Companies are increasingly prioritizing the development and maintenance of safe and environmentally responsible working conditions. Government rules and regulations are strictly adhered to, and the essential health of employees is paramount. Processors of dust-sensitive products also understand the benefits and necessity of removing, minimizing and managing dust emissions to achieve a healthy working environment.
For example, a processor of soya beans and rapeseed in the Rotterdam port area equipped several loading points in its bulk terminal with sustainable dedusting equipment supplied by Dust Control Partners (DCP). “Previously, it wasn't possible to enter the room without respiratory protection. Now, the dust is extracted at source and returns into the production flow,” said Henrik Baas, account manager at DCP.
The project in the port of Rotterdam can quite rightly be called unique. To achieve optimal extraction, DCP has fitted four loading points with four custom-made spot filters in the very limited available space. To ensure the dedusting systems would fit, several modifications were made to the design. For example, the filter access doors have been customized and a compact compressed air cleaning system has been incorporated. As a result, and despite the limited space, optimal dedusting capacity has nevertheless been achieved. An advanced controller, fitted with Profibus for remote monitoring, ensures that the filter is cleaned while in operation. The friction across the system remains virtually unchanged during this process.
“When a product falls from one conveyor belt to another, a cloud of dust forms. The actual product is valuable, which means that it is desirable to have as minimal a loss as possible. A fan is used to suck the dust cloud into the filter, where the dust is separated from the airflow,” explained Baas. As a result of the filter cleaning, the dust that settles on the filter elements falls back into the production flow. DCP's customized, sustainable solution ensures that virtually all of the extracted product is ultimately reused. “In addition, the filters are in a so-called ATEX 22 zoned environment. The filters are configured in such a way that there are no ignition sources. This means, for example, that no sparks are created by the fan, and the filter elements are not electrostatically charged. Due to the use of blow-off silencers, noise emission is minimal.”
Specialist customization
Dust Control Partners not only focuses on the installation and maintenance of their own dedusting equipment but also inspects and maintains existing filter installations of other manufacturers on request. This involves a comprehensive analysis, in which not only the dust filter but the entire dedusting system is inspected.
Many companies are aware that removing, minimizing and managing dust emissions will result in a healthier working environment. Nevertheless, selecting the correct method of dust extraction to match the production process is often underestimated, even though this is just as important. It prevents excessive damage to machines, the production process becomes more efficient and more profitable, and the unwanted downtime of a production line or even of an entire factory is avoided.
“We are not an unwieldy, large organization, where customers can choose their complete dedusting installation from a brochure. DCP provides specialist customization, we take care of the entire process from engineering right up to and including commissioning. We have the expertise, and are part of the TBK Group, enabling us to combine different disciplines within the group. Think, for example, of conveyor belt seals, tracker rollers, belt scrapers and industrial sieves. This allows us to offer a total solution in the field of dust control across a variety of situations. Our broad expertise in the handling of bulk goods, combined with an open dialogue with our customers, means that we can offer that little bit extra,” concluded Baas.
