Founded in 1907, CECO Kirk & Blum is one of the largest and most experienced custom sheet metal and industrial ventilation fabricators in the United States — and a true pioneer in the design, fabrication, and installation of dust, fume, and mist control systems for industrial manufacturing. For over a century, Kirk & Blum has delivered engineered ventilation solutions that keep facilities in environmental compliance, protect workers from airborne contaminants, and optimize industrial air processes across the most demanding manufacturing environments in the country. Kirk & Blum is a brand of CECO Environmental.

From a single custom fabricated component to a complete turnkey ventilation system, Kirk & Blum provides the full range of industrial sheet metal and air handling services — custom-engineered ductwork, exhaust hoods, stacks, emission control equipment fabrication, and complete system installation. Their advanced 3D CAD/CAM modeling ensures superior accuracy and compliance with OSHA and U.S. EPA requirements, and their ASME-certified fabrication and SMACNA-compliant designs are built for durability, efficiency, and long-term reliability in harsh industrial conditions.

Trotter Equipment has represented CECO Kirk & Blum across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia for over 10 years. Our partnership combines Kirk & Blum’s engineering excellence and century-long fabrication heritage with Trotter’s practical, field-tested experience — delivering ventilation and air pollution control systems that meet exact specifications and operate reliably for years to come.

Kirk & Blum Products & Capabilities

CECO Kirk & Blum’s product line covers two integrated areas — custom-engineered industrial ventilation systems and fabricated components built to specification, and the CECO KB Duct modular and standard ducting product line for dust, fume, mist, and air handling applications.

Custom Fabrication & Industrial Ventilation Systems

Kirk & Blum’s core capability is the custom engineering, fabrication, and installation of complete industrial ventilation and air pollution control systems. Every project begins with a thorough understanding of the process, the contaminants, the facility layout, and the regulatory compliance requirements — and ends with a fully installed, tested, and balanced system. Whether designing from a zero base, adding to an existing system, or manufacturing individual components to customer drawings, Kirk & Blum applies the latest metal-working technology and decades of application expertise to optimize quality and performance.

• Industrial Ductwork Systems — Custom-engineered and fabricated ductwork systems for dust collection, fume control, mist elimination, and general industrial ventilation. Kirk & Blum engineers size ductwork for optimum transport velocity, system static pressure, and energy efficiency — selecting proper duct gauge, stiffener design, and material for each application. Fabricated in carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, and specialty alloys depending on the contaminants and operating conditions. SMACNA-compliant design and construction throughout.
• Exhaust Hoods — Custom-designed and fabricated exhaust capture hoods for welding, grinding, casting, plating, chemical processing, and other industrial emission sources. Hood design is critical to capture efficiency — Kirk & Blum engineers apply ACGIH hood design principles to achieve maximum contaminant capture at minimum exhaust volume, reducing fan energy consumption and downstream equipment sizing.
• Stacks — Self-Supporting & Guyed — Industrial exhaust stacks fabricated to specification for all types of air pollution control and process ventilation systems. Self-supporting and guyed configurations available in a wide range of diameters, heights, and materials. Designed to meet local wind load, seismic, and dispersion requirements.
• Emission Control Equipment Fabrication — RTOs, Cyclones, Scrubbers & Baghouses — Heavy-duty custom fabrication of regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), cyclone separators, wet scrubbers, baghouse housings, and other air pollution control equipment to engineering drawings and specifications. Kirk & Blum’s in-house fabrication capability handles complex, large, and heavy-gauge assemblies that require ASME-certified welding and precision fit-up. Fabrication services are available to OEM equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, and end users.
• Mist Control & Filtration Systems — Custom-engineered oil mist collection, coolant mist control, and industrial filtration systems for metalworking, machining, and manufacturing operations. Systems designed to capture fine mist aerosols at the source and prevent their migration into the facility air — protecting workers, reducing housekeeping costs, and maintaining compliance with occupational exposure limits.
• Scrap & Product Recovery Systems — Pneumatic and mechanical conveyance systems for recovering valuable scrap or product from manufacturing processes — including metal turnings, plastic trim, paper waste, and other recoverable materials. System design integrates capture, conveyance, and collection to maximize recovery and minimize waste.
• In-House Component Fabrication — For contractors, engineering firms, and plant maintenance teams that design or install their own air systems, Kirk & Blum provides standard and custom sheet metal components fabricated to the highest quality at competitive shop prices — with a full performance guarantee. Capabilities include straight duct, elbows, tees, laterals, reducers, transitions, and specialty fittings in any gauge and material combination.

CECO KB Duct — Modular & Standard Ducting Systems

The KB Duct product line is a complete family of standard and modular industrial ducting systems — clamp-together and flanged — for dust collection, fume control, oil mist collection, abrasive material handling, and general air process applications. KB Duct originated as part of the Kirk & Blum brand and has been in operation since 1907. The product line covers clamp-together duct from 3” to 24” diameter and flanged duct in diameters up to and beyond what a truck could pass through, in gauges from 22-gauge through 1/4” plate depending on the application.

• Clamp-Together Duct — The fastest and most flexible ducting system for industrial dust collection and fume control. KB Duct clamp-together systems use the Series 1000 Clamp to join standard duct sections, elbows, branches, and fittings without welding or bolted flanges — allowing rapid installation, easy reconfiguration, and quick modification as production layouts change. Standard branches fabricated from 18-gauge material; elbows, straight duct, and fittings available up to 10-gauge for abrasive applications including sand, coal, wood, and other high-wear materials. Applicable to virtually every dust collection system — wood, paper, chemical, fume, oil mist, and abrasive applications. Standard n-butyl rubber gasket works well for 95% of applications; FDA silicone, Viton, and ePTFE gasket materials available for high-temperature, food-grade, and aggressive chemical applications.
• Series 1000 Clamp — The revolutionary joining solution at the heart of the KB Duct clamp-together system. Designed for quick, secure, and repetitive use — a single clamp provides a positive, leak-resistant seal across a full range of duct diameters. The Series 1000 Clamp enables one-handed installation and infinite adjustability, allowing duct sections to be connected, disconnected, and repositioned without special tools. Galvanized steel construction with a range of gasket materials for compatibility with diverse process conditions.
• Vanstone Flanged Duct — Industrial flanged duct using the Vanstone technique — flanges placed onto the pipe with the lip turned back at 90 degrees and left loose, creating a secure metal-to-metal connection when flanges are drawn together. This method allows easy centerline alignment of connected components and is well-suited for heavier-gauge applications and larger diameters where clamp-together systems are not appropriate. Available in black iron, galvanized steel, or stainless steel, with or without pre-drilled bolt holes, in diameters from 3” through very large custom sizes. Preferred for applications with heavy liquid concentrations or positive-pressure conveyance where clamp-together systems are not suitable.
• Welded Flanged Duct — Flanges continuously or intermittently welded to the duct for maximum joint integrity in the most demanding applications. Available in gauges from standard through 1/4” plate and in lengths up to 20 feet depending on diameter. Seam welding used for 16-gauge and heavier material and for 25” diameter and larger. Standard flanges are galvanized; stainless steel and black iron also available. KB Duct welded flanged duct provides the lowest cost of ownership for permanent installations in abrasive, high-pressure, or corrosive environments — install it and it stays reliable for the life of the system.
• KB Duct Accessories — A complete range of system accessories including SparKBuster spark arrestors, KB Fume Arms for flexible source capture, Explosion Isolation Valves for deflagration protection, Blue Advantage flexible hose, cut-offs, angle rings, air-tight blast gates, and hose clamps. All accessories are designed as integrated components of the KB Duct system for consistent quality and compatibility.

Technology & Compliance

Kirk & Blum’s engineering and fabrication capabilities are built on over a century of industrial ventilation expertise, industry association membership, and rigorous quality standards. Key capabilities and credentials include:

• ASME-Certified Fabrication — Kirk & Blum maintains ASME certification for welded fabrications, ensuring code-compliant construction for pressure vessels, heavy-gauge assemblies, and safety-critical components
• SMACNA-Compliant Design — All ductwork systems are designed and fabricated in accordance with Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) standards for duct construction, system static pressure classification, and leak testing
• 3D CAD/CAM Modeling — Advanced three-dimensional design modeling ensures superior layout accuracy, interference detection, and production excellence for complex multi-branch ductwork systems and custom fabricated equipment
• System Testing & Balancing — Post-installation testing and air balancing services verify that completed systems achieve design exhaust volumes, capture velocities, and system static pressures — and that all branches are balanced to specification
• Turnkey Project Delivery — Complete project management from initial engineering design through fabrication, field installation, startup, and system commissioning. Kirk & Blum self-performs field installation with their own trained workforce — not subcontracted labor — ensuring quality and accountability through every phase of the project
• Free Design Services — Kirk & Blum engineers can take rough sketches or preliminary layouts and develop them into complete, fully detailed system designs ready for fabrication and installation. Design services are available at no charge as part of the project development process
• OSHA & EPA Compliance — All system designs and fabrications meet applicable OSHA industrial hygiene and EPA emission control requirements. Kirk & Blum’s engineering team is experienced in designing systems that satisfy both occupational exposure limits and environmental permit conditions

Industry Association Memberships

• SMACNA — Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association
• ACGIH — American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
• ANSI — American National Standards Institute
• ASHRAE — American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers
• NEBB — National Environmental Balancing Bureau

Industries Served

CECO Kirk & Blum ventilation systems and fabricated components serve a broad range of industrial manufacturing environments where dust, fume, mist, and emission control are critical for worker safety, environmental compliance, and production performance:

• Automotive Manufacturing — Welding fume exhaust systems, paint booth ventilation, grinding and finishing dust collection, and stamping press ventilation for automotive assembly plants and component manufacturers. Large-scale custom ductwork systems serving multi-bay production facilities
• Metalworking & Metal Fabrication — Grinding, cutting, and welding fume collection for job shops, metal fabricators, and structural steel producers. Oil mist collection systems for CNC machining centers, lathes, and other metalcutting equipment. Custom hood designs for high-capture efficiency at each emission source
• Foundry & Casting — High-temperature fume and particulate collection for ferrous and non-ferrous foundry operations — including sand casting, die casting, and investment casting. Systems designed for the extreme temperatures and abrasive dusts generated by melting, pouring, shakeout, and finishing operations
• Chemical Processing — Corrosion-resistant ductwork and ventilation systems for chemical manufacturing, mixing, and handling operations. Material selection — stainless steel, FRP-lined, or specialty alloy duct — matched to the specific chemical environment and temperature conditions
• Wood Products & Lumber — High-capacity dust collection for sawmills, planing mills, panel board production, and wood products manufacturing. Systems designed for the high air volumes and abrasive wood fiber dusts generated by cutting, planing, and sanding operations
• Plastics & Rubber — Fume and particulate collection for injection molding, extrusion, compounding, and rubber vulcanization operations. Ductwork systems designed for the thermal degradation products and process emissions typical of plastics and rubber manufacturing
• Food & Beverage Processing — Sanitary and food-grade ventilation systems for flour milling, grain handling, sugar processing, snack food production, and other food manufacturing operations. Stainless steel construction and smooth-bore duct designs where required by food safety standards
• Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical — Contained ventilation systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing, API handling, and nutraceutical production. Systems designed to meet cGMP requirements with smooth, cleanable surfaces and contained exhaust paths
• Pulp & Paper — Ventilation systems for paper machines, pulp digesters, recovery boilers, and converting operations. Heavy-duty ductwork designed for the corrosive, high-humidity environments typical of pulp and paper mills
• Printing & Packaging — Solvent vapor and ink mist capture systems for flexographic, gravure, and offset printing operations. Ductwork designed for the solvent-laden air streams from printing and coating lines — compatible with downstream oxidizer or recovery equipment
• Recycling & Waste Processing — Dust and particulate collection for shredding, baling, sorting, and processing of recycled materials. Heavy-duty ductwork constructed for the abrasive and unpredictable particle characteristics of recycled material streams
• Power Generation — Ventilation and emission control systems for coal-fired, biomass, and waste-to-energy power plants. Custom fabrication of heavy-gauge ductwork, expansion joints, dampers, and stacks for power plant applications
• Aggregate, Cement & Minerals — Dust collection systems for crushing, screening, grinding, and conveying operations at aggregate quarries, cement plants, and industrial mineral processors. Abrasion-resistant duct construction for high-velocity, high-solids loading applications

Services

• Engineering / Design — Complete ventilation system engineering from process review and contaminant characterization through duct system design, hood design, equipment selection, and compliance documentation. Free design development from rough sketches or preliminary layouts
• Trials / Test Lab — Application review, material compatibility testing, and system performance validation before project commitment
• Install / Commissioning — Turnkey field installation performed by Kirk & Blum’s own trained installation workforce. Commissioning includes system startup, airflow measurement, and balancing to design specifications
• System Integration — Integration of new ductwork and ventilation equipment with existing dust collectors, fans, pollution control devices, and facility infrastructure
• Testing & Balancing — Post-installation airflow testing and system balancing to verify design performance at every branch and hood in the system
• Repairs — Field repair and replacement of worn, damaged, or failed ductwork sections, fittings, and fabricated components. Emergency repair services available
• Troubleshooting — On-site assessment and troubleshooting for underperforming ventilation systems — identifying root causes of inadequate capture, excessive pressure drop, duct erosion, or system imbalance and developing cost-effective corrective solutions

PARTS

• Spare Parts
• Sub-Assembly Replacements
• KB Duct Clamp-Together Duct Sections & Fittings — All Diameters & Gauges
• KB Duct Vanstone & Welded Flanged Duct
• Series 1000 Clamps — All Sizes
• Gaskets — N-Butyl Rubber, FDA Silicone, Viton & ePTFE
• SparKBuster Spark Arrestors
• KB Fume Arms
• Explosion Isolation Valves
• Blast Gates & Dampers
• Elbows, Tees, Laterals, Transitions & Specialty Fittings