and other processes. In addition, we’re pushing into new sectors, such as dental, with bespoke solutions to improve the working environment for technicians using small hand tools.

Add to this BOFA’s established leadership in filtration technology, including the unique patented pre-filtration DeepPleat DUO system, and it’s clear that the company has created a great platform for the future.

Lockwood concludes: We will never forget our fundamental values. BOFA started as a family business that thrived through investing in its people and delivering exceptional service to its customers by understanding their needs and delivering bespoke design solutions. That’s something that won’t change over the next 30 years.

bofa.co.uk