The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Subway Division, located in Coney Island, New York, contacted Air Purifiers, Inc. to develop a solution for airborne dust, grit, and grime generated during the manual cleaning of subway trolley components.
Project Completion: September 2026
System Manufacturer: Airflow Systems
Equipment Installed: Airflow Systems DT-3000 Industrial Downdraft Table
System Features: Side and Overhead Enclosures, Integrated Task Lighting, Automatic Pulse-Jet Filter Cleaning
System Design & Installation: Air Purifiers, Inc.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Subway Division, located in Coney Island, New York, contacted Air Purifiers, Inc. to develop a solution for airborne dust, grit, and grime generated during the manual cleaning of subway trolley components.
These components operate in the demanding environment of New York City’s subway system, where they accumulate substantial amounts of grease, dirt, track debris, and other contaminants during normal service.
When maintenance personnel manually cleaned these components, accumulated debris became airborne, creating nuisance dust conditions and exposing employees to dirt and particulates within their immediate work areas.
The MTA required an effective dust collection solution that would capture these contaminants during the cleaning process while providing employees with a practical, well-lit, and accessible workstation.
Subway maintenance operations involve cleaning heavily contaminated mechanical components that have been exposed to grease, track dust, grime, and debris over extended periods of service.
The manual cleaning process can release significant amounts of accumulated particulate matter into the surrounding work environment, particularly when employees brush, scrape, or otherwise remove hardened deposits from the components.
The Transit Authority needed a system capable of capturing airborne contaminants directly at the cleaning station rather than allowing them to disperse into the maintenance facility.
Additionally, the equipment needed to provide sufficient working space, good visibility, and easy access for technicians handling irregularly shaped mechanical components.
The primary objective was to reduce employee exposure to airborne dust and grime while improving cleanliness and working conditions during subway component maintenance.
After evaluating the cleaning process and operational requirements, Air Purifiers selected and provided an Airflow Systems DT-3000 industrial downdraft table, specifically configured for the MTA’s component cleaning application.
The downdraft table was equipped with side and overhead enclosures, creating a partially enclosed workstation designed to help contain dust and debris generated during manual cleaning.
The system draws contaminated air downward through the work surface, capturing airborne particulates close to the point of generation before they can migrate into the employee’s breathing zone or surrounding maintenance area.
To improve working conditions, the overhead enclosure was outfitted with integrated task lighting, providing technicians with enhanced visibility while inspecting and cleaning heavily soiled subway components.
The DT-3000 was also equipped with an automatic pulse-jet filter cleaning system, designed to periodically remove accumulated dust from the filtration elements and help maintain consistent airflow and collection performance.
This combination of downdraft extraction, partial enclosure, integrated lighting, and automatic filter cleaning provides a practical, self-contained solution for demanding transit maintenance operations.
The completed installation provides the MTA Subway Division with a dedicated dust collection workstation designed to control airborne contamination generated during the cleaning of subway trolley components.
By utilizing the Airflow Systems DT-3000 downdraft table with side and overhead enclosures, Air Purifiers delivered a solution that captures dust and grime at the point of generation rather than allowing these contaminants to circulate throughout the maintenance facility.
The integrated lighting improves visibility for technicians, while the automatic pulse-jet cleaning system supports dependable filtration performance during routine maintenance operations.
The Transit Authority has expressed a high level of satisfaction with the completed system, particularly the improvement in working conditions and the reduction in employees’ exposure to airborne dirt, grit, and grime during component cleaning.
The installation provides a cleaner, more controlled workstation while supporting the demanding maintenance requirements of one of the nation’s largest public transportation systems.
This project demonstrates Air Purifiers’ experience in providing specialized dust collection and source-capture solutions for public transportation agencies, rail maintenance facilities, and industrial component cleaning applications.
